London, Feb 1 (IANS): Tottenham Hotspur defeated Manchester United 2-0 here to put pressure on Chelsea in the scramble for a top-four finish while making it even more unlikely that the Red Devils will challenge leaders Manchester City for the English Premier League (EPL) title.

Spurs, coming off two successive draws, were eager for a victory and grasped the opportunity to put more distance between themselves and North London rivals Arsenal after the Gunners' 3-1 loss to Swansea City on Tuesday, reports Efe.

With many of the record crowd of 82,011 still making their way to their seats at Wembley Stadium, Christian Eriksen scored just 11 seconds into the match to put the hosts up 1-0.

United were quick to respond and Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had to be sharp to block a shot from Jesse Lingard, but the surge didn't last long and Tottenham's dominance turned into a second goal just short of the half-hour mark, when defender Phil Jones inadvertently diverted Kieran Trippier's cross into the visitors' net.

Romelu Lukaku forced another save from Lloris early in the second half and the Belgian's effort turned out to be the closest United would come to scoring.

The win brings Spurs to 48 points, two behind fourth-place Chelsea and six ahead of Arsenal. United, with 53 points, are 15 points behind Man City, who were 3-0 winners Wednesday over West Bromwich Albion.