England forward Harry Kane scored a brace and proved his mettle to help Tottenham Hotspur recover from a jittery start in the first half, securing a thumping 4-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Tottenham trudged down the tunnel at halftime, seemingly sleepwalking into another bad result but Kane turned things around for the Spurs inspiring them to a clinical win on Wednesday night. For Spurs, it was a game of two halves, to use a sporting cliche. Antonio Conte was looking for a response from his team after a draw with Brentford and a loss to Aston Villa since the league resumed after the World Cup. In the first 45 minutes, they were driven to their limits by an impressive Palace side that was looking to avenge a 3-0 home defeat to Fulham. But, as has often been the case for the Eagles, they failed to capitalise on their opportunities as Tottenham's quality began to show in the second half. Kane put Spurs ahead in the 48th minute on his 300th Premier League appearance. He scored his second goal five minutes later, bringing him within two goals of Jimmy Greaves' Tottenham all-time scoring record (266). Son was under the pump as he struggled in front of the goal. He thought he had set up Matt Doherty's goal (68), but his cross deflected off Nathaniel Clyne on its way through. In the 72nd minute, the South Korean forward snapped an eight-game scoring drought by combining with strike partner Kane for another Spurs goal. It was also a fine volley, capping off an excellent evening for Spurs. "[My goal] was about time. It felt amazing. Honestly, I felt really sorry for the team because I think they were expecting more than what I've done. I hope today was the turning point, getting back the confidence and I will continue to help the team," expressed Son as quoted by Sky Sports. The result moves them within two points of the Champions League places, despite having played one more game than fourth-placed Manchester United. While Crystal Palace improved on their performance against Fulham, they have now lost two consecutive Premier League games at Selhurst Park, dropping them to 12th place. (ANI)
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