Bournemouth vs Tottenham Hotspur. Premier League.
Vitality StadiumAttendance11,332.
Sunday 25 October 2015 19:13, UK
Harry Kane scored a hat-trick as Tottenham came from behind to comfortably beat Bournemouth 5-1 at the Vitality Stadium.
Kane had scored just once for Spurs this season heading into Sunday's game but showed his finishing touch had not deserted him, striking first from the penalty spot after Matt Ritchie had given the hosts a 49-second lead.
Mousa Dembele and Erik Lamela turned the match on its head and the England striker added another two to his tally in the second half after calamitous goalkeeping from Bournemouth's Artur Boruc.
The result leaves Tottenham with 17 points - two behind fifth-placed Leicester - while Bournemouth are hovering above the relegation zone in 17th.
In glorious south-coast sunshine, Eddie Howe's side started the brightest and found themselves 1-0 up through Richie with just two minutes on the clock.
Charlie Daniels' cross towards Glenn Murray evaded the striker and landed at the feet of the winger, who took one touch before firing a low left-footed shot beyond the diving Tottenham skipper. It was the Scotland international's second goal of the season.
Seven minutes later, Eriksen, who had already tried to split the Bournemouth defence, found the path of Kane, who was brought down on the edge of the six-yard box by a sprawling Boruc.
Referee Roger East did not hesitate to point to the spot and Kane scored his second goal of the season from 12 yards out.
The afternoon got worse for the home side when Danny Rose's deflected shot fell neatly into the path of Dembele, who had the whole goal to aim at before slotting beneath Boruc.
The Polish 'keeper went some way to atone for conceding the earlier penalty when he kept out Toby Alderweireld's back-post header but he handed Spurs their third of the afternoon when he spilled a simple Kane cross at the feet of Lamela for a tap-in from two yards.
Josh King managed to find a yard of space in the Spurs penalty area just before the break but his curling effort bounced back off the far post with Richie blasting the rebound into advertising hoarding.
Bournemouth's midfield duo of Dan Gosling and Andrew Surman failed to contain their opposite numbers and were as much spectators as Harry Redknapp, who managed both clubs and was watching from the director's box.
Kane scored his second of the afternoon after again combining with Eriksen. The Dane picked up the ball on the left flank and clipped a sublime cross to Kane, who allowed his striker's instinct to do the rest.
He completed his hat-trick seven minutes later after nudging another parried cross over the line.
Eriksen then had Boruc beaten from 25 yards but saw his effort come back off the post but it was soon five for Spurs and a hat trick for Kane after Boruc dropped another cross for a simple finish.
The victory means Spurs are unbeaten since their opening-day defeat to Manchester United having won five and drawn two.
Bournemouth now have the joint-worst goal difference in the Premier League with Newcastle.
Player ratings
Bournemouth: Boruc (4), Francis (5) Cook (5), Distin (5), Daniels (6), Ritchie (7), Gosling (5), Surman (5), Pugh (6), King (5), Murray (5).
Subs used: Kermorgant (4), Smith (4)
Tottenham: Lloris (6), Walker (7), Alderweireld (6), Vertonghen (6), Rose (7), Alli (7), Dier (7), Dembele (8), Eriksen (8), Lamela (8), Kane (9).
Subs used: Ryan Mason (5) Trippier (4) Clinton (5).
Man of the match: Harry Kane