Eriksen earns Tottenham first home win of season

Reuters: Christian Eriksen gave Tottenham Hotspur a long-overdue first Premier League victory at their temporary Wembley Stadium with the only goal in a laboured 1-0 win over struggling Bournemouth on Saturday.

Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen in action with Bournemouth’s Charlie Daniels - REUTERS 

Mauricio Pochettino’s side were in danger of becoming the only club in English Football League history to win their first four away league games without tasting victory in any of their opening four at home after a drab first half.

Danish playmaker Eriksen ensured that did not happen, however, with a well-taken 47th-minute goal to keep Tottenham in third place with 17 points from their opening eight games - five behind leaders Manchester City.

The fluent football Tottenham have produced away from home was again missing, though, as Harry Kane’s prolific run of scoring for club and country came to an end.

Kane, who had netted nine times in his previous five games, had a goal rightly ruled out for offside and wasted another great chance to settle his side’s nerves before being withdrawn in readiness for Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid.

Bournemouth remained second from bottom but could argue they were worthy of a point. They had the better chances before the break and were always a threat late on with former Spurs favourite Jermain Defoe causing anxiety in the home defence after coming on as a substitute.

The final whistle was greeted with relief by Tottenham’s fans, many of whom will travel to Madrid on Tuesday for their side’s crunch match in Madrid.