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| Red Hot: Harry Kane have scored 21 goals this season in 2739 minutes of football he has played |
Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham beat Bournemouth 3-0 at White Hart Lane to stay five points behind Leicester City at the top of the Premier League.
Leicester temporarily extended their lead at the summit to eight points with a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday, but Spurs maintained the status quo with a victory that never looked in doubt.
Kane opened the scoring after just 44 seconds when he converted Kyle Walker’s cross, becoming only the fifth Englishman to score 20 Premier League goals in back-to-back seasons.
And the England forward increased his tally to 21 in the 16th minute, collecting Dele Alli’s pass and side-footing past Artur Boruc to move two ahead of Jamie Vardy in the race for the Golden Boot.
Alli had a goal ruled out for offside as Spurs continued to dominate, and in the 52nd minute they added the third goal their performance warranted when Boruc parried Kane’s effort into the path of Christian Eriksen, who scored from six yards.
This was an important three points for Spurs with games against Liverpool, Manchester United and Stoke City to come in their next three, but they may not have expected such an easy ride against a Bournemouth side that arrived on the back of three successive victories themselves.
However, the visitors got off to a nightmare start as Kane’s deft touch sent Walker’s bending cross into the far corner of the net.
Before Bournemouth could find their bearings it was two, Alli picking out Kane’s forward run and the striker slotting home left-footed to put his side in cruise control.
The hosts began to strut and swagger as Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld sprayed passes from one side of the pitch to the other and then Eriksen set Alli scampering with a silky flick behind his legs.
Bournemouth’s Steve Cook headed a free-kick over the bar, but Tottenham were barely breaking sweat and Alli thought he had a third before half-time only for Kane, who had helped on Eriksen’s cross, to be flagged offside.
Eddie Howe made two changes at the interval, bringing on Lewis Grabban and Eunan O’Kane, but Spurs began where they had left off, Kane turning provider this time with a fizzing shot from range that Artur Boruc could only parry into the path of Eriksen, who slammed in the rebound.
Buoyant, the Spurs faithful began taunting their title rivals with chants of ‘Leicester City, we’re coming for you’ only for Bournemouth fans to respond with, ‘Leicester City, they’re top of the league’.
Alli and Eriksen could both have made the scoreline more emphatic in the latter stages, but it was no matter for the home fans. Tottenham’s title challenge remains on track.
