A dramatic encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium saw Bournemouth let a two-goal lead slip, settling for a 2-2 draw against Spurs on Sunday.
Costly errors, including a questionable moment from Kepa Arrizabalaga, proved decisive as Andoni Iraola’s side failed to secure all three points despite being the better team for much of the match.
Bournemouth appeared to be on course for a crucial victory, with goals from Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson putting them in a commanding position.
However, Spurs clawed their way back, benefiting from a fortunate strike by Pape Sarr and a late Son Heung-min penalty after Kepa’s reckless challenge.
The result leaves Bournemouth in eighth place, five points off the top four and three points behind fifth, while Tottenham remain 13th as they aim to bounce back from their Europa League disappointment against AZ Alkmaar.
Cristian Romero’s return to the starting lineup for Spurs after three months was far from smooth. His misplaced passes gifted early opportunities to Evanilson and Justin Kluivert, but goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was up to the task, keeping Tottenham in the game.
Bournemouth’s dominance was evident in the early exchanges. By the 19th minute, they had already registered six shots, four on target, with five of them inside Spurs’ penalty area.
Despite limited possession in the final third, Iraola’s men made their chances count and could have put the game out of reach early on if not for Vicario’s heroics.
Just before halftime, Spurs’ sloppiness was punished. Pedro Porro’s misplaced pass allowed Milos Kerkez to sprint down the left before delivering a perfectly timed cross that Tavernier finished at the far post, giving Bournemouth a deserved 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute.
The Cherries thought they had doubled their advantage in the 52nd minute with a breathtaking counter-attack that saw Tavernier win possession in his own penalty area and Kluivert finish at the other end. However, Antoine Semenyo had strayed offside in the buildup, and the goal was ruled out.
At halftime, Ange Postecoglou responded by introducing Son and Lucas Bergvall for Brennan Johnson and Yves Bissouma. Son nearly made an immediate impact, hitting the outside of the post shortly after Bournemouth’s disallowed goal.
Micky van de Ven also made his return from injury, coming off the bench after missing action since January.
Bournemouth continued to push forward, with Kerkez testing Vicario at his near post. Meanwhile, Sarr missed a chance to equalize at the other end.
But it was the visitors who struck again, with Kluivert showcasing brilliant movement to let the ball roll past him before feeding Evanilson, who coolly lifted the ball over Vicario to make it 2-0.
However, Spurs responded swiftly. Sarr attempted what looked like a cross, only for the ball to loop over Kepa, hit the post, and find the back of the net.
Whether it was intentional or not, it revived Tottenham’s hopes, especially considering that all eight of Sarr’s previous goals for the club had come in victories.
That hope was further ignited when Kepa made a reckless decision to rush off his line and bring down Son in the box.
The South Korean forward took full advantage, converting the penalty in style to level the score with just six minutes remaining.
Neither side could find a late winner, leaving both teams to share the points.
While Bournemouth will see this as an opportunity lost, Spurs will take confidence from their fightback as they prepare for their crucial second-leg clash against AZ in the Europa League.
