Kane injury mars Spurs’ win over Bournemouth
A worrying ankle injury to England striker Harry Kane overshadowed Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-1 English Premier League win over Bournemouth.
Kane twisted his right ankle in a collision with Bournemouth goalkeer Asmir Begovic in the 34th minute yesterday and had to be replaced.
While Tottenham’s win keeps it in a strong position for now, it will desperately hope that Kane is fit to return for its next league game, against Chelsea in three weeks’ time.
‘‘I am concerned, until he has a scan tomorrow we cannot say nothing more,’’ Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said.
‘‘We hope it’s not a massive issue for him and for the team and as soon as possible he can recover again and be available.’’
The anxiety over Kane’s condition, after an apparent injury to his right ankle, won’t be limited to Tottenham. The Premier League’s joint top scorer - tied with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah on 24 goals this season - is expected to lead the attack for England at this summer’s World Cup in Russia. England’s opening game is against Tunisia in Volgograd on June 18.
Pochettino’s team delivered a stirring comeback at Bournemouth after Junior Stanislas gave the Cherries a seventh minute lead.
Dele Alli equalised, before Son Heung-min struck twice and Serge Aurier nodded in to show Tottenham is far more than the `’’Harry Kane team,’’ as it was described by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola earlier this season.
‘‘Sometimes it looks that in football only are important are the 11 players that play every week,’’ Pochettino said. ‘‘But for me it’s so important the squad, because with a greater squad, with everyone fighting for the same objective, you can achieve all that you want.’’
Spurs moved into third, a point above Liverpool, and five points clear of fifth-place Chelsea. Eight rounds remain in the race for the four Champions League spots.
Earlier, Arsenal beat Watford
3-0 as Petr Cech became the first goalkeeper to reach 200 Premier League clean sheets.
The former Chelsea goalkeeper saved Troy Deeney’s penalty as goals from Shkodran Mustafi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan ensured the Gunners ended a run of three straight league defeats.
Despite the victory, Arsenal is
12 points adrift of fourth place and Arsene Wenger’s team selection suggested his attention is now firmly focused on the Gunners’s Europa League campaign.
Cech’s penalty save was his first since joining Arsenal in 2015.
``It’s an unbelievable personal milestone obviously,’’ Cech, 35, said. ‘‘We took only 18 games to get nine clean sheets at the start of the season and since then we’ve had to wait 11 games which is sometimes frustrating.’’
However, it was Mesut Ozil who set the first record of the day at the Emirates. His cross for Mustafi’s opener made him the fastest man to 50 Premier League assists, taking 141 games.
Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan then each contributed a goal and an assist to give Arsenal a win that does little more than strengthen its hold on sixth place.