Premier League finale: 3 days 16 hours 52 minutes
 

Premier League

Result: Tottenham Hotspur edge past Newcastle United to secure top-four spot

Tottenham Hotspur secure a top-four finish in the Premier League courtesy of Harry Kane's goal in a nervy 1-0 win over Newcastle United at Wembley.

Tottenham Hotspur secured a third successive top-four finish in the Premier League courtesy of a scrappy 1-0 win over Newcastle United at Wembley tonight.

This result, combined with Chelsea's failure to beat Huddersfield Town at Stamford Bridge this evening, secures Champions League football for Spurs at their new stadium next season, and lifts them above Liverpool into third heading into Sunday's final round of fixtures.

Newcastle gave as good as they got on their first trip to the home of football in 18 years, but a splendid Harry Kane goal early in the second half was enough for Spurs.

There may have been some nerves in the Spurs camp following Saturday's defeat to West Bromwich Albion, which saw their cushion on fifth-place Chelsea cut to two points, and that showed in their first-half performance.

It was the visitors, who were on the back of three straight defeats, that created much the better chances before the break, starting with an 11th-minute Ayoze Perez shot which was saved by Hugo Lloris, after the Spaniard had easily outmuscled the much bigger Jan Vertonghen.

Lloris was beaten three minutes later when Jonjo Shelvey whipped a 20-yard free kick around the wall but back off the post.

England World Cup hopeful Shelvey was the source of most of Newcastle's chances, teeing up Jamaal Lascelles for a header which Lloris had to push away at full stretch.

Dwight Gayle missed an even better headed opportunity before the half hour mark, failing to keep his effort down after ghosting in between Davinson Sanchez and Kieran Trippier to meet Perez's cross.

With Victor Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko the midfield pairing, Spurs could not move the ball quickly enough through midfield to unsettle Benitez's organised defensive shape.

The only clear-cut opportunity that they engineered in the first half came from a long punt from Lloris, which bounced kindly into the path of Kane who fluffed his lines when one-on-one with Martin Dubravka.

Kane showed much more composure five minutes after the restart to ease the tension around Wembley, cushioning a classy finish into the top corner from Son Heung-min's layoff, for his 28th league goal of the season.

Newcastle continued to pose an attacking threat after falling behind as Kenedy shot narrowly wide from 25 yards out, and Lloris reacted quickly off his line to prevent Matt Ritchie from having a close-range tap-in.

Far from their fluid best, Spurs only had a couple of chances to make these precious points more secure as Dubravka saved low from Dele Alli, and blocked again when substitute Danny Rose countered in stoppage time.

Newcastle's best chance to equalise came through a substitute of their own as Jacob Murphy brilliantly rounded Sanchez, only to lose his cool when pulling the trigger, blazing a shot over the crossbar from a tight angle.

The Magpies remain 10th but could finish as low as 15th with a fifth straight defeat on Sunday.

SPURS (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Trippier (Alderweireld, 83'), Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Wanyama (Rose, 88'), Sissoko; Eriksen, Dele, Son (Lamela, 77'); Kane

NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Dubravka; Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett; Ritchie, Shelvey, Diame, Kenedy (Murphy 71'); Perez, Gayle (Joselu, 76')

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CManchester CityMan City373142105277897
2Manchester UnitedMan Utd36245767283977
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs37228769323774
4Liverpool372012580384272
5Chelsea37217962352770
6Arsenal371861373512260
7Burnley371412113537-254
8Everton371310144355-1249
9Leicester CityLeicester371211145255-347
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle37118183647-1141
11Crystal Palace371011164355-1241
12Bournemouth371011164360-1741
13Watford37118184463-1941
14Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton37913153450-1640
15West Ham UnitedWest Ham36911164567-2238
16Huddersfield TownHuddersfield37910182857-2937
17Southampton37715153755-1836
18Swansea CitySwansea3789202754-2733
RWest Bromwich AlbionWest Brom37613183154-2331
RStoke CityStoke37612193367-3430
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Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CManchester CityMan City373142105277897
2Manchester UnitedMan Utd36245767283977
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs37228769323774
4Liverpool372012580384272
5Chelsea37217962352770
6Arsenal371861373512260
7Burnley371412113537-254
8Everton371310144355-1249
9Leicester CityLeicester371211145255-347
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle37118183647-1141
11Crystal Palace371011164355-1241
12Bournemouth371011164360-1741
13Watford37118184463-1941
14Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton37913153450-1640
15West Ham UnitedWest Ham36911164567-2238
16Huddersfield TownHuddersfield37910182857-2937
17Southampton37715153755-1836
18Swansea CitySwansea3789202754-2733
RWest Bromwich AlbionWest Brom37613183154-2331
RStoke CityStoke37612193367-3430
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