Spurs remain in title hunt
London, April 15: Harry Kane scored his 20th goal of the Premier League campaign as Tottenham Hotspur crushed Bournemouth 4-0 on Saturday to cut Chelsea’s advantage at the summit to four points.
Mousa Dembele, Son Heung-Min and Vincent Janssen were also on target on a sunny spring afternoon at White Hart Lane that saw Spurs record seven successive league wins for the first time since 1967.
Chelsea responded last weekend after Spurs had trimmed their lead, beating Bournemouth 3-1, but Antonio Conte’s men face a less-than-straightforward trip to Manchester United on Sunday.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs appear the only team capable of denying Chelsea the title and will get a chance to measure themselves against the leaders in next weekend’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
Kane, 23, is the first Spurs player to have scored at least 20 league goals in three successive seasons since the great Jimmy Greaves in the late 1960s.
In another milestone, Spurs have now won 12 consecutive home games in the top flight within the same season for the first time in their history.
While Bournemouth remain seven points above the relegation zone, they will watch this weekend’s remaining games involving the teams below them with a degree of anxiety. Making his first start in five weeks after an ankle problem, Kane was quickly in the thick of the action with a volley that was blocked by Steve Cook. Dembele also looked in the mood, unleashing a fierce effort from Kyle Walker’s lay-off that was parried by Artur Boruc, and in the 16th minute he put his side in front. The goal stemmed from an error by visiting captain Simon Francis, who allowed the ball to roll behind in the mistaken belief a goal kick would be awarded.
Instead a corner was indicated and from Christian Eriksen’s inswinging delivery, Dembele took a touch before ramming home his first goal since January 2016. Three minutes later it was 2-0. Arsenal loanee Jack Wilshere, lustily booed by the Spurs faithful, saw a pass blocked by Eric Dier and Kane’s clever flick freed Son to scamper in and drill a shot between Boruc’s legs.
Bournemouth flickered, Cook heading over at a corner and Benik Afobe threatening to apply the finishing touch to a Junior Stanislas cross, but Spurs were soon back on top.