Tottenham Hotspur ‘s hopes of chasing down Chelsea at the top of the Premier League have been dealt a potentially fatal blow, as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against West Ham United on Friday night.

A close-range finish from Manuel Lanzini 65 minutes in proved the difference in the end, leaving a below-par Spurs side four points adrift of leaders Chelsea, who take on Middlesbrough in their game in hand on Monday.

Back-to-back home wins over London rivals Spurs for the first time in 17 years also eases West Ham’s lingering relegation worries, lifting them past the 40-point mark and making it five without defeat for under-fire boss Slaven Bilic .

Chelsea now need two wins from games against Boro, West Bromwich Albion, Watford and Sunderland to make certain of a third top-flight crown in eight years.