Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HARRY’S HAMMER
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 WEST HAM 0
HARRY KANE shrugged off his lockdown rustiness to boost Tottenham’s Champions League hopes with a clinical late goal.
The England striker struggled for sharpness in Spurs’ opening draw of the Premier League restart with Manchester United last week – but added to a Tomas Soucek own goal against West Ham.
The Hammers wasted several good chances and Jarrod Bowen hit an upright. David Moyes’ side have lost both games since the return and are only out of the bottom three on goal difference.
EVEN the Tottenham fans on the big screen seemed to be losing interest.
In fact, it looked as if a couple disappeared to go and make themselves a cup of tea safe in the knowledge they were not going to miss much.
Beaming live videos of supporters watching the games on big screens is just one of the bright ideas in Project Restart to try and make the whole game experience better.
The video stars came alive of course when Tottenham scored thanks to West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek’s deflected 64thminute own goal.
And then Harry Kane’s finish ended his six-month goal drought. You just knew it was written in the stars for Kane to score after the big pre-match build-up from Jose Mourinho, insisting the England captain would get a hatful of goals under his management and should be renamed Hero Kane.
Kane has not scored in six months to a hamstring injury and three months in lockdown.
But his finish after 82 minutes made it look as if he had never been away.
It was enough to push Tottenham to within one point of fifth and a potential Champions
League place while West
Ham are left in deep trouble, only above the drop zone on goal difference having played a game more.
West Ham put up a good fight, showed more resolve and yet this will be a fight to the end after their seventh successive away defeat – especially when even luck is against them.
Tottenham just about deserved to win but it was a tight game. But results are hard to take for every club – they are playing out the season in games which resemble pre-season friendlies, there is no atmosphere and even London derbies are now rather tepid affairs.
Kane showed flashes of his potential, looking far more lively and dangerous than against Manchester United on Friday, as he was powerful, strong and full of energy.
Lucas Moura was excellent, Tottenham’s most menacing forward and their front line is clearly going to deliver some goals during the run-in.
Dele Alli was back after his one-game ban, Heungmin Son was denied a goal by the tightest margin by VAR and Giovani Lo Celso
looks better with every game. West Ham were disappointing against Wolves on Saturday and yet were much better against Spurs perhaps showing that, even without fans, they still prefer to play away from home.
Keeper Lukasz Fabianski was in good form, Michail Antonio was dangerous as a lone frontrunner and boss David Moyes has got them well drilled.
But if they go behind then it is game over.
Spurs forward Son thought he had scored after 45 minutes when he finished powerfully with a low shot inside Fabianski’s right-hand post but the VAR check showed that he was millimetres offside.
Kane tried to beat Fabianski with a backheel at his near post, Pablo Fornals skewed wide from a great chance and then Kane dragged another shot wide which he would normally gobble up.
Eventually the breakthrough came when Lo Celso put over a corner, Moura and Davinson Sanchez went up for the ball which eventually cannoned in off Soucek’s leg.
It was rotten luck on West Ham, but a huge slice of good fortune for Tottenham as they appeared to be running out of ideas of their own before suddenly Soucek (left) turned provider.
Jarrod Bowen went close to an equaliser,
But Son’s pass sent Kane through, the Spurs centreforward raced through, kept his head and then buried a low shot past Fabianski to the keeper’s left on his 200th league appearance.