Tottenham 4-0 Watford: Heung-Min Son stars as Spurs keep up pressure

Tottenham kept up the pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea as they swept past Watford 4-0 at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Dele Alli opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with a superb long-range effort, and the goal was quickly followed up by strikes from Eric Dier and Heung-Min Son before half-time.

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Son volleyed in the fourth early in the second half and Spurs cruised to victory with Harry Kane hitting the bar from a late free-kick after playing the final 30 minutes on his return from injury.

The win, which cut the gap to Chelsea until the Blues beat later Bournemouth to preserve their seven-point lead - is their 11th in a row at home in the Premier League and sixth on the spin in the league.

They did it without top scorer Kane in the starting XI, as he returned from a one-month absence on the bench, but goalkeeper Hugo Lloris did start after missing a game through illness.

Injury-hit Watford made several changes from their midweek win over West Brom, with Troy Deeney a substitute and Daryl Janmaat and Adrian Mariappa starting in a second-string defence.

But despite their absences, Watford made a positive enough start, even if Spurs did go close as Son's deflected shot hit the post and Vincent Janssen saw an effort well saved.

After M'Baye Niang shot at Lloris and Craig Cathcart dragged an effort into the side-netting, Janssen should have put Spurs ahead when he turned a cross on to the crossbar from close range.

Christian Eriksen then fired over as Spurs started to turn up the pressure.

The opener arrived in some style in the 33rd minute, with Alli cutting in from the left and firing a superb shot into the far corner.

Dier doubled the advantage shortly afterwards, finishing from just inside the area after Son's cross was blocked.

Watford looked deflated after the quickfire double and they fell further behind before half-time as Son fired into the bottom corner from outside the box.

Son then made it 4-0 in the 55th minute, finishing on the volley at the back post from Trippier's cross.

Kane was introduced on the hour mark in place of Janssen and went close to scoring when he took the ball round Heurelho Gomes but could not finish from a tight angle.

Deeney also nearly netted after coming off the Watford bench, only to fire over the bar from a good position in the box.

Kane nearly connected with a cross from Trippier before setting up a one-on-one chance for Son that he fired wide.

Son missed another opportunity for his hat-trick when he shot against the bar, before Kane smacked the woodwork from a free-kick as Spurs eased to victory.

Player ratings

Tottenham: Lloris (6), Trippier (8), Alderweireld (7), Vertonghen (7), Davies (7), Dier (8), Dembele (7), Son (8), Alli (8), Eriksen (8), Janssen (5).

Subs used: Kane (6), Sissoko (5), Onomah (5).

Watford: Gomes (4), Janmaat (4), Cathcart (4), Mariappa (4), Holebas (3), Amrabat (3), Doucoure (3), Cleverley (4), Niang (4), Okaka (4), Success (5).

Subs used: Deeney (4), Zuniga (3), Kabasele (4).

Man of the match: Kieran Trippier

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