Tottenham 3-0 Manchester United: Spurs keep title chase alive

Tottenham responded to Leicester City's victory over Sunderland with one of their own as they beat Manchester United 3-0 on Sunday to close the gap at the top to seven points.

The Foxes laid a huge marker down earlier in the day by beating Sunderland 2-0 but Tottenham kept the title chase alive with Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela scoring the goals in a rampant six-minute spell in the second half.

The result leaves Manchester United four points off rivals Manchester City, who occupy fourth spot.

Next up for Leicester, who are now guaranteed a top-four finish, is a home clash with West Ham next Sunday while Tottenham travel to Stoke for that week's Monday Night Football.

Kick-off was delayed by 30 minutes at White Hart Lane as the Manchester United team bus got caught in severe traffic en route from their central London hotel.

Despite only arriving at the ground at 35 minutes before kick-off, Louis van Gaal's men started brightly and enjoyed 67 per cent of possession in the first 15 minutes, although they failed to create any meaningful chances.

United had control of the game but Tottenham burst into life on 26 minutes. After scrambling clear a half-chance in the six-yard box from Harry Kane, the United defence went to sleep and left Lamela free at the back post. Christian Eriksen found him with a perfect cross but the midfielder headed wide from five yards out under no pressure. Mauricio Pochettino roared his approval on the touchline at the increase in tempo.

Kyle Walker answered his manager's call by breezing past Marcus Rojo and into the penalty area on 29 minutes but Timothy Fosu-Mensah came across to make a crucial block inside his own six yard box.

Tottenham kept up the intensity in the second period with Eriksen and Kane testing David de Gea with 25 yard efforts, both of which were dealt with by the United 'keeper.

Jesse Lingard found space inside the Spurs area on 58 minutes but skewed a presentable opportunity wide from 15 yards.

An even better chance fell to Anthony Martial three minutes later as he did brilliantly to beat three Tottenham defenders before firing straight at Hugo Lloris from 10 yards out. 

United were left to rue that miss as Spurs then went goal crazy.

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With 70 minutes played, Eriksen burst down the left flank and crossed for the unmarked Alli to smash home from close range - his eighth league goal of the season.

The goal lifted the roof off White Hart Lane and just as it was returning from space, Spurs made it 2-0.

Lamela drifted in a free-kick from the left, and Alderweireld rose superbly on the penalty spot to glance his header into the bottom right corner.

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The United defence were now crumbling under intense Spurs pressure and Lamela made it three with their next attack. 

The winger made up for his earlier miss by superbly guiding Danny Rose's low centre into the bottom left corner from 15 yards.

It was as easy as one, two, three. Anything Leicester can do, Spurs can do too. It's as we were in the title race. Leicester lead by seven with six games left to play.

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Player Ratings

Tottenham: Lloris (7), Walker (7), Alderweireld (7), Vertonghen (7), Rose (8), Dier (7), Dembele (7), Lamela (8), Eriksen (8), Alli (7), Kane (7)

Subs: Son (6)

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Man Utd: De Gea (6), Fosu-Mensah (6), Smalling (6), Blind (6), Rojo (6), Schneiderlin (6), Carrick (7), Mata (6), Lingard (6), Martial (7), Rashford (5)

Subs: Young (5), Darmain (4), Depay (5)

Man of the match: Erik Lamela