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Tottenham’s Harry Kane bags hat-trick in thriller against Leicester
Tottenham’s Harry Kane bags hat-trick in thriller against Leicester
(about 2 hours later)
Hurricane Harry Kane blew in from the south side of White Hart Lane after six minutes and, by the time that this force of nature had departed, he had his first Premier League hat-trick and Tottenham Hotspur had the result that they wanted after last weekend’s drubbing at Manchester United.
Hurricane Harry Kane blew in from the south side here after six minutes and, by the time that this force of nature had departed, he had his first Premier League hat-trick and Tottenham Hotspur had the result that they wanted after Sunday’s drubbing at Manchester United.
Kane spent the later part of the 2012-13 season on loan at Leicester City, where he managed only two goals in 13 Championship appearances and the speed of his progress remains difficult to comprehend. Given his first senior call-up by the England manager Roy Hodgson on Thursday, he took his tally for the season to 29 goals. He stands to become the first Spur since Gary Lineker in 1991-92 to reach 30.
Kane spent the later part of the 2012-13 season on loan at Leicester City, where he managed two goals in 13 Championship appearances and the speed of his progress remains difficult to comprehend. The 21-year-old is now carrying Tottenham’s Champions League hopes; he has his first senior England call-up for the fixtures against Lithuania and Italy and he has taken his goals tally for the season to 29. He stands to become the first Spur since Gary Lineker, in 1991-92, to reach 30.
But Kane’s heroics were only a part of the story of this helter-skelter, error-strewn encounter, in which Leicester contributed fully. They fought back from a dreadful start to boss the second half of the first half, equalise early in the second period and look the likelier team to win until Kane completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot and Jeff Schlupp put through his own goal.
Kane’s heroics, however, were only a part of this helter-skelter, error-strewn encounter in which Leicester contributed fully. They fought back from a dreadful start to boss the second half of the first half, equalise early in the second period and look the likelier team to win until Kane completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot and Jeff Schlupp put through his own goal after Kasper Schmeichel had blocked from Christian Eriksen.
The last time that Leicester played here in the Premier League, they drew 4-4 in 2004 and they almost fashioned an unlikely repeat at the very death, after David Nugent had run through Tottenham’s shambolic defence to shoot home. Mauricio Pochettino hurled down his water bottle in fury but his Tottenham team just about staggered over the line.
The last time Leicester played here in the Premier League, in 2004, they drew 4-4 and they almost fashioned an unlikely repeat after David Nugent had run through Tottenham’s shambolic defence to shoot home. Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham manager, hurled his water bottle in fury. For a former Argentina centre-half, it cannot be easy watching this team defend.
Kane can do nothing wrong at present and he put Tottenham in front with his first meaningful touch. Nigel Pearson wore a thunderous expression on the Leicester bench and little wonder. If Kane had been perfectly placed, yet again, it was a dreadful goal to concede and it left the visitors chasing yet another game.
Tottenham, though, just about got over the line. The turning point was the penalty, and how Leicester raged about it. Nugent took a heavy touch inside his own area and then put his arm out, making contact with Danny Rose, who went to ground.
Eric Dier darted unchallenged to meet Andros Townsend’s corner and Kasper Schmeichel, who was back in the Leicester goal after almost four months out with injury, could only bat his flick down at the feet of Kane. The range was point-blank; Kane did what he does.
The referee, Mike Dean, took an age to point to the spot, which was one of the things that incensed Nigel Pearson, the Leicester manager, and it felt like a soft award. Yet it was one of those that was giveable.
Pearson’s mood was darkened further moments later when Tottenham fashioned another incision all too easily. Townsend nutmegged Jeff Schlupp with his pass for Kyle Walker and the full-back out-stripped Matt Upson by several yards before pulling back a low cross. Robert Huth got his attempted clearance all wrong and the ball broke to Kane, who swung his boot at it.
Pearson disagreed. Vehemently. He said: “Nuge would be the first to admit that he should have dealt with the situation earlier but the length of time it took to give the decision – to decide that two players colliding in the box is a penalty. I just find it bizarre. We continue to be shortchanged. We can’t be on the receiving end of so many poor decisions.”
The connection was not clean and the effort might have been heading wide of the near post. But this is Kane, and so the ball dutifully took a massive deflection off Huth and set a course for the far corner of the net.
Pearson tore into Dean. “The arrogance of the man is frightening. What’s the point of talking to him about it? He’s one of the most arrogant men I’ve ever met. I’ll try and keep my words carefully chosen this week and hopefully your microphone will be out of the way when I choose to say something different.”
It could be one for the dubious goals panel.
Pearson gave lots of death stares in his press conference. He shrugged and stared when it was put to him that he might face Football Association censure for his outburst against Dean. The anger was stamped all over his face.
The afternoon had started badly for Tottenham, when Jamie Vardy and the chasing Kyle Walker both clattered into Hugo Lloris as the goalkeeper defended his near post. Lloris was taken off on a stretcher with a gashed knee. Walker’s challenge appeared to do the damage. The annoying thing for Tottenham and Lloris was that the offside flag had gone up against Vardy, whose efforts never dipped below full throttle. He also gave Dier a shiner in an aerial challenge.
Kane’s second goal had taken a heavy deflection; the penalty was contentious and the own goal was deeply unfortunate. There was plenty to like about Leicester’s performance. How could they have lost, Pearson wanted to scream. Yet they did. It will be the greatest of escapes if they avoid relegation.
The first-half was loaded with incident. David Nugent worked the back-pedalling Michel Vorm with a swerving shot while he almost hit the corner flag with another; Nacer Chadli, who was booked for a lamentable dive, blazed a gilt-edged opportunity over the crossbar after Christian Eriksen had hit the post.
Tottenham were in front early through Kane, when Schmeichel pawed Eric Dier’s flick down at the striker’s feet and the second followed Robert Huth’s poor clearance. Kane’s shot deflected wickedly off Huth – it could be one for the Dubious Goals Panel.
Leicester rallied and they might have been level at the interval. Matty James sparked a lovely move which led to Nugent crossing and Vardy beating Vorm with a smart finish and, but for Danny Rose’s challenge, Nugent might have equalised in injury-time. Leonardo Ulloa also headed over the crossbar. This Tottenham defence routinely gives up chances.
Tottenham had lost Hugo Lloris in the first minute after a collision with Jamie Vardy and Kyle Walker – the goalkeeper was taken off on a stretcher and then on to hospital with what Pochettino called a “big cut on the tendon of his knee”.
It was remarkable to see how Tottenham loosened their grip, although Leicester’s never-say-die spirit ought not to be overlooked. Pochettino’s team lost their bearings at around the moment that Chadli lost his upon that bad miss on 23 minutes and, as Leicester grew, they became inexplicably jittery. Basic errors crept it and the home crowd began to fret.
The home team might have led 3-0 – Nacer Chadli blazed over the crossbar after Eriksen had hit the post – but, equally, it might have been 2-2 at half-time. Matty James sparked a lovely move that led to Nugent crossing and Vardy beating the back-up goalkeeper, Michel Vorm, and, but for Rose’s challenge, Nugent might have equalised in injury-time. Leonardo Ulloa also headed over the crossbar.
Nobody could say that the equaliser was not deserved or well advertised.
It was remarkable to see how Tottenham loosened their grip and Wes Morgan equalised following slack marking at a corner. Leicester were firmly in the ascendancy but the pendulum swung once again upon the penalty.
From Ulloa’s cross on 49 minutes, Nugent somehow could not finish from close range, with Walker in attendance but, from James’ resulting corner, Tottenham’s marking lapsed and Wes Morgan stooped to bullet a header past Vorm.
At that point, Leicester were firmly in the ascendancy. Nabil Bentaleb escaped censure for a foolish slap at Ulloa while Huth flashed a header narrowly wide from another James corner.
But Leicester offered up another gift when Nugent took a heavy touch inside his area and then put his arm across Danny Rose, who went down to win the penalty. Kane’s conversion was low and true.
The hapless Chadli blazed over again before Eriksen was blocked by Schmeichel only for the ball to hit Schlupp and deflect back in. Nugent got the better of Jan Vertonghen following Vardy’s flick to cut the arrears but Leicester ran out of time.
