LONDON — Belgium international Jan Vertonghen scored a second-half winner to send Tottenham Hotspur back into the top four of the Premier League after a 1-0 home win against a stubborn Swansea City Sunday. The former Ajax defender broke the deadlock in the 75th minute at White Hart Lane with a beautifully-struck right-footed half-volley after Kyle Walker swung in a free kick from the right that beat the defense and fell to Vertonghen. Spurs leapfrogged Everton to take fourth place, level on 29 points with third-placed Chelsea, which has a game in hand after losing the Club World Cup final in Japan 1-0 to Brazil's Corinthians Sunday. Manchester United, which beat Sunderland 3-1 at Old Trafford Saturday, has 42 points and is six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table. Spurs enjoyed most of the possession but was frustrated by a flowing Swansea side that proved solid in defense and dangerous on the break. Walker had Tottenham's best chance of the goalless first half in the 40th minute when he blasted the ball at goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel from 25 meters. Tremmel had barely time to raise his hands, with the ball ricocheting off his shoulder without Spurs being able to capitalize. Swansea's Michu then tried an opportunistic lob from the halfway line two minutes later that flew over the bar as Hugo Lloris scrambled back to cover. The game ended with bad-tempered scenes after Michu was felled by Lloris as the goalkeeper tried to punch the ball clear. With the Swansea player still on the ground, Tottenham played on before the game was halted. — Reuters
