Goals from Nacer Chadli and Danny Rose saw Tottenham Hotspur come from behind to beat a belligerent Swansea City 2-1 at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

The visitors looked for a long time like an Alberto Paloschi finish and some superb goalkeeping from Lukasz Fabianski would earn a shock win, but Spurs turned it around to remain only two points off the Premier League summit.

Spurs made four changes from their Europa League victory over Fiorentina at White Hart Lane on Thursday. All four of Kieran Trippier, Ben Davies, Ryan Mason and Chadli dropped to the bench. Rose, Kyle Walker, and Son Hyung-Min came in, as did Harry Kane who played in a protective mask after breaking his nose.

This game may have been third-choice behind the League Cup final and the Marcus Rashford show, but within the opening five minutes both teams had made excellent chances that set the tone for a pulsating and often frantic spectacle.

Swansea had the first major opportunity of the game. Paloschi overpowered Rose down the Spurs left and pulled the ball back to Gylfi Siguardsson – who got hearty applause from the home fans pre-match – whose effort from ten yards was palmed away superbly by Hugo Lloris.

Then on four minutes, Kane moved the ball away from three Swans defenders to Rose on the left, whose cross across the six-yard area was flicked onto the roof of the net by Dele Alli.

Kane was almost on the score sheet himself soon after with a near-post flick from a Christian Eriksen cross from the right, but Fabianski made a sprawling save – the first of many.

Spurs had the possession, chances and the better interplay. Yet Swansea scored the opener after a hopeful punt from the back was turned into a corner thanks to the hustle of Jack Cork.

This was played short to Cork, whose shot from 22 yards took a couple of deflections before falling to the feet of Paloschi, who slotted into the roof of Hugo Lloris’ net for his first goal since joining Swansea in January.

Spurs looked rattled and wasted several free kicks in useful positions. When they did get shots on target, the impressive Fabianski would inevitably be in the way.

Arguably the best came in first half stoppage time, with Eric Dier charging onto a low ball to strike from eight yards, but the Pole prevented the inevitable by sticking out a huge right glove. Kane then put the follow up into the side netting – it was one of those halves for Tottenham.

It seemed certain the full-time headlines would be about one of the keeping performances of the season, especially when former Arsenal number one Fabianski went full length to claw out an Eriksen free kick. But in the space of seven minutes, it became all about Spurs keeping touch with leaders Leicester City.

On 69 minutes, Spurs got some deflection fortune of their own, with Fabianski punching out to Walker, whose skewed shot was turned into the net by Chadli, who showed the striking instinct that saw him start the Fiorentina game as a centre forward.

Then on 76 minutes, another corner was not properly cleared by the Welsh side, with Rose showing admirable composure to control and shoot on the edge of the D, into the net past an unsighted Fabianski.

Spurs had the ball in the net a third time, but Kyle Walker was adjudged offside when he swept in Kane’s cross following a breakaway.

This was the first of three games in six days for Tottenham Hotspur – they visit West Ham on Thursday before the North London derby on Saturday lunchtime. This comeback win ought to be the perfect springboard for a crucial week.