Stuttering Spurs drop to fourth

The slow but steady unravelling of Tottenham’s season continues as they, like Manchester City, now have to put up with the familiar feeling of seeing their local rivals enjoying life above them in the Premier League table.

In the end, a scrappy goal from Cameron Jerome from Stoke’s second on-target effort did not condemn Spurs to defeat.

But a point was not enough to prevent Arsenal claiming the third place berth that had been theirs since just before Christmas.

Rafael van der Vaart’s diving header equaliser in the last minute at least enabled Harry Redknapp and Co to end the night on a high but a one-time advantage of 10 points over the Gunners is now a deficit of one. “We all want three points at home but maybe a point will be very important at the end of the day,” Redknapp pondered.

The game was the first at White Hart Lane since Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba collapsed with a heart attack on Saturday and the opening exchanges was subdued. The Potters were busy and Jerome fired two early chances off target.

Tottenham eventually settled with van der Vaart unleashing a drive from 25 yards that Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic dived to his left to make a smart save.

Tottenham chances stacked up before the break. Benoit Assou-Ekotto planted a free-kick just over and a header from Younes Kaboul bounced off the crossbar, although the whistle had already gone.

Bale saw a 30-yarder beat Begovic but bounce off the bar but Stoke’s 75th-minute sucker punch was just seconds away. Robert Huth headed on a free-kick and there was Jerome in front of a post to stick out a leg and finish. To their credit Tottenham refused to concede it wasn’t their night. Bale was denied in stoppage time by Begovic but the Welshman’s response was an inch-perfect delivery on to the head of Van der Vaart.

TOTTENHAM (4-4-1-1): Friedel 6; Walker 6, King 6 (Nelsen 84), Kaboul 8, Assou-Ekotto 6; Kranjcar 5 (Defoe 46, 6), Parker 6, Modric 6, Bale 7; van der Vaart 5; Saha 6 (Dos Santos 73, 5).

STOKE CITY (4-4-2): Begovic 6; Wilkinson 7, Huth 7, Shawcross 7, Wilson 6; Pennant 6, Palacios 6 (Whitehead 57, 6), Diao 5 (Whelan 26, 6), Jerome 6 (Delap 83); Walters 6, Crouch 5.

Referee: Mike Jones.