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Tottenham have third place in sight after 2-0 win over Watford

By Gary Pearson

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his side's second goal with team mates Ben Davies, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at Wembley Stadium on April 30, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his side's second goal with team mates Ben Davies, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at Wembley Stadium on April 30, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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Harry Kane bagged his 27th of the campaign and Dele Alli scored his first at home since Boxing Day to seal the 2-0 victory against Watford.

The win, their eighth in a row at home versus the Hornets, increased Tottenham’s lead over Chelsea to five points with three matches to play.

The first half lacked the verve and energy we’ve come to expect from Mauricio Pochettino’s side but Spurs remedied that laggard performance with a significantly better display in the second 45.

While coming close to breaking the duck in the first half, Watford have now gone seven consecutive away matches without scoring.

First half

Spurs were gifted the opener in a somewhat subdued and unenterprising first half at Wembley on Monday night. Orestis-Spyridon Karnezis spilled Kieran Trippier’s cross and Christian Eriksen made the most of the gift, touching it to a wide open Dele Alli.

Alli obliged by knocking it easily into the open goal. The 16th minute opener was Alli’s first home goal in 2018, his last coming on Boxing Day in the 5-2 drubbing of Southampton.

A weary, listless Tottenham side showed more signs of laggardness in the 26th minute, when Eric Dier needlessly gave the ball away to former Tottenham man Étienne Capoue. The Frenchman played a perfectly weighted through ball to Andre Gray, whose shot was saved well by compatriot Hugo Lloris.

Gray should have levelled the affair, a disconcerting warning sign for a Spurs side who, at times, looked like they were merely going through the motions.

Richarlison forced an exceptional save from Lloris just before the break after Tottenham once again fell asleep at the wheel. Spurs, had it not been for a gift and a wonderful Lloris save, could have quite easily trailed at the half.

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Two of three remaining Tottenham matches – against Newcastle and Leicester – are at Wembley, with next week’s fixture at the Hawthornes their only away tilt.

The 2-0 win didn’t come by way of a vintage Spurs performance but the result, at this crucial stage of the season, is what matters most.

Tottenham now have third place in their sight. If they run the table in the final three weeks of the 2017-18 season, Spurs will leapfrog Liverpool, only finishing behind the two teams from Manchester.

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