BALE BLITZ!

Double and assist as Spurs batter Burnley

THIS is the special gift that Tottenham thought they were unwrapping a few months back. The guy who used to win games with a savage beauty and then do that heart thing with his hands, like a killer with a conscience. We might not see that Gareth Bale again in the biggest matches against the best teams. Who knows? But game by game, there is a growing hope that we will, and maybe in time the resurrection will be traced to days like this, and what appears to be a return to form. Again, some perspective. It was against Burnley. They weren’t very good. But Bale was excellent, from the 67th second, when he scored with a tap-in, to the 55th minute, when he got another goal of far higher quality. He only managed another quarter of an hour from that point, with the steam gone from those 31-year-old legs, but by the time he was hooked, he had built up a fine body of work, including the 60-yard pass that made a goal for Harry Kane and a fringe role in one scored by Lucas Moura. A month ago, he appeared on the cusp of a public falling out with Jose Mourinho over his fitness amid a general acceptance that his loan from Real Madrid was not working. Listen to Mourinho now. ‘Gareth is a very experienced guy, he knows his body better than anyone,’ said the Spurs boss. ‘It would be very nice for me now to say I handled the situation amazingly well. I’m not that kind of guy. ‘Sometimes people write things, and sometimes, some of you like to imagine stories, to say things that are not really true, but there is not one single manager in the world that doesn’t play Gareth Bale if Gareth Bale is in very good condition. ‘It’s not just about the two goals he scored, it’s fundamentally about his physical performance. Now he’s not flat. His condition is very good.’ Bale (right) said: ‘I have been building up a bit to get fully fit — I felt comfortable and my form is coming back. ‘You get criticism but I am experienced enough to keep my head down and keep plugging away.’

Now he has three assists and three goals in four games — and how Spurs need him. After five defeats in six, they were relieved with this comfortable win. There was more than a whiff of fortune about Tottenham’s opener, given Son Heung-Min appeared to be targeting a deeper cross to Kane rather than the low cutter he delivered into the space between James Tarkowski and Nick Pope. He scuffed it. From there, Bale read the path of delivery and side-footed past Pope. Bale’s wider contribution included the destruction of Charlie Taylor. He played the ball down the line and then hammered the left-back for pace — just like the old days. His subsequent retrieval of possession near Tottenham’s area earned equal applause from Mourinho, and soon after Bale pinged the long, precise ball that made the goal for Kane. Kane’s shot to the near post deflected off Tarkowski and its trajectory was raised sufficiently to clear Pope’s upper hand. The third goal came around the half-hour mark. Bale was again involved, passing to Sergio Reguilon, whose delivery brushed Tarkowski’s head before falling for Moura, who took a touch and then lashed past Pope. Bale’s best moment came ten minutes into the second half. Son led the break and threaded to Bale, who had a touch to set himself on the edge of the area and curled a shot in off the post with his left. TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Lloris 6; Aurier 6 (Doherty 81), Sanchez 7, Alderweireld 6, Reguilon 7; Ndombele 7, Hojbjerg 6; Bale 8 (Lamela 70), Lucas 7 (Alli 66), Son 7; Kane 7. Subs not used: Hart, Winks, Dier, Sissoko, Davies, Vinicius. Booked: None. BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope 5; Lowton 5, Tarkowski 5, Mee 5, Taylor 5; Brownhill 6, Cork 6 (Stephens 81), Westwood 6, McNeil 6; Rodriguez 5 (Richardson 88), Vydra 5 (Wood 73). Subs not used: Peacock-Farrell, Bardsley, Long, Dunne, Benson, DriscollGlennon. Booked: None. Man of the match: Gareth Bale. Referee: Kevin

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