Belief is soaring at Tottenham Hotspur. And so is the side. This thumping victory over West Ham United sent them to within two points of fourth-placed Arsenal and was secured with two more goals for the phenomenon that is Harry Kane.
Spurs are convincing contenders to qualify for the Champions League. On this form, and unbeaten now in 12 Premier League matches since losing on the opening day of the season, they can achieve so much more.
Kane also. The striker scored his 11th and 12th goals in just 14 London derbies. He scored for his fifth consecutive game – eight goals in those matches after just one in his first 13 games – and no player has scored more league goals (24, now five more than Sergio Aguero) in 2015. The statistics are as impressive as his play.
Harry Kane celebrates scoring for Tottenham
Spurs were superb – West Ham poor defensively. The only blemish for the home side was a booking for the outstanding – again – Dele Alli, a fifth of the season, which rules him out of next Sunday’s meeting with Chelsea.
Spurs could have been out-of-sight by half time. They scored twice in a devastating 10-minute spell but could have added more goals as West Ham tried to work their way back into the game but left themselves vulnerable to the counter-attack.
The first goal came as Heung-Min Song, making his first start for two months having recovered from injury, pushed the ball inside to Alli whose shot was blocked but it ricocheted to Kane who superbly rolled Carl Jenkinson to then fire high into the roof of the net.
Toby Alderweireld's scores Spurs second Photo: Frank Augstein/AP
Before that and Christian Eriksen had gone close as his left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area deflected off James Tomkins. Adrian did well to adjust and push the ball away before West Ham went close to equalizing.
Another shot was deflected, this time from Mark Noble, and the ball looped up to Cheikhou Kouyate who appeared offside but was allowed to acrobatically send a first-time effort that crashed back off the cross-bar. A corner was conceded and Andy Carroll’s header just evaded Kouyate.
Spurs sprung forward once more. A corner was won by Son. Eriksen took it and Toby Alderweireld all too easily ran free from Andy Carroll at the near post to glance a close-range header beyond Adrian. A stabbed shot by Son forced another smart save from Adrian but the ball bounced up to Alli whose header bounced back off the bar.
Christian Eriksen and Andy Carroll battle for the ball Photo: Frank Augstein/AP
Spurs broke again with Alli and Kane combining to devastating effect and with the ball bouncing off Winston Reid to then send Kane through on goal. He had time and space but horribly miscued his shot across Adrian and wide.
That could have been it. West Ham had opened well, had a game-plan but were undone by Spurs vigour and their own defensive vulnerabilities. They also clearly missed the guile of the injured Dimitri Payet. “Irreplaceable” manager Slaven Bilic had called the French play-maker and his absence was felt.
James Tomkins wins a header
Spurs finished it. Again it owed much to West Ham mistakes with Tomkins loose pass in-field being easily intercepted by Eriksen who strode forward and slipped the ball to Kane who was able to shoot. It appeared Adrian had it covered but the ball ran underneath him. Another Kane goal.
Spurs were rampant. They poured forward again, Son breaking, with Eriksen teed up. His first-time half-volley was powerful – but Adrian managed to beat it out. There was more. Kane switched the point of attack and eventually the chance fell to Son whose shot was blocked up and over the bar.
Alli clashed with Noble – both were booked with manager Mauricio Pochettino rushing over to pull the Spurs midfielder away. Alli was then substituted.
Kyle Walker smashes home Spurs' fourth
It became increasingly tetchy. Kyle Walker and Sakho clashed, as did Danny Rose and Reid but the real damage to West Ham was then done when Walker scored. It came as he ran forward and played the ball in to Son who laid it back into the right-back’s path. Walker’s shot, with the outside of his boot, arced around Adrian.
There was a flicker of resistance with substitute Nikica Jelavic finding Manuel Lanzini who beat Walker with a clever step-over and then struck a fierce rising shot, from the tightest of angles, beyond Hugo Lloris. Still Spurs finished on the ascendancy with substitute Ryan Mason unfortunate to beat Adrian from fully 30 yards only for his shot to strike the post.
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