Harry Kane scored a hat-trick as Tottenham Hotspur crushed West Bromwich Albion 4-0 on Saturday to climb to second place in the Premier League table.
Kane’s hat-trick, which took his season tally to 15 goals, capped an outstanding performance that ensured Mauricio Pochettino’s side maintained the standards set in last week’s defeat of leaders Chelsea.
The result was never in doubt from the moment Kane put Spurs ahead in the 12th minute, with a Gareth McAuley own goal doubling the score before two more Kane goals late in the second half completed the win.
Tottenham have now won six league games in a row, while Kane’s goals were the perfect way for the striker to mark the birth of his first child, daughter Ivy Jane, who arrived last weekend.
The only downside for Spurs manager Pochettino at White Hart Lane was the loss of Jan Vertonghen to a potentially serious ankle injury midway through the second half, the centre-back limping off in tears.
This performance was in marked contrast to the corresponding fixture last April, when a 1-1 draw heralded the beginning of the end of Spurs’ bid to pip eventual champions Leicester City to the title.
Nine months on, Pochettino’s side are on the rise and this display confirmed just how far they have come since their disappointing collapse at the end of last season.
