FA Premiership/ Portsmouth 1 Tottenham 1: Harry Redknapp and Martin Jol were involved in an angry exchange after the Tottenham midfielder Hossam Ghaly lost four teeth in a collision with Portsmouth's Noe Pamarot. Jol described Pamarot's challenge as "cynical", prompting Redknapp to accuse the Tottenham manager of talking "rubbish".

The flashpoint occurred just minutes into the game when both players challenged for a chest-high ball. Pamarot, who later suffered a torn groin, went in with his foot up and connected with Ghaly's mouth as the Egyptian tried to head the ball.

It was possibly careless, but replays seemed to disprove malice or intent and the referee, Andre Marriner, did not take any action.

Ghaly was forced off the field for several minutes but, amazingly, returned minus four teeth and with five stitches in his mouth.

Afterwards Tottenham's backroom staff came onto the pitch to recover three of Ghaly's teeth; the other was apparently lost after he returned to the dressing-room.

"Ghaly was unbelievable," said Jol, "most people would go to hospital and stay there for a week. At half-time we looked at him and we decided to leave it. I thought they must have been false teeth when they said he lost four teeth. It was a really cynical tackle."

Redknapp's response to his opposite number's opinion was emphatic.

"Cynical? That's b******s - absolute rubbish," he said. "Martin knows Pamarot, he's not got a cynical bone in the body. It was a pure accident. Noe Pamarot is the last person to hurt anyone."

Pamarot was one of three players Redknapp recruited from Jol last January, and with Sean Davis and Pedro Mendes still providing the fuel in Portsmouth's engine room, this result keeps them four points clear of Spurs. After falling behind, Tottenham were eventually denied victory by an outstanding display from David James.

Jol and Redknapp managed to agree about the goalkeeper. "James has incredible reflexes, but we have got England's No1 (Paul Robinson)," said Jol. Redknapp said it was "crazy" that James had been left out of the England squad since the World Cup.

"He is the best I have worked with and if he is not good enough to play in the England team there is something wrong."

With Dimitar Berbatov recovered from the fever that prevented him starting against Liverpool there was a variety to Spurs' play that allowed them to dominate the opening 25 minutes.

Chances, though, were initially at a premium with Berbatov - equally impressive on the floor and in the air - behind the best action. In the 11th minute he flicked on for Jermain Defoe to breach the Portsmouth defence but James was swift to snuff out danger.

Gradually Portsmouth began to find a rhythm and scored with their first serious assault on Robinson's goal.

Niko Kranjcar, who had come on for Pamarot, fed the ball to Benjani Mwaruwari 25 yards out and the Zimbabwean, without a goal for over two months, let fly with a powerful shot that cannoned fortuitously off Calum Davenport and beyond Robinson.

Tottenham's response at the beginning of the second half was telling. From their first attack, Tom Huddlestone lofted the ball into the Portsmouth area, with Berbatov neatly cushioning it into the path of Davenport, whose point-blank shot was saved brilliantly by James.

After 50 minutes Tottenham turned their pressure into a goal. Inevitably Berbatov was involved, feeding the substitute Danny Murphy, who crossed to present Steed Malbranque with a simple headed finish.

Tottenham then had the better chances, James making late saves from Defoe and Huddlestone.

Jol is satisfied with Tottenham's recent form and is optimistic Robbie Keane and Aaron Lennon will return next weekend from injury.

Redknapp, meanwhile, goes into the transfer window with the unusual priority of wanting to keep rather than find players. Sol Campbell, making his 400th league start yesterday, and Nwankwo Kanu have been linked with moves but Portsmouth's chief executive Peter Storrie said, "they are happy here".

• Guardian Service

PORTSMOUTH: James, Johnson, Primus, Campbell, Pamarot (Kranjcar 13), O'Neil (Cole 73), Pedro Mendes, Davis, Taylor, Kanu, Mwaruwari. Subs not used:Ashdown, O'Brien, Fernandes. Booked: Taylor.

TOTTENHAM: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Davenport, Lee, Ghaly (Murphy 46), Huddlestone, Tainio, Malbranque (Gardner 79), Berbatov, Defoe. Subs not used: Cerny, Zokora, Ziegler. Booked: Tainio, Lee, Davenport, Malbranque.

Referee: A Marriner(W Midlands).