Spurs’ Kane snaps August drought
Capper for Tottenham ends month of angst for England striker
LONDON— Harry Kane finally scored a Premier League goal in August as Tottenham beat Fulham 3-1 on Saturday for its second straight win to open the English season.
So prolific throughout the rest of the season, the England striker had never scored in the opening month of a league campaign but put that right in his 15th top-flight game in August.
Kane struck in the 77th minute at Wembley Stadium, three minutes after international teammate Kieran Tripper scored on a curling free kick to put his side ahead to stay.
“It looked like it would be one of those days for me,” said Kane, who hit the post before scoring, “but that is the game of a striker.” In other Saturday matches: Chelsea and Arsenal served up a feast of goals in a thrilling London derby in the Premier League. Chelsea scored twice in the opening 20 minutes, conceded twice before halftime and had a late winner through Marcos Alonso in a 3-2 victory at Stamford Bridge. In a game between teams with newly hired managers, Maurizio Sarri will be delighted with the attacking spark his Chelsea team has shown in the opening two games of the Premier League. It also scored three times in a win against Huddersfield last week. But it’s two straight losses for Arsenal manager Unai Emery, whose side is showing the same defensive frailties as it did in the final seasons of predecessor Arsene Wenger’s 22-year reign.
Jamie Vardy was sent off on his first start of the season for Leicester, but the team still eased early-season pressure on manager Claude Puel with a 2-0 victory over newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers. The England striker was handed a straight red card for a strong tackle on Wolves right back Matt Doherty, who had earlier scored an own-goal to give Leicester the lead. Leicester doubled the lead through James Maddison, leaving Wolves without a win so far.
Spurs have also won their first two games after an off-season when they didn’t buy a single player. Lucas Moura gave Spurs — who have won their first two games after an off-season when they didn’t buy a single player — a 1-0 lead with a left-footed finish from just inside the area shortly before halftime, and Aleksandar Mitrovic equalized for Fulham in the 52nd.
Tottenham regrouped after Mitrovic’s marker. Dele Alli saw an effort cleared off the line while Kane redirected a ball off the crossbar.
Trippier’s moment of magic came in the 74th when the right back — in his first game since the World Cup semifinal against Croatia when he also scored a free kick — sent a 30yard shot over the wall and into the corner.
Kane’s goal came when he cut inside from Erik Lamela’s surging run and curled the ball into the bottom corner.
Fulham had played at England’s national stadium more recently than Tottenham, which is playing its home matches there while White Hart Lane is being rebuilt. Fulham won the League Championship playoff final at Wembley at the end of May.