Erik Lamela produced a moment of magic to keep Tottenham in contention for a place in the Premier League's top four with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Burnley on Saturday.

Lamela endured a difficult first season in England following his £25 million ($39 million) move from Roma in 2013, but he has flourished under fellow Argentine Mauricio Pochettino this term and provided further evidence of his improvement with his first league goal for Spurs at the 26th attempt.

His brilliant long-range strike in the second half at White Hart Lane secured the points for Spurs after Burnley's Ashley Barnes had scored an equally impressive goal to cancel out Harry Kane's opener.

Tottenham's third successive win moved Pochettino's team up to sixth place, four points behind fourth placed West Ham in the race to qualify for the Champions League.

Pochettino made five changes from the side that thrashed Newcastle in the League Cup quarter-finals in midweek, with Lamela, Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Ben Davies and Ryan Mason all restored.

The visitors had an early chance when Kieran Trippier looped a cross towards Scott Arfield at the far post where the Burnley midfielder blazed high and wide.

Tottenham threatened for the first time through Christian Eriksen's low shot which Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton saved at his near post.

It was a spluttering start from Pochettino's side and when Mason lashed over from the edge of the area there were plenty of groans from the Tottenham fans.

But the home crowd were soon cheering when Kane broke the deadlock in the 21st minute.

Kane took a quick free-kick to Eriksen, but the Denmark playmaker was offside so he cleverly left the ball for Nacer Chadli.

With the Burnley defence caught napping, Chadli whipped over a cross that Kane met with a stooping header for his 13th goal of the season.

That could have shattered Burnley's morale after their bright start, but Tottenham's lead was erased six minutes later in breathtaking style.

Burnley forward Barnes took George Boyd's pass and hammered an unstoppable shot into the top corner from outside the penalty area.

Lamela then jinked into the area and picked out Kane, but the striker couldn't convert and Eriksen eventually shot over.

Burnley couldn't stem the tide for long however and Lamela restored Tottenham's lead in the 35th minute.

It was an inspired moment from the Argentine midfielder, who cut in from the right to bend a sublime strike beyond Heaton from 25 yards.

Burnley should have been level less than a minute into the second half when Barnes played in Danny Ings, but Lloris saved the striker's effort and then denied him again from the resulting corner.

Ings went close again when he got clear of Tottenham defender Federico Fazio and forced Lloris to push his shot around a post.

Sean Dyche's side nearly escaped with a point in the final seconds, but Ross Wallace's free-kick was kept out by Lloris's fine save.