West Brom 0 - 3 Spurs

Tottenham’s Harry Kane proves too hot to handle for West Brom

West Brom 0 - 3 Spurs

Christian Eriksen 6
Harry Kane 15
Harry Kane 64 pen


Christian Eriksen scores with a free-kick against West Brom in the Premier League match at The Hawthorns. 

For a team whose mettle is perennially questioned Tottenham Hotspur continue to supply the answers. In the week they dismissed the threat of a lower-division upset to reach the Capital One Cup final, Mauricio Pochettino’s side ended West Bromwich Albion’s unbeaten start under Tony Pulis to pull to within two points of the Champions League places in the Premier League.

Spurs scorched to victory at The Hawthorns after Christian Eriksen struck again and Harry Kane scored twice to reach the 20-goal mark. In the contest between the two young England contenders Kane rather than Saido Berahino continued to look the likelier bet to be called up for the double-header with Lithuania and Italy.

Spurs came from 3-0 down to gain a point at The Hawthorns last season but they did not have to work very hard to gain a two-goal buffer here. Pulis has been rebuilding West Brom on a “brutal” regime of hard work but the fashion in which they capitulated in the opening quarter of an hour looked they had decided to have a day off.

Spurs could have been tired by Wednesday’s exertions in surviving their semi-final second leg at Sheffield United or they could have been exhilarated. The answer was provided inside 15 minutes as Eriksen and Kane, their two outstanding players this season, scored.

With a copy of his goal at Bramall Lane in midweek, Eriksen curled a free-kick into the top corner after Claudio Yacob had fouled Moussa Dembélé. Then Kane, receiving Dembélé’s pass out wide, stepped inside Andre Wisdom with ease before smacking in his 19th goal of an increasingly impressive campaign.

West Brom, seeking to extend a five-game unbeaten sequence since Alan Irvine’s departure, rallied and James Morrison, teed up by Victor Anichebe, conjured a seemingly perfect chip from the edge of the penalty area towards the top corner only for Hugo Lloris to tip his shot over in brilliant style.

Then the French goalkeeper produced a similarly excellent save, this time diving low to his right, to keep out a close-range effort from Yacob after Berahino had pulled back Chris Brunt’s pass at the culmination of a rehearsed free-kick routine. When Craig Dawson headed Morrison’s free-kick against the crossbar, West Brom must have thought their chances of a memorable comeback could be doomed.

When Kevin Friend adjudged that Joleon Lescott, already less than enamoured to be selected at left-back, had deliberately handballed as he slid to block Kyle Walker’s cross on the overlap, then the home side knew this was not going to be their day. Kane dispatched the penalty with his customary confidence.

West Brom went for broke, introducing Brown Ideye into a three-pronged attack, but Lloris was a match for anything the home side could produce, the goalkeeper diving low to produce another top-drawer save from Berahino’s shot on the turn, with Danny Rose clearing as Ideye attempted to turn in the rebound. Craig Gardner struck an effort against the post but Spurs always had enough to spare.

Guardian