Spurs kicked things off at the Liberty Stadium, on a chilly but calm Saturday afternoon, in a match that could define their season. Both teams made tentative starts, passing cautiously but not really making any substantial progress in the opening minutes. But, after seven minutes, Spurs opened the scoring through Jan Vertonghen. The Belgian found himself in possession on the halfway line and burst forward, playing a neat one-two with Gareth Bale, latching on to the Welshman's classy through-ball and calmly slotting past Michel Vorm in the Swansea goal. The next few minutes saw Spurs find themselves with the wind in their sails, and Gylfi Sigurdsson almost put Bale through in the eleventh minute, but Vorm gathered. On the twelve minute mark, Adebayor was put clean through on goal by Moussa Dembele, but the Togolese marksman's finish was lacklustre and straight at Vorm. He really should have put Spurs two goals up. Tottenham really started to dominate possession and looked more like the team who put such an impressive unbeaten run together, prior to their recent run of defeats. When Swansea did get possession, Spurs were winning it back quickly and with renewed confidence - Dembele and Parker instrumental in doing so. Very much against the run of play, Swansea nearly drew level on the twenty minute mark. Jonathan de Guzman crossed in a corner that Michu got his head to, but the Spaniard put it wide. A minute later, Spurs were two up. The same two men who scored and created the first goal were at it again, exchanging roles this time around. Vertonghen played the ball forward to Bale who, on the edge of the box, controlled and shot towards goal, leaving Vorm helpless. Spurs were nearly caught out a minute later, as Nathan Dyer was put through, but the nippy attacking midfielder miscued badly when he should have done better. Brad Friedel was called in to action in the 25th minute, when Tiendalli shot from the edge of the box. The American parried the shot around the post for a corner, which came to nothing. Swansea had Spurs pinned back for a short spell, but Bale cleared and eased the spell of home pressure. Ben Davies cut inside on his weaker right foot in the 27th minute, but the 20 yard strike was always rising and flew harmlessly over Friedel's crossbar. Gareth Bale worked some magic to create an opening with quick, tricky feet in the 30th minute. The Welshman found space for himself on the edge of the box, but he hit his effort just wide. In the 35th minute, Swansea should have pulled one back. A cross came in and Dyer got his head to it, he hit the bar, the ball bounced off the bar and hit him on the line, but it somehow stayed out. Swansea continued to pressure and some nice passing almost saw Hernandez through on goal, but Michael Dawson was there to make a last ditch tackle and Friedel gathered the loose ball safely. Emmanuel Adebayor showed some frustration in the 40th minute. His poor run of form perhaps playing a part. But he lost possession and lashed out, earning himself a yellow card - the first of the game. Swansea enjoyed another little spell of pressure and Jonathan de Guzman curled a floated effort well over the Spurs goal in the 43rd minute. Two minutes of first half stoppage were announced with Tottenham in possession and, despite the spirited efforts of their Welsh opponents, they went in at half-time two goals to the good. Swansea got the second half under-way with neither team having made any changes during the break. In the 47th minute, Swansea got a free-kick on the edge of the box which they took very quickly and put Michu clean through on goal before Spurs could organise themselves. Thankfully for them, Friedel was alert and made the save. Spurs then countered immediately with Adebeyor, but he could only win his team a throw-in when he was put through on goal. In the 50th minute, Aaron Lennon went on a weaving solo run and found Sigurdsson. The Icelandic international curled in a great effort that Vorm could only parry out, before saving the subsequent headed effort at goal from Bale. Swansea came close in the 53rd minute. Michu had his second chance of the second half. Tiendalli crossed to the Spaniard, but his header was sent wide with Friedel well beaten. A minute later, Dyer had five or six team-mates to his left, but chose to shoot from twelve yards. The selfish strike went horrendously wide and high of the mark. Swansea made their first change in the 55th minute, with Sung-Yeung being brought on to replace de Guzman in a straight swap. Spurs followed suit six minutes later with Jermain Defoe being brought on to replace Adebayor in another straight swap. The change came as Spurs prepared to take a corner, following good work from Lennon on the right. A quiet spell ensued with neither team taking the bull by the horns and Swansea brought on more fresh legs in the 67th minute, with Garry Monk replacing Chico Flores, whose lack of match fitness was starting to show. Swansea pulled a goal back in the 71st minute. Michu, who had been threatening to make his mark earlier in the half, got his head to the end of a corner and the ball ricocheted in off the post to make the score 1-2. Just over a minute later, Bale was set free for Spurs and the Welsh wizard fired his shot just wide. Swansea continued to press, hoping for an equaliser, as Spurs defended dangerously deep. Another corner occurred, but Spurs were more resolute and cleared through Walker's defensive header on 75 minutes. Lewis Holtby was brought on in the 76th minute to replace Gylfi Sigurdsson for Spurs. Michu, having already been booked, was lucky not to see red in the 77th minute, as he lashed out twice at Jan Vertonghen in quick succession. The forward then nearly scored, which would really have rubbed salt in to Spurs' wounds. Itay Schechter came on to replace Pablo Hernandez on the 79 minute mark, in Swansea's last attempt to inject new life in to the game. Swansea were really starting to dictate the game at this point, as Spurs struggled to hold on to their precious and fragile lead, and Tiendalli's cross was nervously seen out by Walker for another corner, which came to nothing. The match was getting quite heated at this point, and Spurs lunged in with a number of rash challenges when Swansea charged forward. The referee perhaps playing advantage once too many times as the home fans roared in disapproval. Dembele then found Defoe up front for Spurs in the 86th minute and the England striker, fresh off the back of his two goal haul in San Marino (but yet to score a club goal in 2013), really tested Vorm for the first time in quite a long period of time. Lewis Holtby became the latest man to receive a booking in the 88th minute. The German international rashly taking down Nathan Dyer. Tiendalli, who had been a threat down the right all game, then crossed in to the Spurs box. The cross deflected off Gareth Bale and Friedel had to prevent the ball from sneaking in to the away goal. With only seconds left on the clock in normal time, Bale then made a fantastic last ditch tackle to prevent a definite Swansea goal from Nathan Dyer, proving his worth at both ends of the pitch. Five minutes of added time was announced with Spurs looking rocky and defending desperately. The heat of the match was rubbing off on the opposing teams of coaching staff, as tempers flared in the dugouts on 92 minutes. Good work from Bale on the Swansea goal-kick line resulted in the Welshman getting in a decent cross, but no one was there to meet it. Scott Parker was then booked during a tussle on the right hand side and Gareth Bale nearly scored whilst through on goal in the dying seconds and, as Spurs tried to wind down the clock with the introduction of Jake Livermore, there wasn't time for a substitution as Anthony Taylor brought the match to a conclusion. 3 vital points for Tottenham Hotspur that didn't come easy for them at all.
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Attendance: 20,604.
Swansea City Vorm; Tiendalli, Chico (Monk, 66), Williams, Davies; Britton, de Guzman (Sung-Yeung, 57); Routledge, Dyer, Hernandez (Schechter, 79), Michu.
Tottenham Hotspur Friedel; Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Naughton; Dembele, Parker; Sigurdsson (Holtby, 76), Bale, Lennon; Adebayor (Defoe, 61).