Dango Ouattara’s last-gasp Bournemouth winner stuns Spurs

No manager, a fading top-four challenge and losing to relegation candidates. Modern football protocol dictates that such a state of affairs will lead to a club’s ownership being targeted. Calls for Daniel Levy to step aside are not uncommon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but they are becoming especially loud from the White Wall Stand when Spurs are losing.

As fans peeled to the exits after an amazing goal by Burkina Faso’s Dango Ouattara in the last seconds of time added, the chants resumed. Like the Glazers at Old Trafford and FSG at Anfield, Levy and the Enic Group felt the heat of failure. Even if Tottenham’s defeat here could be explained by poor finishing, absent-minded defending and the excellence of an inspired, disciplined Bournemouth, the money men, the ownership were barracked as the root cause of failure.

Just when Spurs seemed to have relocated the luck of last week’s VAR-assisted defeat of Brighton, Arnaut Danjuma’s shot from the edge of the box fizzed in to make it 2-2. Harry Kane seemed to be in Bournemouth goalkeeper’s sightline, only for VAR to rule the Spurs captain had not been interfering with play. Redemption at last but it ended up preceding only fury and the away fans’ chants of “we are staying up”.

Gary O’Neil’s intense approach is contributing heavily to a Bournemouth fight that is beginning to look as if might be successful. They remain a continuing credit to him when many had them relegated after the first few matches of the season, and this was a triumph completed by a sub sent on to win territory when Spurs had Bournemouth pinned back.

A game delayed by Bournemouth’s slow passage down the Tottenham High Road had begun with the visitors on the end of Heung-min Son’s opener that arrived as little surprise. Clement Lenglet’s ball found Ivan Perisic, before a reverse pass allowed Son to sweep home. When Harry Kane took aim and missed soon after that, a Tottenham stroll seemed in session, only for Ryan Christie, laid up by intelligent, powerful running by Dominic Solanke to blaze over with only Hugo Lloris to beat. Bournemouth, pacy on the counter, retained a latent, potent threat.

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Son sought a second. The Korean’s eye – and touch – looked on point when he set up Kane for a shot that Neto stopped low down His partnership with Kane, after a tough winter for Son, remains their club’s best route to salvaging something from the season; it was ever thus.

After Lenglet limped off to be replaced by Davidson Sanchez, Spurs continued to use Son as their out-ball, but it was down Bournemouth’s same, inside-left channel that the equaliser came. An idling Pedro Porro was caught in possession and Phillip Billing combined with Solanke to send away Matias Vina to score. The Uruguayan, making his full debut on loan from Roma, finished with notable cool.

Vina did not get chance to add to his glory, pulling up with a back problem, moments into the second half before leaving the field in some distress. Instead, Solanke would supply and score Bournemouth’s second, his run beginning the move that ended with Sanchez’s inadvertent pass playing him in to score.

A game that might have been out of sight had lurched into a trademark Tottenham existential crisis. Bournemouth and their fans flushed with belief as the stadium filled with those chants of “Levy out”. There were cheers when Sanchez, having lasted barely 22 minutes, was subbed off in the 58th minute, the speed of his exit suggesting no injury.

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Had Bournemouth scored too early? Tottenham piled into them, the home fans turning their disquiet towards some rather obvious timewasting tactics. Joe Rothwell and Jefferson Lerna attempted to screen the defence, but a heavy barrage of crosses came in, as Danjuma, Sanchez’s replacement, was pushed to the wing in what became a four-man Spurs attack.

Jadon Anthony, on an as a sub, might have scored a third Bournemouth goal, having escaped down the byline and forced a save from Lloris. Held at bay by a shape that became 6-4-0, Stellini’s team were reduced to potshots. On 77 minutes, Richarlison was introduced, the record signing yet to register a Premier League goal. The Brazilian awaits either an escape route in the transfer window or a manager who might be more appreciative of his talents than Antonio Conte. It briefly looked as if his big moment had come – he had even begun his wild celebration – only for Danjuma to be ruled offside.

Danjuma’s redemption came. It seemed his equaliser could lead only to a Spurs win. But then: enter Ouattara.