HARRY IS TO NBELIEVABLE
Kane notches his 100th home goal as Special One helps striker move to a whole new level
THE Amazon executive who persuaded the club to follow Tottenham’s season must surely be in line for a healthy New Year pay rise.
We’ve had the drama of Mauricio Pochettino being sacked, the return of Jose Mourinho, the lows of being shredded by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, lower still with last week’s appalling scenes during the home defeat to Chelsea, and this response in the hunt for a top-four place.
Now we have Harry Kane moving to yet another level under the Special One.
What would this club do without him?
Kane’s strike to drag his side back into this hard-fought contest was his 100th home goal in 172 appearances in all competitions at club level.
Ninety of those goals have come for Spurs, five for Millwall, three for Leyton Orient, and two for Leicester. The man is a goal machine. No wonder Mourinho showered him with praise afterwards. Spurs need to be back in the Champions League to ensure Kane does not get itchy feet because without him they are bang in trouble.
Other players in their side can score goals, of course. None, however, can do it with the regularity of the England captain. His effort, eight minutes after the break to draw level with Brighton, came after he’d rightly had one chalked off for offside during the first half.
Just as we’d convinced ourselves Sergio Aguero could not possibly improve under Pep Guardiola – before the Argentine actually did – Kane is showing there is even more in his locker than he’d shown under Pochettino.
Spurs fans might roll their eyes at the warning their club needs to do all it can to keep their prize asset. But it remains true with Leicester and Chelsea
– who saw them off before Christmas – now very much in the mix for a top-four place.
The Seagulls went ahead shortly before the break when Adam Webster rose superbly to head home from Pascal Gross’ free-kick.
The lead was deserved with Graham Potter’s side enterprising, disciplined and energetic. But so too was the equaliser.
The tireless Lucas Moura ghosted past three players before benefiting when Webster’s attempted clearance cannoned off Dale Stephens.
Kane pounced. Mat Ryan did well to keep out his initial effort, but the Brighton keeper had no chance with the rebound. From then on this match was heading in just one direction.
With only one clean sheet in their previous eight, it was always likely that Potter’s players could crack.
The praise in the post-match press conference from Mourinho for Alli was fully justified.
The England man reacted instinctively after sub Christian Eriksen spread the ball out to the right, and Serge Aurier teed him up with a first-time pass. Alli’s effort, to lift the ball first time over Ryan, was later described as “world-class” by both Potter and Mourinho. Alli (celebrating, left) has now scored five in seven under his new boss, compared to just three in his previous 30 under Pochettino.
It is why the teams above them cannot rest on their laurels. Tottenham have enjoyed their place in the top four. There is no way they will give it up without a big fight.