Harry Kane bags brace as Tottenham crush Bournemouth to close gap on Leicester

Harry Kane scored a first half brace – his first goal coming after just 43 seconds – as Tottenham swept Bournemouth aside to close the gap on Leicester to five points at the top of the Premier League.

With Leicester extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points on Saturday, and Arsenal staying in touch with victory at Everton, the pressure was on Spurs to keep up the heat.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side, restored to full strength after losing to Borussia Dortmund, couldn’t have wished for a better start, with Kane giving the hosts the lead with their first attack.

Bournemouth were stunned by Tottenham’s electric start and failed to muster a reaction of their own, and instead Kane doubled Tottenham's lead, capping an incisive Spurs move after a key contribution from Kevin Wimmer and yet another superb assist for Dele Alli, the seventh time he has assisted his England team mate in the Premier League this season.

Kane played a key role in the third, too, with a ferocious drive from distance that Cherries’ keeper Artur Boruc could only spill into the path of Christian Eriksen, who stroked the ball home for the easiest of finishes.

After three Premier League wins on the bounce, the result means it’s back to the drawing board for Bournemouth, who are only two points shy of the 40-point survival benchmark.

Tougher tasks lay ahead for Spurs, who travel to Anfield and host Manchester United in the next two weeks, but this is the perfect platform to continue their pursuit of shock leaders Leicester.

Can Spurs catch Leicester? This was a professional and accomplished performance by a Spurs team who basically waved the white flag in the Europa League in favour of a Premier League title charge. Pochettino’s side were excellent here, particularly in the first half, but the true tests come in the next two weeks at Liverpool and then at home to Manchester United. A record Premier League finish is all but assured now for Spurs, who have never finished higher than fourth in the Premier League era, but as long as Leicester keep winning, Spurs are running out of time to catch them.

Harry Kane (Tottenham) – A majestic display again by Tottenham’s main man. A predatory finish to open the scoring after 43 seconds set the tone, and his second was just as good. Played a key role in third too, and even got back to make a sliding tackle on Joshua King in his own box. A second hat-trick against Bournemouth this season wouldn’t have been undeserving.

Tottenham: Lloris 7, Walker 8, Alderweireld 7, Wimmer 7, Rose 7; Dembele 8, Dier 8; Lamela 7, Alli 8, Eriksen 8; Kane 9. Subs: Carroll 6, Mason n/a, Chadli n/a.

Bournemouth: Boruc 4, Smith 5, Francis 4, Cook 5, Daniels 4, Ritchie 5, Arter 4, Surman 4, Gradel 5, King 5, Afobe 3. Subs: Grabban 5, O’Kane 5.

1’ GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Bournemouth: Kane scored after 43 seconds! Walker drives down the right and delivers a dangerous ball in that Kane slides in from the edge of the six yard box! Wow, what a start!

16’ GOAL! Tottenham 2-0 Bournemouth: Kane again! Lovely football by Spurs as Wimmer finds Alli, whose perfectly-weighted pass is into the path of Kane, whose first-time shot finds the bottom corner. Slick and stylish from Spurs.

20’ ERIKSEN CHANCE! Walker spots the run of Eriksen, who tries to lash an early shot over Boruc, but it clears the bar. Shades of Vardy vs Liverpool there.

33’ ROSE CHANCE! Eriksen picks out the run of Rose on the left with a clipped ball into the box, but Rose lashes his shot into the side netting from a tight angle.

42’ COOK CHANCE! Cook heads just over when he could have scored! Gradel's ball in from the left was a good one, but Cook unable to keep his header down.

44’ ERIKSEN CHANCE! Almost a third for Spurs as Kane finds Alli on the right, but his cross is just too far ahead of Eriksen at the far post. Bournemouth opened up again.

48’ WALKER CHANCE! Another blistering counter-attack by Spurs as Eriksen sets them moving with a ball to Kane, who uses his strength to keep the ball and find Walker, who flashes a low shot just wide of the far post.

52’ GOAL! Tottenham 3-0 Bournemouth: Eriksen scores! Kane's long range effort is spilled by Boruc straight to Eriksen, and the Dane has the easiest of finishes from close range. The points are surely secure now.

80’ ALLI CHANCE! Big chance goes begging for the fourth as Eriksen cuts the ball back to Alli, but the 19-year-old scuffs his shot well wide from 10 yards out. Has to score. Luckily it's already 3-0...

Only against Wigan (12 goals in 2009/10) have Tottenham netted more goals against an opponent within a single Premier League season than versus Bournemouth in 2015/16 (8).

Tottenham have lost just one of their last 10 Premier League matches, winning eight (D1). Bournemouth suffered their first Premier League away defeat in 2016.

Harry Kane became the fifth Englishman to score 20+ goals in consecutive Premier League seasons (Andrew Cole, Les Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler & Alan Shearer).

Kane is now this season's Premier League top scorer with 21 goals; equalling his goal tally from 2014/15.

Dele Alli has assisted Harry Kane for seven Premier League goals this season, the most assists from one player to another in 2015/16.

Two of the three fastest goals scored in the Premier League this season have been in the Spurs/Bournemouth fixture (Ritchie 49s & Kane 43s).

Christian Eriksen has scored three goals in his last five Premier League appearances at White Hart Lane; as many as he netted in his previous 31 combined.