LONDON: Harry Kane believes he is as fit as he has ever been after netting his first goal of 2020 as Tottenham kickstarted their challenge for a Champions League place next season with a 2-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday.
The England captain looked far more like his old self after a laboured performance in his first appearance for six months against Manchester United on Friday, and was rewarded with a goal eight minutes from time.
"I’m in good shape. I’ve been working very hard through my rehab, lockdown and training. I feel as fit as I probably ever have done before,” Kane, who had surgery on a hamstring injury prior to the season’s shutdown due to coronavirus, told Sky Sports.
"When you have been out for six months it is just getting that feeling back on the pitch. You can train as much as you want but being out here is totally different.”
Tomas Soucek’s own goal had opened the scoring as West Ham remain precariously poised outside the relegation zone only on goal difference.
But Hammers boss David Moyes was furious the opener was not ruled out for a handball by Davinson Sanchez as he flicked a corner into Soucek’s path.
"I can’t believe they have ruled that as a goal,” said Moyes. "Who is on VAR tonight? He needs subbed I know that. That’s the rules.”
Jose Mourinho’s men were well worthy of a first win in eight games dating back to February. Victory takes Spurs to within six points of the top four and within one of Manchester United in fifth.
Should Manchester City’s appeal against a two-season ban from European competitions not prove successful, fifth would be good enough to qualify for the 2020/21 Champions League. "I am happy with the result, the clean sheet, it means the team is more solid, the players have less doubts,” said Mourinho.
In keeping with many of the 14 games since the Premier League’s restart seven days ago, this was another slow burner as Spurs took time to start picking holes in West Ham’s rearguard.
Son Heung-min thought he had broken the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a smart finish at Lukasz Fabianski’s near post, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.
Mourinho launched an impassioned defence of his record of working with world-class strikers on the eve of the game after criticism that his playing style could see Kane look for pastures new.
And Kane had no shortage of opportunities after the break as his near post flick was turned behind by Fabianksi before he fired wide after sprinting the full length of the field as Spurs broke dangerously from a West Ham corner. "He has been phenomenal in lockdown, he did amazing work at home and he is in the condition to help the team,” added Mourinho.
In between times, Pablo Fornals dragged wide West Ham’s big chance to go in front and aid their battle to beat the drop.
Moyes’s men were undone by one of their own when Soucek unwittingly turned a corner into his own net 26 minutes from time.
Jarrod Bowen smashed a shot against the post as the visitors suddenly had to alter their gameplan of containing Tottenham to look for an equaliser.
But in doing so, they left themselves exposed at the back and Kane timed his run perfectly from a Son pass before coolly slotting past Fabianski and collapsing to the ground in a mixture of relief and exhaustion.
"I probably should have scored one other but it was nice to put that one away,” added Kane.
"As a striker it’s what you want to do. You want to score goals and want to help win the games.” — AFP