Bale & Kane bag doubles as Spurs eye the top four
Not for the first time in recent days the Palace were caught cold. Last night tottenham’s ruthless royal family delivered the killer blows.
the former king of Spurs in tandem with the current monarch did all the damage.
Gareth Bale is back — for real this time. there’s no sense of false dawn about this resurgence; Bale is rejuvenated and saving tottenham’s season.
Six goals in as many games and the assessments of Bale’s return from Real Madrid last summer are being frantically amended.
tottenham looked nailed on not to take up the option of a second loan for Bale next season, such were the issues he was facing back in London.
Here against Crystal Palace, though, he was mesmerising; a throwback to the player who left for Spain in 2013 as the undisputed king of White Hart Lane.
the Eagles couldn’t get near; they couldn’t lay a glove on his partner in crime Harry Kane either; two goals and two assists for the irrepressible Spurs talisman.
It is Kane who tottenham love the most now — he truly is one of their own.
But their love affair with Bale has been rekindled. the blossoming relationship between Kane and Bale has reinvigorated tottenham’s season.
tottenham were in the midst of a crisis no more than three weeks ago. Last night they overtook champions Liverpool and moved to within two points of the top four. Crisis, what crisis? three league wins in succession can work wonders. Jose Mourinho would no doubt stress that his side have actually won five of their last six.
tottenham were rapidly out of the blocks with an intensity to their start that has too often eluded them.
Palace were typically tough to break down, but that only until Luka Milivojevic was caught in possession by Lucas Moura around 25 yards from goal.
What followed was cut-throat: Kane to Bale, who tapped into an empty net.
You couldn’t begrudge tottenham their lead; you’d be hard pushed, however, to find a softer goal Palace have conceded all season.
Spurs were forced to see out an uncomfortable final few minutes of the opening period as the Eagles took flight.
Credit to Milivojevic for not allowing his earlier mistake to stifle his performance; his cross into the box in first-half stoppage time was a peach.
As was Christian Benteke’s towering header, as the Belgian rose above his countryman toby Alderweireld to plant his effort past Hugo Lloris.
Roy Hodgson’s smile lit up the stadium, his team were brave and dogged. they deserved their reward.
Mourinho, in contrast, had a face like thunder. His team had squandered yet another lead.
to make matters worse, the Spurs boss was greeted by the sight of Wilfried Zaha stripped and ready to make his first appearance in a month as he emerged for the second half.
But tottenham have Bale — and in this mood he is sensational.
the 31-year- old won the ball before spreading an eye-catching pass out to Sergio Reguilon, whose back-post cross found Kane.
the England captain headed back across Guaita. And there he was, Bale, to apply the finishing touch in the 49th minute. It was breathtaking, sheer brilliance. the home dugout erupted — but it was nothing compared to the roar three minutes later.
there looked little danger when Matt Doherty found Kane around 22 yards from goal.
But what followed was glorious as the Spurs striker unleashed a first -time shot that arced away from Guaita before drifting past the keeper’s outstretched hand to seal the game for tottenham.
You knew it was in as soon as Kane swung his majestic right boot at Doherty’s pass — those on the Spurs bench directly behind the effort were celebrating before the ball hit the back of net.
If Bale was the star of this show, then Kane was quite the supporting act.
Zaha struck the post in the 69th minute as Palace threatened an unlikely comeback.
But tottenham added a fourth 13 minutes from time via Kane.
TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Lloris 6; Doherty 6, Sanchez 5.5, Alderweireld 5.5, Reguilon 7; Winks 7 (Sissoko 70, 6), Hojbjerg 6.5; BALE 9 (Lamela 70, 6), Moura 7.5, Son 6.5; Kane 9 (Vinicius 80). Subs not used: Hart, Alli, Bergwijn, Davies, Dier, Ndombele. Booked: Doherty, Vinicius. Scorers: Bale 25, 49, Kane 52, 76. Manager: Jose Mourinho 8. CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Guaita 6; Ward 6, Kouyate 7, Cahill 7, Van Aanholt 6.5; Townsend 6 (Schlupp 65, 6), Milivojevic 6.5, Riedewald 7, Eze 5.5 (Zaha 46, 7); Benteke 7 (Mateta 74, 6), Ayew 6. Subs not used: Butland, Batshuayi, Dann, Hannam, Kelly, Wickham. Booked: Ayew, Cahill, Riedewald. Scorers: Benteke 45+1. Manager: Roy Hodgson 6.5. Referee: Stuart Attwell 6.5.