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Harry Kane’s Return Helped Spark Tottenham’s Change in Form

By Alexander Balano

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 06: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his sides first goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 06: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his sides first goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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With Harry Kane and Mousa Dembélé (a doubt at the time) back in the starting XI against Arsenal, it meant that Tottenham were close to returning to full strength.

A one-all draw against the Gunners may have extended Spurs’ winless stretch to seven matches but the mood around the locker room is that the entire team performed very well.

Having Kane return as Mauricio Pochettino’s first-choice striker not only gives his side their number one goalscorer for the past two seasons, but a player that teams must account for at all times.

Prior to scoring a penalty in the second half after Dembélé was fouled in the box, back in the first half, Harry Kane’s attempted header narrowly missed the bottom left corner by mere inches.

This is a knack that the Englishman has. His shots, whether it’s from his feet or from his head, almost always finds a way towards goal. Vincent Janssen has done the same with his chances, though not at a high percentage that Kane produces.

It is for this very reason why Kane’s return was huge against Arsenal and why Spurs’ form can only improve following the international break when the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Érik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko return

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Overall, the 23-year-old Kane enjoyed his return to the lineup after six weeks and was delighted to score once again. Picking up where he left off back in September.

“It felt great to be back out there with the team, fighting for the team and I was delighted to get a goal,” Harry Kane said (via Spurs’ official website).

“It was an important goal to get us back in the game and we could even have sneaked a winner at the end when Christian [Eriksen] hit the post.

“I’ve scored a few goals against Arsenal now and it gets sweeter every time I score, especially in front of the fans. The travelling support was great again.”

“I feel good. It’s been a tough spell sitting it out and watching the team so I was delighted to get back out there and get some minutes under my belt.”

As mentioned above, a change was in the air since getting two of Tottenham’s most valuable players back aside from Alderweireld and Lamela. Because at half-time, even after trailing 1-0, Harry Kane knew that a chance would come, and eventually it did.

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“We said to stay calm. We were playing well.” Kane explained.

“I know they hit the post but I had a header that went just wide and we had a few other chances as well. We just said to continue playing our football and the chances would come. We got the penalty and created a couple more chances as well.”

As for Harry Kane’s thoughts after the game, he like the rest of his teammates agreed, that they were the better side and could have won the game. A draw might feel like a missed opportunity, but it’s not a bad result.

“I thought we controlled the game for large parts. They caught us on the counterattack a few times but overall, I thought we played well and we could easily have nicked the winner in the end. The draw isn’t the worst result in the world.”