Norwich City 2-2 Tottenham: Harry Kane rescues point for error-strewn Spurs

Report and highlights as Spurs rally to redeem point after defensive horror show

Jack Wilkinson

@jacktwilkinson

Saturday 28 December 2019 23:00, UK

Harry Kane's late penalty rescued a 2-2 draw for Tottenham after an error-strewn defensive performance looked to have gifted Norwich victory at Carrow Road.

Norwich looked set to add Spurs to their list of Premier League scalps when Serge Aurier's own goal restored their lead after Mario Vrancic's first-half opener was cancelled out by Christian Eriksen's exquisite free-kick.

But Kane came to the rescue with nine minutes remaining, marking his 200th Premier League appearance by clinically dispatching a penalty he had won as Spurs' blushes were spared.

It was a bitter pill for Norwich to swallow after the narrowest of VAR offside decisions denied Teemu Pukki what appeared to be a perfectly legal second goal before half-time.

The point means Spurs are two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea having played a game more, while Norwich remain rooted to the foot of the table, six points from safety.

How captain Kane rescued Spurs

Norwich have reserved their finest performances for Carrow Road throughout a testing top-flight campaign, and the visit of Spurs was no different as the Canaries exerted their expansive game on the visitors.

The returning Jamal Lewis flashed a shot wide inside eight minutes and that was a sign of things to come. Two minutes later, a collision between Spurs midfielders Tanguy Ndombele and Eriksen gifted Norwich possession and Marco Stiepermann strode unopposed into the area where a fingertip save from Paulo Gazzaniga denied the hosts the opener.

Ndombele tried to atone for nearly handing Norwich the lead by charging down a clearance on halfway. The block released Kane away on the counter and he laid the ball into the path of Dele Alli, but the in-form attacker blazed Spurs' first opening over.

Spurs looked to have found their groove when Toby Alderweireld's long ball released Kane on the quarter hour, the striker was denied by Tim Krul but the chances kept on coming for the visitors, with Ryan Sessegnon prevented from converting Eriksen's cutback by a goal-saving block from Max Aarons.

But just as it seemed Tottenham had settled, Norwich struck. Juan Foyth was outmuscled in midfield and Vrancic strolled into the Spurs area where his low shot curled away from Gazzaniga into the bottom left-hand corner.

Norwich looked to have doubled their lead on 33 minutes when Pukki slotted home after Vrancic's brilliant through-ball, but the Canaries were denied by one of the most marginal VAR offside calls seen since the technology's introduction.

Chants of 'It's not football anymore' and 'You're not fit to referee' emanated from the disgruntled Carrow Road faithful, and their burning sense of injustice was compounded 10 minutes after the restart as Spurs hauled themselves level.

Lewis was penalised for blocking Lucas Moura's through-ball with his arm just as it looked to have released Kane through on goal and, from the resultant free-kick, Eriksen lashed the equaliser into the top corner past Krul.

Spurs thought they had completed the turnaround three minutes later when Alli gathered Giovani Lo Celso's pass and lofted a shot over Krul, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Insult was added to injury soon after as Norwich regained the lead in bizarre circumstances. Pukki's dart in behind caused panic in the Spurs defence and Alderweireld diverted the ball off Aurier and into the back of his own net.

Aurier's unfortunate own goal set Spurs back to square one but they were gifted a route back into the game nine minutes from time when Zimmermann clumsily brought Kane to ground in the area, and the former Norwich loanee took the chance to equalise from 12 yards.

Spurs could have won it late on when substitute Erik Lamela's dipping strike drew a fingertip save from Krul but the Canaries clung on to a point having looked deserving of three.

Analysis: Time to change VAR rules?

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp:

'The rules are the rules and we have to trust in the technology but the decision [to rule out Pukki's goal] just seems harsh. It's a brilliant ball by Vrancic and it looks like Pukki gets himself onside. We have to trust the calibration but we're talking centimetres.

'They have to change the rule in the summer - it's not something the fans appreciate. With the rule being you can score with any part of your body, it gets lost on fans to a certain extent and I understand that because I find it frustrating too.

'Maybe next year we need to look to a situation where you can only be offside with your feet, because to catch a player offside who is leaning just feels unfair.'

Stats: Spurs rally to hold Canaries

Norwich have avoided defeat in three of their last four home games against Tottenham in the Premier League (W1 D2 L1) after losing four of their first five against them in the competition (D1).
Tottenham have failed to win back-to-back Premier League games against teams starting the day at the bottom of the table for the first time since April 2011 (three games; D1 L2).
Tottenham have scored four own goals in the league in 2019 - the most in a Premier League calendar year ever for Spurs.
Harry Kane has scored 20 penalties for Tottenham in the Premier League - more than any other player for the club.

What the managers said…

Norwich boss Daniel Farke: "It's a good point for us in a game that was our second in three days. To come away with a point is without doubt a good result. I'm not very frustrated, I'm proud and a bit disappointed.

"Some crucial decisions didn't go out way and we are disappointed not to get three points, but I have to praised my players' spirit first and desire, especially in the first half."

Spurs manager Jose Mourinho: "The same defensive mistakes we made in the first half, we made in the second half. This is being a little bit of our history. We conceded two very bad goals. Our defensive mistakes are match after match.

"I have lots of work to do but it has been difficult because I always say you have to try and hide your fragilities. We have to improve defensively because there are too many individual mistakes.

"That's very frustrating because we played well and could not have been more offensive than we were in the second half, where Norwich defended with their souls and their lives."