Tottenham 1-1 West Brom: Five talking points from White Hart Lane

Tottenham's Premier League title hopes are hanging by a thread after Craig Dawson salvaged a 1-1 draw for West Brom on Monday Night Football.

The West Brom defender, whose own goal had put Spurs in front in the first half, headed home Craig Gardner's corner in the 73rd minute at White Hart Lane, leaving Leicester with the chance to wrap up the title with a victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Here, we round up the biggest talking points on a bitterly disappointing evening for Mauricio Pochettino's men…

Leicester on the brink

Dawson's equaliser prompted wild celebrations among the West Brom supporters at White Hart Lane and the reaction must have been similar among Leicester fans watching at home.

Spurs desperately needed three points after Claudio Ranieri's side's emphatic 4-0 victory over Swansea on Sunday, but the draw leaves them seven points off the summit. The Foxes need to take just three points from their games against Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea to guarantee the title - meaning they could be crowned champions before Spurs face the Blues on Monday.

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Nerves get to Spurs

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Tottenham's exhilarating title challenge has been characterised by a fearless mentality but for the first time all season, they allowed the nerves to get the better of them at White Hart Lane. In front of goal, they were uncharacteristically sloppy, with a total of two shots on target their lowest of the season so far, and there were signs of indecision as they lost their way in the closing stages.  

"This is the youngest team in the Premier League and a team that's never been anywhere near this before," said Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness. "It certainly looked like it got to them in the second half. It became a nervy affair for them. I think some of the Tottenham players did freeze."

Jamie Carragher agreed. "Don't forget how many times Leicester have won 1-0," he said. "It would have been a huge result, but it takes it back to Leicester and how much credit you have to give them. Tottenham have been in that situation tonight and they couldn't quite hang on."

Alli in trouble?

Tottenham will also be sweating on Dele Alli, who could be facing FA action after appearing to lash out at Claudio Yacob in the first half. The Tottenham midfielder, who was named PFA Young Player of the Year on Sunday night, received close attention from the Argentine throughout the game - and Souness insists it's something he'll have to get used to.

"He's got to accept that lesser lights like Yacob will try and mess him around," said Souness. "He's getting all the attention at the moment as he's the Young Player of the Year. He's going to get that from a player like Yacob. He's there to be a spoiler and stop people playing - Alli's got to live with that."

Pochettino insisted he had not seen the incident in his post-match interview with Sky Sports, but Spurs will be aware that Alli may be hit with a ban if the FA decide to take retrospective action.

Dier concern for Spurs

Alli is not the only midfield concern for Spurs, who also had to watch Eric Dier trudge straight down the tunnel after picking up an injury when Dawson netted West Brom's equaliser. The 22-year-old has been a revelation in the holding role this season, and Spurs do not have a replacement in the same ilk.

The lack of cover hasn't been an issue so far this season as Dier has started all but one of their 35 Premier League games, but a spell on the sidelines would leave Pochettino facing a challenge to ensure they do not lose their balance in midfield in the remaining games of the campaign.

West Brom raise their game

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Having already hit the 40-point mark and lost four of their previous five Premier League games, West Brom were not expected to put up much resistance at White Hart Lane. They certainly struggled in the first half as Spurs took the lead and hit the woodwork twice, but they were much improved after the break, when they had nine shots to Tottenham's five.

"West Brom in the second half were a totally different team," said Souness. "They were bang at it. I think what we have witnessed tonight could only happen in the Premier League. You've got a team who are playing for nothing and should be in their armchairs who have gone to the potential league champions and got a result and frustrated the life out of them."

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