By SCM, at Turf Moor
CRISTIAN ROMERO proved why he is the heart and soul of this Tottenham side, rising highest in the 90th minute to snatch a point from the jaws of a humiliating defeat.
On an afternoon where Spurs’ expensive stars looked to have frozen in the Lancashire chill, it was the captain who stood tallest.
His thumping header from a Wilson Odobert cross spared boss Thomas Frank a third straight league loss and silenced the Burnley faithful who were seconds away from celebrating a first win since October.
It started so well for the visitors. Micky van de Ven, returning to his rampaging best, looked more like a seasoned striker than a centre-back when he lashed Spurs into a 38th-minute lead. The Dutchman’s pace and power dominated the early exchanges, and for a moment, it seemed the Londoners would stroll to victory.
But Burnley, anchored by the veteran presence of Kyle Walker, refused to roll over.
The former Spurs man haunted his old club on the stroke of half-time, delivering a “vintage Walker” cross that was met by Axel Tuanzebe.
The defender, ghosting unmarked into the box, steered the ball past Guglielmo Vicario to send the home fans into a frenzy.
The second half was a tale of missed chances and goalkeeping heroics.
Martin Dubravka was a titan for the Clarets, producing a “save of the season” contender to deny Mathys Tel and keeping out a stinging effort from Dominic Solanke.
When substitute Lyle Foster scrambled the ball home in the 76th minute to put Burnley 2-1 up, the pressure on Thomas Frank reached a breaking point. Chants of “getting sacked in the morning” echoed from the home stands as Spurs’ European ambitions seemed to be crumbling.
Xavi Simons rattled the crossbar as the clock ticked down, and it felt like one of those days where the ball simply wouldn’t go in.
Enter Cuti Romero. With 90 minutes on the clock, the Argentine warrior threw himself at Odobert’s delivery, powering a header into the corner to rescue a 2-2 draw. It was his sixth goal of the season—a remarkable tally for a defender—and one that might just have saved his manager’s job.
Spurs remain winless in 2026, but thanks to their brave captain, they at least avoid the long trip back to London empty-handed.
BURNLEY (4-4-2): Dubravka 9; Walker 8, Tuanzebe 7, Esteve 6, Humphreys 6; Edwards 7, Ugochukwu 6, Florentino 6, Pires 7; Anthony 6, Broja 7.
Subs: Foster 7, Mejbri 6, Laurent 6.
SPURS (3-4-3): Vicario 6; Danso 6, Romero 9*, Van de Ven 8; Porro 7, Gallagher 6, Bissouma 6, Spence 7; Odobert 7, Simons 7, Solanke 6.
Subs: Tel 6, Udogie 6, Gray 6.
Man of the Match: Cristian Romero (Spurs)
