Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League ambitions faded further on Sunday after they were held to a torpid 0-0 draw at struggling Burnley in the Premier League.
With top scorer Harry Kane captain in the absence of the injured Hugo Lloris, Spurs were seeking a victory that would have lifted them above fifth-place Liverpool and to within five points of the top four.
But they endured a frustrating afternoon in the Turf Moor sunshine and despite recording a first clean sheet in 11 games, they are now seven points below the Champions League places with only seven games to play.
Burnley had stunned champions Manchester City 1-0 in their previous home game and another dogged display enabled Sean Dyche’s side to climb above Queens Park Rangers in the battle to escape the relegation zone.
Dyche characteristically named an unchanged team and his side were the first to threaten on a sunny spring afternoon in Lancashire.
A loose pass from Spurs midfielder Ryan Mason gave Danny Ings a clear sight of goal, but the Burnley striker put his shot straight at Michel Vorm, who was deputising for the injured Lloris.
Burnley were happy to cede possession to their opponents, but Spurs struggled to do anything with it and were reduced to ambitious efforts from range.
Home goalkeeper Tom Heaton comfortably saved potshots from Nacer Chadli and Christian Eriksen, while Mason and the off-colour Kane shot wide from outside the box.
Ings threatened again on the stroke of half-time, but his curling effort was athletically touched over the bar by Vorm.
Tottenham’s cause was not helped when they lost Kyle Walker two minutes into the second half.
The England right-back had to hobble off after kicking the underside of Kieran Trippier’s boot, with Ben Davies coming on.
Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino pitched Erik Lamela into the fray with 25 minutes remaining, but still the visitors toiled, with Eriksen and Danny Rose shooting over.
Meanwhile, Trippier almost embarrassed Vorm with an overhit cross from wide on the left that landed on the roof of the Tottenham net.
Pochettino’s final roll of the dice saw Andros Townsend replace Mason, but the winger was unable to conjure a repeat of the stunning goal he scored in England’s 1-1 draw away to Italy last Tuesday.
Burnley almost snatched victory at the death, but George Boyd’s tame header from a long throw-in sailed narrowly wide of the left-hand post.