Abdoulaye Doucoure had opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a crisp finish that looked to have given the Hornets the points.

But Spurs midfielder Alli, on his first league start of the season, capitalised on Ben Foster's failure to punch the ball away four minutes from full-time and squeezed home from a tight angle.

The goal was checked by VAR (video assistant referee) and despite the confusion of a 'no goal' message appearing on the big screen, it was deemed a legitimate strike.

The result will do little to ease the pressure on coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has been under pressure this season after poor performances and reported unrest in the Spurs dressing room.