Tottenham 2 Swansea 1

Danny Rose is not a noted Premier League marksman for Tottenham Hotspur but when he does score, he tends to make them count. There was the firecracker against Arsenal back in 2010 and important goals in further derbies against Chelsea and West Ham United. But he may just have topped the lot.

Tottenham desperately needed victory here to remain on the coat tails of the leaders, Leicester City, and it would not have been difficult to imagine the reaction to any dropped points, particularly with Arsenal losing at Manchester United.

It might have been one of those days, a hard-luck story, the sort with which White Hart Lane regulars are very familiar. They battered Swansea City in terms of possession and chances but they had trailed to Alberto Paloschi's first goal for the club since his £8 million transfer from Chievo at the end of January. And for so long, they could not find a way past Lukasz Fabianski, the former Arsenal goalkeeper, who made save after save. They were plenty of jaw-droppers.

But after the substitute, Nacer Chadli, had delivered the equaliser, Rose chose quite the moment to score his sixth Premier League goal in Tottenham colours. Christian Eriksen's corner was headed out but only as far as Rose, who took an assured touch before threading a low shot through the crowded area and underneath Fabianski. Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham manager, led the celebrations on the touchline.

For Swansea, it was a bitter pill to swallow, given the stoicism of their resistance and their precarious position just above the relegation places.

But Tottenham’s delight knew no bounds and the excitement that this season could bring a first title since 1961 is palpable. Tottenham have now recovered a league-high 17 points from losing positions. They will approach their upcoming fixtures against West Ham and Arsenal with even greater confidence.

There had been a chilled-out confidence about the home crowd at the outset; the feeling that Swansea ought to be there for the taking. The atmosphere was sedate but that all changed after Swansea went ahead. Suddenly, it became impassioned and edgy. The news filtered through at regular intervals of Arsenal’s toils at Manchester United. Surely, Tottenham would not mess this up?

Swansea’s previous game had been 15 days ago – the home defeat by Southampton that intensified the jangling of nerves at the club – but they were out of the blocks quickly and they fired a warning shot, which went unheeded, in the second minute.

It was the kind of chance that Gylfi Sigurdsson, the ex-Spur, would have dreamed about beforehand. Paloschi marauded into the channel on the right-hand side and he cut back a smart, low cross that was made to measure for the onrushing Sigurdsson. From eight yards out, he blasted his shot too close to Hugo Lloris, who made an outstanding reflex save. Even so, Sigurdsson had to score.

The breakthrough came in the 19th minute, and it was undercut by a slice of fortune – not that Swansea were complaining. They worked a short corner routine and Angel Rangel unloaded a shot, which hit Jack Cork and broke for Paloschi. He made the chance look easy, lifting high into the roof of the net.

Tottenham created a host of chances, and plenty of clear-cut ones, but time and again, they were thwarted by Fabianski. In the first half alone, he made five eye-catching interventions, with the pick of them coming in the 45th minute, when he denied Eric Dier at point-blank range; Harry Kane put the rebound into the side-netting.

In the early running, Fabianski had tipped over from Erik Lamela, although a corner was not awarded and denied Kane at the near post while after Paloschi's goal, he beat away Eriksen's free-kick and stood tall to block Son Heung-min, when Tottenham wide attacker ran clear up the inside left channel.

The Tottenham support began to accuse Fabianski of time-wasting over his goal-kicks as early as the 25th minute and, although Swansea broke out in the 39th minute through Paloschi, who saw a goal-bound shot blocked by Toby Alderweireld – a big moment – the battle lines were drawn for a siege.

Tottenham had to stay calm in the second half and continue to create the chances while Swansea needed to remain resolute. It was difficult to overstate how important a period it was to the home team’s title hopes – or to Swansea’s at the other end of the table.

Tottenham dominated but Fabianski continued to be their nemesis. He saved brilliantly from another Eriksen free-kick while he clawed away a pot-shot from Kane and a 35-yard rocket from Danny Rose. From the corner that followed the denial of Rose, however, Tottenham finally found the equaliser.

Nacer Chadli had only been on the field for eight minutes but he was in perfect tune with the occasion. After Walker had hammered in a cross-cum-shot following a poor punch from Fabianski (the goalkeeper’s only loose moment), Chadli reacted to open up his body and angle a deft side-foot finish into the corner of the net. White Hart Lane erupted.

They needed more, and they got more. After Fabianski had produced another flying save to keep out the outstanding Eriksen, Rose enjoyed his moment.

There was even time for Lloris to save smartly from Paloschi late on.

Tottenham march on.

(Guardian service)