Aston Villa 0 Tottenham 2: Harry Kane becomes joint-top Premier League scorer as Spurs boost title bid

Tom Collomosse13 March 2016

Tottenham could have hand-picked a fixture to follow the hammering by Borussia Dortmund, it is a safe bet they would have chosen Aston Villa.

Against a broken team heading for relegation, Tottenham seized the chance to return to winning ways after three games without a victory.

Two goals from Harry Kane either side of half-time closed the gap on Leicester to two points, although the Premier League leaders can restore their five-point cushion by beating Newcastle tomorrow night/on Monday.

Tottenham arrived at Villa Park after a slight wobble, which comprised defeats by West Ham and Dortmund and a 2-2 derby draw with 10-man Arsenal. This was the perfect game to recover confidence, and Spurs did so.

Kane took his tally for the season to 22 after he had hit the crossbar early on and missed two other good chances. Erik Lamela also struck a post as Spurs sliced Villa apart again and again.

The home side did not threaten seriously until six minutes from full-time, when Jordan Ayew and Rudy Gestede struck the frame of the goal during the same move. Joleon Lescott also squandered a simple opportunity soon afterwards.

Both Eric Dier and Danny Rose were passed fit as Mauricio Pochettino turned again to his key men, after resting several for the 3-0 Europa League hammering in Dortmund.

Against a side with only three wins in the league this season, Spurs began as heavy favourites and they nearly took the lead in the fourth minute.

Rose dispossessed Carles Gil – though the Villa man believed he had been fouled – and fed Dele Alli, who found Lamela. Lamela sent Kane clear and the forward lifted his shot over Brad Guzan, only to see it rebound off the crossbar.

The home side were struggling to contain Lamela and Kyle Walker, who were rampant on the right. But it was from the other side that Kane’s next opportunity arrived.

The England man cleverly released the overlapping Rose and when the cross game in, he fired it goalwards from close range. Guzan saved with his legs, the rebound hit Aly Cissokho and – luckily for Villa – looped over the bar.

Shortly afterwards, Kane was racing towards Guzan again but the American was on top form again, parrying the angled effort. Had Kane squared the ball, Lamela would have had a simple finish – as the Argentine immediately pointed out to his team-mate.

Lamela’s mood did not improve in the 30th minute when he struck the post from an excellent position after Walker had cut the ball into his path.

Villa were struggling to hang on although Gestede could have given them the lead against the run of play, only to volley Gil’s free-kick straight at Hugo Lloris from an unmarked position.

The league’s bottom club were made to pay in first-half stoppage time. Alli was felled by Gana and, as the Villa player protested, swiftly took the free-kick. Kane charged into the penalty area and this time his aim was true, as he found the bottom corner with his left foot.

After half-time, Kane picked up where he left off. Lamela saw the run of Alli and continued his own into the penalty area. When the return pass came, Lamela let it run and Kane diverted the ball into the roof of the net with his right foot.

Lamela and Eriksen missed further chances and Villa should have claimed a goal of their own with six minutes remaining. Bursting into the box, Ayew struck the post from a tight angle and when the ball broke to Gestede, he fired it against the bar from four yards.

Then, with Spurs having taken their foot off the gas, Lescott missed another easy chance after Gestede had flicked on a corner.

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