SPORT / MISCELLANY
Spurs on Song
Son, Kane and Bale making a point
Published: Mar 11, 2021 04:53 PM
Harry Kane Photo: VCG

Harry Kane Photo: VCG



"When they get rolling and they've got those players, and you've got Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Bale, if they're all playing well, I don't see how you stop them," said Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson ahead of Spurs playing Crystal Palace last weekend.

The former Arsenal midfielder was right and Roy Hodgson's Palace side had no answer for the Tottenham triumvirate.

By the end of the 4-1 win Bale and Kane had scored twice and there were assists for Kane and for Son.

The stats for the South Korea and England skippers now say that they are record breakers.

Son and Kane have combined to break an English Premier League record that has stood for more than 25 years as the most prolific partnership in a single season.

The Spurs stars have assisted each other to score 14 goals in the league this season, going one better than title winning Blackburn Rovers' duo Chris Sutton and Alan Shearer managed in the 1994-95 season.

There are still 11 games of this Premier League season and the Kane-Son axis will hope to add more goals.

In recent weeks they seem to have been overshadowed by the form of Bale and his dovetailing with the pair.

"The two assists for Bale were unselfishly brilliant," BBC pundit Garth Crooks said after Kane laid on both of the Welshman's brace against Palace, "while his first goal was simply sensational."

"Spurs were too good for Palace on the day, although the visitors did have a moment," the former Spurs and Manchester United midfielder said of Palace drawing level before halftime.

The second half saw Spurs pull away with three more goals to give them three more points in their chase for UEFA Champions League football next season.

"It has taken him some time to get match fit but what an asset Gareth Bale is proving to be.

"His two goals against Crystal Palace, both laid on a plate by Harry Kane, were well taken. However, Wales ­international Bale is finding some form and the net too. Six goals in six games is much more like what you expect.

"The big question now is: can he win a trophy with Spurs? I suddenly fancy Spurs to beat Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final with Bale and Kane in this mood."

More important than a trophy - which would be the first for Spurs since 2008 - is getting a place in the top four in the league.

Next up for them is the small matter of a North London derby against rivals Arsenal this weekend.

The good news for Spurs is that they go into it with their front three firing on all cylinders with Bale pulling his weight now more than at any point since his return to the club on loan from Real Madrid last summer.

"I'm very happy, he is a fantastic player and I'm so happy to work with a player like him," Mourinho said of Bale after the Palace performance.

"Nobody challenged him. We just supported him," the Spurs boss told BBC Sport of Bale's return to form.

"I found psychological scars. When you have a couple of seasons with lots of injuries I think it is not about the muscular scars but the psychological scars - that brings fears and instability.

"There is a moment when you are working very well and everyone around you is giving everything we can give, there is a moment where that psychological barrier has to be broken. And he broke it. It was him, not us. We just supported him."

The Welshman, who had fallen out of favor at Real Madrid and was close to moving to the Chinese Super League at one point, feels he is back to his best after a period when he was left on the Spurs bench too,

"I'm feeling good. A lot of games are coming thick and fast so it's about recovering and getting ready for the next one," he told Spurs TV.

"I wouldn't have come if I didn't think I could contribute. It's taken time but that's the reality of football and my body. I feel good now, hopefully I can keep this form going."

The form has seen him score six in six for Spurs and there was a man of the match performance at Burnley the week before pummeling Palace.

"Yeah, I'm building," Bale told Spurs TV after the Burnley win. "Yeah, it's taken a while, but yeah, I'm happy. I'm growing in confidence, my fitness is getting better and obviously then I think you can see that in my performance."

"It's understandable, it's been a while so I just continue to work hard," he said.

"I've been happy all season. In the dressing room I feel comfortable and I'm having fun. I'm happy and I'm sure it's showing on the pitch. The most important thing is we knew we've not been on a great run and it was important to get back to winning ways."

"Bale is back," was how Spurs announced the return of their former ­talisman upon his loan move from Madrid.

The view is that the real Bale might be back now. He would go some way to proving that with a winning contribution against Arsenal and recement his place in the hearts of the Tottenham Stadium faithful.

Then - with Spurs 10 points clear of Arsenal - the long suffering Spurs fans can start to look toward the Carabao Cup and the hope

The question then is what happens at the end of the season - keep up this form and he will surely return to Spurs permanently, something that would suit all parties.

Until then Spurs fans would be best off drinking in the form of Son, Kane and a resurgent Bale as the trident hits form at the sharp end of the season.