Report and highlights as Spurs continue hot form
Thursday 27 December 2018 06:08, UK
Tottenham made it 11 goals in three days and moved above Manchester City after hammering Bournemouth 5-0 on Boxing Day.
Fresh from their 6-2 win over Everton, Spurs maintained their hot streak with goals from Christian Eriksen (16), Lucas Moura (35), Harry Kane (61) and a double from Heung-Min Son (23,70), which means the South Korean has now scored 10 goals in his last 10 games in all competitions.
The victory moves Mauricio Pochettino's men up to second in the Premier League after City lost 2-1 at Leicester. Spurs are six points off leaders Liverpool.
Bournemouth's performance was littered with defensive mistakes and their skipper Simon Francis was stretchered off with a serious-looking injury.
Both teams struggled to find an early rhythm but Eriksen changed that with one swing of his boot on 16 minutes. This strike was not as spectacular as his cute volley against Everton but it still found the net from 20 yards, via a wicked deflection off Jefferson Lerma.
Bournemouth then went to pieces. Charlie Daniels made a hash of a routine long ball and Kyle Walker-Peters nipped in to set up Son from the edge of the box. The South Korean looked full of confidence as he carefully curled one into the bottom corner.
Walker-Peters was revelling in a rare start and set up Tottenham's third. Harry Winks picked him out with a great ball over Daniels and his subsequent pass was finished off from close range by Moura.
Bournemouth threatened to make a game of it but a penalty appeal on Callum Wilson was turned down and Junior Stanislas had a goal rightly chalked off for offside.
Any hopes of a sensational turnaround were dashed by Kane on 61 minutes.
Eriksen played the quarterback role and chipped a wonderful pass over the top for Kane to chase and slide home from an acute angle.
The scoring was not completed there as Son was on hand from three yards to bundle home after an almighty scramble inside the Bournemouth box.
A cheer rang around Wembley as the Manchester City score was shown on the big screen. The Spurs go marching on.
After making a crucial mistake in the Nou Camp against Barcelona, this was a much-needed boost for the talented full-back, who was making his first start of the Premier League season. He set up all three goals in the first half, admittedly with a little help from the hapless Daniels. Who needs a transfer window when you have got this sort of back-up in the youth team?
"I'm trying to keep balance in my emotions," Pochettino said when asked about moving above City in the table.
"The way that we work, is paying back now. It doesn't surprise me. We only focus on us, not the opponent. It doesn't mean too much to us to be second or third. The most important position is when you finish in May."
"It was strange game. We had a good moments in the match. But we didn't take them. It was unfortunate goal - it changes the mentality of the players and conceded poor goals. It was a bizarre game."
Tottenham are back at Wembley on Saturday for the visit of Wolves while Bournemouth travel to Old Trafford to play Manchester United.
