Aston Villa 0-2 Tottenham: Harry Kane scores brace as title-chasing Spurs condemn doomed hosts to 20th league defeat
- Aston Villa look destined to be playing Championship football next season after losing to Tottenham
- England international striker Harry Kane scored twice for Spurs at Villa Park on Sunday
- Mauricio Pochettino's side are up to 58 points in the table, just two behind league leaders Leicester City
- Villa are rock-bottom and home fans protested against American owner Randy Lerner during the game
- Tottenham are targeting their first top-flight title in 55 years with Kane in a rich vein of form
Harry Kane wore a mask but there was no robbery involved. If anything, Kane went easy on Aston Villa. The Tottenham striker could have scored more but two was plenty, taking his tally for the season to 22, the same as Villa have scored in the Premier League.
One of Kane's many qualities is his ability to take each chance on its merits, regardless of what may have happened before.
He hit the bar after four minutes, and wasted three more wonderful opportunities as Spurs sliced Villa open at will, in the first-half, but he remained totally unruffled when the next chance came his way.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane celebrates after scoring the first goal against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday
Kane skips over a challenge from Villa defender Alan Hutton to score the opener against Villa
The England international scores his second goal of the game as defender Aly Cissokho watches on helplessly
Spurs right back Kyle Walker (left) pressures Villa striker Jordan Ayew for the ball during Sunday's Premier League clash
Spurs attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen has a shot at goal during Sunday's Premier League victory at Villa Park
It is a wonderful quality for a striker to have. Kane opened the scoring at the end of the first half, and added the second, early in the second half.
Both were set up by Dele Alli as Spurs got back into the groove after three without a win and helped to justify the decision by Mauricio Pochettino to make seven changes for the Europa League tie at Borussia Dortmund.
If you prioritise the Premier League so blatantly, then you have to deliver and Spurs did. Helped, of course, by the fact that Aston Villa have become the perfect opposition in circumstances where nothing but a win will do.
Villa are sleepwalking into the Championship and the empty and deflated atmosphere which surrounded this defeat was that of a club resigned to its fate.
This was a fifth successive defeat, in which they have conceded 17 goals. Last March, they were celebrating an emotional derby win over local rivals West Bromwich Albion to reach the FA Cup semi-finals and Tim Sherwood had the Holte End eating out of his hand.
Now the team is sliding towards relegation and the natives are in revolt against owner Randy Lerner.
Villa supporters sang for 'Lerner Out', wrestled with stewards who tried to seize their banners and applauded when Tottenham fans sang: 'Lerner for Arsenal'.
And many left early. Who can blame them? Thousands missed a late flurry of chances. Then again, they probably knew they would be squandered.
Spurs had no problems creating chances but found Brad Guzan in fine form. They opened Villa up time and again, starting in the fourth minute when Alli won the ball in midfield and Erik Lamela found Kane.
Tottenham's Kevin Wimmer (left) bravely heads the ball clear of Villa's Jordan Veretout during Sunday's Premier League contest
England international defender Walker (left) tracks the run of Ayew during the match at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon
Villa's Carles Gil (left) clears the ball under pressure from Tottenham left back Danny Rose as Villa looked to break their dire run of form
As Guzan came hurtling from his line, Kane clipped the ball over the goalkeeper, only to see his effort clip the bar and go over.
The Villa 'keeper then produced a fabulous series of saves. He blocked a low one from Alli, and twice denied Kane before the best of the bunch from Lamela.
Kyle Walker crossed from the right and Lamela turned it towards goal with a firm side-footer, but Guzan touched it onto the post and got lucky with the rebound, which bounced into his back before it was cleared by Alan Hutton.
Villa, in this time, had created very little. In terms of efforts at goal, there was a very ambitious volley by Jordan Veretout from the corner of the penalty area, which swerved well wide.
And a good chance which fell to Rudy Gestede from a free-kick taken by Carles Gil. Gestede turned the ball on target with a volley but it was too close to Hugo Lloris, who saved.
Guzan's resistance was finally broken as the sanctuary of the half-time interval came into view.
Rose (left) tussles for possession with Villa's Gil during Spurs' 2-0 victory away at Villa Park
Villa fans protest against owner Randy Lerner as they continue to grow frustrated with the American's running of the club
Tottenham's Mousa Dembele (right) tackles Villa's Andre Green, who made his Premier League debut for the struggling club
Tottenham's Argentina international winger Erik Lamela (right) brings the ball under control during Villa's 20th defeat of the season
Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan (centre) comes out to collect a cross during his side's match against Spurs at home on Sunday
Referee Anthony Taylor awarded a free-kick to Spurs when Idrissa Gana tripped Alli in midfield. As Gana disputed the decision, claiming he had won the ball, with some justification, Alli spotted Kane, running into the space behind right-back Hutton and took the free-kick quickly.
Kane, seemingly untroubled by his previous missed opportunities, had enough pace to stay in the clear and struck the shot low with his left boot, across Guzan and inside the far post.
His second arrived soon after the restart, the fruit of a classic counter-attack by Spurs. Kane and Lamela were involved at the start of the move, and the Argentine released Alli on another gallop down the left.
Alli's low cross was behind Lamela, and in came Kane to stab the ball into the top corner. He has 21 in his last 28 appearances for Spurs, starting with a hat-trick at Bournemouth on October 25.
Tottenham cruised in from here. They almost allowed Villa to snatch a consolation when Jordan Ayew skipped down the line and hit the post, and Gestede spooned the rebound onto the bar.
Then Joleon Lescott fired wide another chance after Gestede flicked on a corner. The misses seemed to sum up the season for Remi Garde's team.
And Spurs celebrated another victory in the pursuit of their first title in 55 years.
Tottenham attacking midfielder Alli (left), who provided Kane with his goals, jumps to control the ball ahead of Villa defender Jores Okore
Tottenham's France international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris shouts instructions to his defenders during Sunday's game away at Villa
Tottenham striker Kane (right) imposes himself to get ahead of Villa defender Cissokho in another game where he found the target
Tottenham's Belgium international centre back Toby Alderweireld launches a long ball clear upfield during the game against Villa
Villa goalkeeper Guzan dives to make a save during his side's 2-0 defeat by Tottenham at home in the Premier League on Sunday
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I know people will say it's only Villa but Kane is ...
by MIkeBaldwin 128