Daily Mirror

Kane admits Spurs blew big chance at Clarets but warns they have not given up on title race

- BURNLEY TOTTENHAM BY DAVID ANDERSON 2 1

Wood kane Barnes

AS a striker, Harry Kane understand­s the importance of taking chances – and he knows Tottenham missed a glorious one against Burnley.

Spurs p had a great g opportunit­y to crank up the pressu pressure on Manchester City and Liverpool in the title race and they fluffed it.

Everything was set up for the visitors. They were full f of confidence, were coming off a 10-day break and talisman Kane was back b after missing six weeks with an ankle injury. Yet when h he cancelled out Chris Wood’s opener with his 21st goal of the season with nearly half an hour remaining, they could not push on.

Instead Burnley finished the stronger and grabbed a late winner through Ashley Barnes to severely damage Tottenham’s title hopes.

“We’re disappoint­ed because ause it’s a game we feel we should d be winning, especially because we had a nice little break as well over the last 10 days or so, we were fresh,” said Kane.

“We got back into the game me at 1-1, but just didn’t have another other level to go up. It was a great chance to get another three points and get that little bit closer.

“It’s a shame because when we needed to find another level, another gear, we didn’t have it in the locker.

“We’ve a tough week coming up, so we have to dust it off and be ready for that. But yeah, it was a big opportunit­y for us and it’s a shame we couldn’t take it.” Kane knows Spurs will be written off, but their title hopes have been dismissed several times this season. On each occasion they have recovered, winning five times after their previous six league defeats, and that i is the challenge facing them at Chelsea on Wednesday. “It’s been like that for the w whole season,” said the T Tottenham and England c captain.

“People have been talking abo about us not being in it, then we would wo win a few games and we’d be there.

“People will probably say now it’s a two-horse race, but that’s not our problem. All we can do is take care of ourselves.”

Any criticism of Spurs must be set against the financial reality at the club. While City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea splashed out hundreds of millions in the last two transfer windows, Tottenham made £11million more than they spent.

It is a huge achievemen­t for them to be as close as they are to City and Liverpool given this most uneven of playing fields.

Despite having next to nothing to spend, Pochettino is on course for a fourth successive top-three finish, a level of consistenc­y not even City can match.

Their continued developmen­t is wholly down to the Argentinia­n, who is delivering the best value for money of any of the big-six managers.

Spurs have also had the upheaval of playing at Wembley.

Kane added: “We don’t like to make excuses, but at the end of the day we’ve been playing away from home for the last two years. We’ve had a tough time. But we’re in the hunt for the Premier League, we’re still in the Champions League, we’re in a good place.”

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