not just a half.
Then imagine it with Gareth Bale. But not Dele, apparently. Spurs finally got their Premier league season off, after a game and a half, with a Kane and Son master class, against Southampton.
Again who knows what would have happened in that first half if an early Harry Kane goal hadn’t been chalked off by VAR for an offside in the build up. That was a foretaste of what was to come, though after quite a bit of the usual Spurs rubbish we’ve seen of late.
Spurs got behind the Southampton defence, Son’s cross missed everyone on the box, Doherty was coming in the back post and nodded it towards Harry who finished expertly. But that VAR screen took it away. Southampton had one chalked off as well, after their line was caught out, Hugo was out of his box and headed the ball against Ings arm.
As against Everton, Spurs struggled against wide free-kicks into the box, leading to a great Hugo save.
Ings opened the scoring half an hour in, when a lofted ball over Dier evaded the defence and Ings banged the ball past Hugo. They were talking about Spurs going for Ings but why would Southampton let him go, he’s their only real hope.
It was a poor half from Spurs, right up until a couple of minutes into added time, when another classic piece of Ndombele started off a move that ended with Son’s first of the game. Winning the ball, halfway inside the Spurs’ half, Ndombele spun past one Southampton player before playing the ball wide left to Harry. Son was off down the middle, Harry crossed the ball behind the defence. It put Son wide but he took one touch then smashed in the far post side netting. Clinical.
From Spurs point of view that first half could be summed up by the fact that Hugo had the best passing percentage of any Spurs player. The irony of the best bit of Ndombele was his last action as Jose replaced him at the break with Lo Celso.
It was a head scratcher. Especially with Winks left of. Though Jose said it may have been more down to Ndombele being on a yellow card, so a risk. Anyway Lo Celso showed what is missed when he doesn’t play – he was left out after being knackered after the midweek Europa game. It wasn’t long into the half when he played a lovely ball through to Harry, who with a turn and pass, split the defence for Son to skip past the defender and bang in his second.
Nearly twenty minutes two became three. For both Son and Harry with another assist. Receiving a ball from deep on the halfway line, again Kane turned and played a first time ball, this time a chip over the defence and Son was through one-on-one with the keeper, again. Nobody had any doubt.
Southampton were gone by now. Keeping that high line they only had themselves to blame when there was basically a wash, rinse repeat, less than ten minutes later. This time though possibly Kane’s best assist of what now was four, for Sonny’s fourth. Again Lo Celso with the through ball, Harry took it wide, one look then curled the perfect cross, for Son to chest down and smack past the keeper.
Harry with four assists became the first English player to do so in the Premier League. But he usually scores against Southampton and this duly arrived ten minutes later. Another Lo Celso ball, this time a cross to Lamela, he charged into the area and smacked his shot against the far post for Kane to be the first to react and knock in number five.
Only time for VAR and the officials to make an arse of themselves, when they awarded Southampton a penalty for the ball bouncing up and hitting Doherty’s arm. The same VAR and officials that decided what should have been a red card for Romeu, for a challenge on Hojbjerg was just a yellow.
Son got man-of-the-match from Jermaine Jenas, i think it was who awarded it, when everyone said Harry was the one who should have got it, including Son. But Jenas being unable to actually think for himself can’t look beyond goals. Harry the penalty and tap-in merchant, who dropped deep, into a number 10ish role, with a bit of Hoddle 8ish, for Son to move up as the number 9.
Which is gonna be Bale’s new number. So imagine a midfield without the coward Winks but two creators in Ndombele and Lo Celso with Kane, Son and bale in attack. And imagine them playing for 90 minutes not just 45…