Tottenham Hotspur swept aside Norwich at Carrow Road last night, with goals from Dele Alli and Harry Kane sealing a comfortable 3-0 win.
Alli put Tottenham in front after just two minutes of play, with a calm finish skidding past a disappointed Declan Rudd. The lead was doubled with a penalty on the half-hour mark, when Frenchman Sebastien Bassong fouled Alli in the box and Kane converted from the spot. The Englishman then added to his own tally in the 90th minute with a left-footed shot into the back of the net, from an assist by Christian Eriksen.
Norwich City almost got one back when Ivo Pinto thought he had scored with a header, but was ruled offside and the goal did not stand for the home side. Tottenham could have been further in front at halftime, with Kane hitting the post, goalkeeper Rudd making some important denials.
POPULAR ARTICLES
Rumours rife that Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs set for Celtic job
EPL – Tactical Analysis – West Ham United 2 Aston Villa 0
How Twitter reacted to Leicester City’s 2-0 victory against Liverpool
The hosts, and new signing Steven Naismith, felt like they had a solid shout for a penalty when the Scotsman was brought down by Jan Vertonghen’s replacement, Kevin Wimmer, yet referee Friend waved the accusations away.
Bassong almost equaled out his mistake in giving away the opposition’s spot-kick with a goal, but the Frenchman’s effort was also ruled offside. The Canaries were more instrumental in the second-half, but could not find their way back into the game.
Spurs are now on 45 points, equaling local rivals Arsenal, but are in front on goal difference after the Gunners drew with Southampton at the Emirates Stadium. The Premier League title hopes for the Lilywhites are well and truly alive.
Norwich went into this game only two points off the relegation zone and remain in that precarious position, with Newcastle United playing Everton at Goodison Park tomorrow.
WIN: A £50 voucher from Classic Football Shirts up for grabs!
Harry Kane is super effective out wide
Tottenham Hotspur sometimes forget that they can use the wider areas of the pitch, but when they do, the team is dangerous. Kyle Walker and Danny Rose are defenders that like to push forward down the wing and flick crosses into the box, while numerous chances for Kane also all came from wide positions. The moves even looked very similar, with Kane becoming the supplier rather than the deadly finisher at times.
Dele Alli continues to get better and better
Returning to the starting XI after missing the FA Cup game against Colchester, Alli started in the best possible way and scored in the first two minutes. Rudd did get down to make a solid save on Eriksen’s strike, but only managed to palm the ball straight to the feet of a pouncing Alli and the 19-year-old calmly finished into the back of the Norwich goal. Prior to this game, the Englishman had five goals and 12 assists, demonstrating his growing strength and presence as a player. However, Mauricio Pochettino decided to sub the youngster at halftime.
[interaction id=”56b1723f8b03d1a947fedfc3″]
Steven Naismith a great addition for Norwich City
Steven Naismith signed for the Canaries in the January window, after a frustrating lack of play at former team Everton. The Scotsman proved his worth against a challenging Spurs side, playing a key role in the penalty shout and the goal that was eventually ruled offside from Bassong. With Norwich only two points of the relegation zone, someone like Naismith will be a major boost, especially seeing that hat-trick he scored against Chelsea after coming off the bench back in September. Naismith received a large ovation when substituted in the 74th minute.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
