Tottenham beat Swansea to move back into the top four

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 on 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 defence and fell to Vertonghen.

Spurs leapfrogged Everton to take fourth place, level on 29 points with third-placed Chelsea who have a game in hand after losing the Club World Cup final in Japan 1-0 to Brazil's Corinthians on Sunday.

Manchester United, who beat Sunderland 3-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday, have 42 points and are six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table.

Spurs enjoyed most of the possession but were frustrated by a flowing Swansea side that proved solid in defence 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 metres.

Tremmel had barely time to raise his hands, with the ball ricocheting off his shoulder without Spurs being able to capitalise.

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.

Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters