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Harry Kane and Son Heung-min link up again to help Spurs see off battling Burnley

mike mcgrath
·21 min read
 Son Heung-min celebrates scoring Tottenham's first goal with Harry Kane, who assisted - Pool via REUTERS
Son Heung-min celebrates scoring Tottenham's first goal with Harry Kane, who assisted - Pool via REUTERS

It will be Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son at the heart of Tottenham Hotspur’s title bid should they mount a challenge in this season of surprises.

Spurs’ deadly duo are providing the only predictability at a time when usual rules do not apply, setting one another up here for a ninth time in the current campaign. They have combined for 29 Premier League goals in total, a tally only bettered by Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard at Chelsea.

In this game Kane was the provider, teeing up his partner for a diving-headed winner when it looked like Jose Mourinho would drop more points against a team wearing claret. This was a response to last weekend’s collapse when they threw away a three-goal lead against West Ham United.

Mourinho famously told his players he wanted them to be nastier when he was filmed in the dressing room by Amazon, and here his side battled their way to a victory. Perhaps the type of hard-fought win that title challenges are built on.

“We know with the team we have got and the players we have got we can do something special,” said Kane.

With Kane and Son combining like this, it is no wonder they have been labelled as dark horses for the title. They are up to fifth and within sight of those at the top who have taken advantage of the disfigured season. Their understanding has been built over five years and Mourinho says it is part work, part friendship.

“They played together for quite a long time,” said Mourinho. “They were in the team that is different from this team but they played together for a long time and that gives a good understanding.

“The way we are trying to play goes in the direction of their qualities. They are enjoying it. They are very good friends which I think is very important when you have top players the team -  there are no egos.”

The winner came at the end of a passage of play when Kane showed why he is considered a better all-round player this season. Three minutes earlier he was clearing off his own line, preventing James Tarkowski scoring a Burnley opener, then he was at the other end heading a corner to set up Son for the winner.

“I think it’s having more understanding when I'm dropping deep for him to run in behind,” Kane said. “It is just confidence as well. When you are playing well you just want the next games to come.

“I think we are at a stage where we have been so close for so many years, a lot of us have been together for four or five years.”

Before the winner it was Burnley who had the better of the chances. In fact, it was the first time this season that Spurs had not registered a shot on goal in the first half of a match. But Hugo Lloris was equal to efforts from Johann Gudmundsson and Ashley Westwood, then Son took advantage when his rare chance was set up by Kane.

There could be more to come from Spurs too. Mourinho had expected a battle and his prediction came true in the form of Toby Alderweireld wearing a Terry Butcher-style head bandage for most of the game.

Toby Alderweireld - Bradley Ormesher NMCPool
Toby Alderweireld - Bradley Ormesher NMCPool

Gareth Bale, Carlos Vinicius and Sergio Reguilon, Spurs’ late summer signings, were all unused substitutes and there was no place in the squad at all for Dele Alli.

Mourinho may have stopped short of declaring a title challenge but he says it is a new mentality where his team are looking for victories at places like Turf Moor.

“We were a team suffering together after West Ham,” he said. “All the ingredients to lose points in this match unless you want very, very much to win and when you have that you can do something special.

“This is something special, a change of mentality, of philosophy. This was the kind of match I knew. I know Sean (Dyche), I know Burnley and I know we couldn’t play the way we like to play. It was three very important points for us.”

Mourinho revealed that Dele is now in the frame for the Europa League clash against Royal Antwerp on Thursday.

“I feel very bad for Dele,” said Mourinho. “I feel even sad I have to write a list of players selected for a game. It is not just about Dele. But if the players understand that Thursday we have another match and some who didn’t play will play on Thursday and vice versa, this is the life of a big club.

“I know this from Inter and Chelsea and Real Madrid. Winks and Davinson are in the stands. Dele stayed at home. Bergwijn an injury. It is the kind of squad where little injuries we don’t need to risk. Next match if not Dele it will be another one and another one. It hurts me.”

Sean Dyche, who celebrates eight years in charge this week, remains in the bottom three without a win this season but there were signs of encouragement. “There has to be a show of performance level that you can win games and we know if we play like that over a season we will get points on the board,” he said.

10:17 PM

Jose Mourinho

“The match was exactly what I was expecting. I know Sean and the difficulties he can bring to the best attacking teams. He is very clever. He plays with what he has, and gave us a very difficult match. Congratulations to him and his boys.

"Michael Oliver was excellent. He was always in control. He didn't need to give a red card to Barnes, that would create a completely different game.

"My players didn't play the quality football that we want, but that was because of Burnley not because of us.

"It was the kind of match where if you take too many risks you can lose it. When you lose aerial power against Burnley then it is a risk. Harry Kane scored an amazing goal in the box for us [he jokes] - when he did that header.

"Great team spirit, I am very happy."

"Kane and Son's understanding comes also from Mauricio, so I cannot take all the credit. Harry used to be a 9, 999. They are two top players, good friends, no jealousy. Two great players. Two great boys."

10:14 PM

Harry Kane.

is asked if his deeper role is his own evolution or a diktat from the manager.

"It's a bit of both. When the gaffer came in he told us there's no point in me coming deep if people aren't running on beyond. But we've got pace outside so it works

09:57 PM

Full time: Burnley 0 Spurs 1

Spurs were not very impressive there, in all honesty. But with Kane and Son in the side there was always a chance of a bit of magic link up play, and that's what happened when Harry headed it to Heung-Min for a header at a corner. Talking of headers, Harry Kane had made a vital defensive intervention on his own line with the ole noggin. Sean Dyche was raging at the end at the injustice of it all. He might have half a point. Burnley probably deserved one whole point all in all. Anyway, I'm sure my colleague Mike McGrath will take in all of that in his match report, which I will put up here right away.

09:54 PM

90+ mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 1

Both benches are generating a right good racket, Burnley having a good go but not really causing all that much trouble and the ref eventually brings to an end a largely forgettable encounter.

09:50 PM

89 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 1

Lamela slides in on his fellow 11 McNeill. Both feet in the air. That deserves some punishment but he gets away with it. Oddly forgiving refereeing performance tonight - we've had several challenges that another ref might have booked.

09:47 PM

That is some partnership!

Son and Kane have teamed up for 29 goals. Only the Drogba-Lampard axis at Chelsea begat more goals, 36. 

09:46 PM

86 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 1

Burnley have a couple of set pieces but don't put Spurs / Lloris under enough pressure from them. poor delivery. Yes, that bellow of rage and frustration ringing around an empty Turf Moor is indeed Sean Dyche.

09:42 PM

82 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 1

Lo Celso again in the action. Spurs are looking like  a different side now. Keeping the ball, making Burnley chase shadows, and then starting direct and sharp attacks at well-chosen moments.

09:39 PM

79 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 1

Long fouls Son, and is booked. Freekick is hard to clear for Burnley and eventually it's Lo Celso who has the header, but straight at Pope.

09:38 PM

78mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 1

Mourinho takes off Ndombele and brings on Lo Celso.

09:36 PM

GOAL! Burnley 0 Spurs 1 (Son 76)

I said earlier about Kanes's superb reactions at the Spurs end, and now Spurs have produced a bit of headed magic at the other end. The corner comes in, Kane heads it at goal but Son's reactions and sharpness are world class here as he calculates the trajectory and then gets in the right place, working out also the perfect spot to nod it past Pope. Just superb.

09:34 PM

74 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Ndombele with a super through ball, Son is onto it but Long makes an excellent covering tackle. Son should have shot sooner. Try saying that after a long night.

09:31 PM

72 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Corner for Burnley.... Harry Kane has headed it off the line. Brilliant piece of defence to deny Tarkowski. That is a magnificent defensive header from the England skipper. My word. Best thing about a largely poor game.

09:30 PM

70 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Eric Dier the latest Spurs defender to play silly blighters and he looks to have flicked the ball straight into the path of the breaking Chris Wood. ooh, lucky for Dier - that hit Wood on the elbow and the whistle saves Dier.

09:27 PM

67 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Westwood with a good curling cross from the right wing, Chris Wood tries an acrobatic effort but it never looked like his metier and that's not troubling the scorers.

09:25 PM

66 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Kane trying to wriggle his way through but good solid defending again from Burnley, albeit at the expense of a corner. Barnes clears that with ease.

09:23 PM

63 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

This is more like it from Spurs, Doherty slips it to Son whose movement is excellent as he glides into the inside right channel. But pretty well defended all told from Burnley.

09:20 PM

60 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Bale has been warming up on the sidelines. But it is Erik Lamela on for Lucas Moura. I thought I detected a very quick shot of the Double Teapot from Bale there.

09:16 PM

57 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Burnley look every bit as effective as Spurs so far and have a dangerous corner here.  James Tarkowski has an excellent opportunity with the free header but times his jump poorly. That could and arguably should have been 1-0 to the hosts. 

09:12 PM

53 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Hopeful ball at Harry Kane, he artfully shoves Lowton at the right moment and looks through but the ref has spotted the infraction. 

09:09 PM

49 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Davies is on a 4 here. Gives it away again. Josh Brownhill of Burnley seizes on it but drags the shot wide.

09:06 PM

46 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Both sides with some artillery barrages to start the first half. Boot boot boot.

09:04 PM

Players back out for the second half

It's Spurs who kick off. They have won every match on the road this season - can Burnley put an  end to that record?

08:51 PM

Half time: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Burnley are solid at the back and they are pressing hard and eager at the front, causing a rather sluggish and self-indulgent Spurs back line problems. Tottenham's attacking riches have been dulled though and albeit that the visitors have had more of the ball, in terms of shots on target, it is the hosts who have done more.

Spurs could very well pinch it with a moment of individual class of course but at the moment Burnley are doing fine.

08:47 PM

44 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Burnley break, and here's Gudmundsson. That's not a bad effort at all, a decent low shot that Lloris has to momentarily scramble for. 

Two daisycutter shots so far and it looked to me that Lloris was a bit arthriticky getting down to them.

08:45 PM

42 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Spurs have been really disappointing so far. A so-so corner is their latest burnt offering.

Kane tries to burst through the packed ranks and hits the deck in the box but nobody is buying that.

08:41 PM

40 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Spurs again over elaborate, Højbjerg this time. He loses it, Johann Gudmundsson curls the ball in and that's sadly not quite close enough to Chris Wood. Spurs sleepwalking a bit here and look ripe for a chinning.

08:39 PM

38 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Good little spell of pressure from Burnley. Ndombele loses out to Brownhill, trying to be too clever. it falls for Westwood, who hits a decent low shot. On target - indeed the first shot on target of the game - but Lloris is down to stop.

08:36 PM

35 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

A foul outside the Spurs box. Moura batters into the back of Brownhill. Not a pleasant sentence, not a pleasant experience for Brownhill.

Brownhill himself tries his luck with the freekick but... no. Just no.

08:35 PM

32 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Ndombele with some wonderful skill down by the corner flag but then tries a frankly silly shot from an impossible angle, with colleagues much better spaced. 

Spurs on top, more or less, but they haven't really threatened the Pope goal. In fact, only Pope has caused Pope any problems.

08:31 PM

28 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Spurs are manouvering Burnley around well, like a skilled boxer opening up angles, shifting a lumpen opponent around the ring, cutting off the space. To continue the metaphor, Burnley carry a puncher's threat on the break here and it looks like Barnes has run into the inside right channel and space until an offside flag curtails progress.

08:28 PM

25 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Davies needs extra crossing drills I reckon. That's another wasted ball in. Kane, NB, was nowhere near getting in the area, he was hanging well back.

08:24 PM

21 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

That is very poor from Burnley. Pope tries to overdo it, then tries to hack it clear. He's just not cleared that well at all. He's kicked it straight to Son and Pope's defensive colleague Lawton has to manhandle Son to stop him having a crack at goal.

Spurs, specifically Davies, waste the freekick.

Pope owes Lawton a pint of whatever it is he drinks. Engine oil, possibly. I would saw Lawton was quite lucky not to go in the book there, he was clearly trying to impede Son from having a good goalscoring chance.

08:21 PM

Burnley have it in the net!

But it looks offside. Spurs play it out, and then they clear out. Burnley have a least three guys offside, Barnes sweeps it into the net but that high Tottenham defensive line has done an excellent job there and it's clearly offside.

08:20 PM

18 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Kane with some classy hold up play and sends Son onwards but the great Korean's touch, for once, is a bit off and the Burnley defenders can shut it down.

08:16 PM

15 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Good interplay from the Burn front two, Wood sending Barnes onto it, he has a gallop and a shot, but does not get it right.

08:14 PM

14 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Toby A taken to the sidelines but seems okay enough to carry on. Three, maybe four minutes of stoppage there.

08:13 PM

11 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Take that, Poirot/Tintin/Trappist beer. Ashley Barnes leaps for the ball, leading with his arm, giving Toby Alderweireld a good solid smash in the puss. 

There's some claret coming out of Toby.

Does not look like VAR VAR VAR is going to get involved. The Belgian back is getting a bandage around his head.

08:11 PM

10 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Son looking lively, he's taking up some dangerous positions and ghosting in between lines well.

08:10 PM

8 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Moura onto a long ball and gets a shot of sorts on target. Pope gathers.

08:08 PM

6 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Pretty boilerplate Burnley attack but none the less threatening for that. Bustle down the flanks, stick it in the mixer.  Gudmundsson heads it back in, Wood lets Lloris know he's there. Ref finds in favour of the French keeper.

08:05 PM

4 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Alderweireld with a long ball, Kane gets in between Tarkowski and Long. He tries to lob the keeper but not from that angle. Those centre backs want to think about how they let him get in between though.

Teams

Burnley: Pope, Lowton, Long, Tarkowski, Taylor, Gudmundsson, Westwood, Brownhill, McNeil, Barnes, Wood. Subs: Brady, Peacock-Farrell, Stephens, Rodriguez, Vydra, Dunne, Benson.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Doherty, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies, Sissoko, Hojbjerg, Lucas Moura, Ndombele, Son, Kane. Subs: Reguilon, Bale, Lamela, Hart, Rodon, Lo Celso, Vinicius.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)

08:02 PM

2 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Early involvement for child referee Michael Oliver as he books Josh Brownhill for rugby tackling Tanguy Ndombele.

The freekick comes to naught. 

08:01 PM

1 mins: Burnley 0 Spurs 0

Here are the Burnley men with first use of the ball, pumped up to Matt Lowton but too high and he nearly comes a cropper slipping off over the sideline and down a rather sharp grass bank!

08:00 PM

Joe Hart

and Gareth Bale having a nice chat in the stands. God it's a brilliant life, isn't it? I think I'd almost rather be a squad member than a player. More money than you can spend and never have to do much, next to no pressure.

07:58 PM

Looks like Spurs

will use their back four, and then that formidable attacking triumverate of Moura, Son and of course Kane.

07:56 PM

Here are the players

Spurs out first, lined up, eyeballing the Burnley boys as they stride out.

07:55 PM

G Nev on G Bale

"Maybe they are easing Bale back into it, but he has to get in the team soon. Maybe not Burnley on a Monday night?"

07:53 PM

The players are ready

It looks quite bracing out there tonight. I guess we're all a bit beyond talking about English virtues and all that these days but I guess it's the conditions that Burnley might cope well with.

07:50 PM

Mourinho

has picked some of his beefier boys at the back, as you would do if you were facing a front two of Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes.

07:28 PM

Sean Dyche

"Performances are the key, because if you perform well you get that paid back over the season. We have to do well in both boxes, set pieces are important for us."

"Since lockdown there has been a lot of noise off the pitch, a lot of noise about what we can do on the pitch in terms of recruitment and finance. But the players are still working hard, we’ve never been short of a work ethic."

He'll be hoping that the change in the scoring patterns in the League come through tonight as well. It was 3.6 goals per game in the first five match weekends, but only 2 goals a game so far over the last coupla days.

Wonder if he thinks he needs some new bodies around the place. And if there will be cash in Jan.

07:20 PM

Talking of Kane

He has four goals in his last two trips here.

07:12 PM

Jose Mourinho

"Injuries make a big difference. The last time we played here it was really, really difficult for us.

"Now, we have more players. Better players. More time to work. A different style. But one thing that does not change is that it is difficult to play Burnley in his stadium."

On Kane, who has five goals and seven assists, and has been extra impressive coming deep for the ball.

"Harry is Harry. He is not the sort of striker who has to score to play well. He is a fantastic footballer as well as a goalscorer. We try to give players things that make them happy, and I think he is happy with what he is doing. he has great experience, great understanding of the game.

"Every match has a different strategy but we try not to lose our DNA. Some of the boys have played together a long time.

"If someone is waiting for four, five, six I do not think it will be tonight."

07:08 PM

It's 8 years this week

that Dyche took over at Turf Moor, in Premier Leage manager terms that's a lifetime. Or three. Looks like is naming a 442 this evening, a solid back four for him.

For Spurs, Doherty, Dier and Davies come back in. Looks a more formidable defensive line up for them too than of late.

07:02 PM

It's wet, cold

and windy in Lancs.

07:02 PM

Three changes for Spurs

Dier comes back into the defence for Spurs.

07:01 PM

Teams

Burnley: Pope, Lowton, Long, Tarkowski, Taylor, Gudmundsson, Westwood, Brownhill, McNeil, Barnes, Wood. Subs: Brady, Peacock-Farrell, Stephens, Rodriguez, Vydra, Dunne, Benson.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Doherty, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies, Sissoko, Hojbjerg, Lucas Moura, Ndombele, Son, Kane. Subs: Reguilon, Bale, Lamela, Hart, Rodon, Lo Celso, Vinicius.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)

07:00 PM

Monday night football then

Should be an open game, I hope. Spurs certainly in the goalscoring groove. Team news coming up...

06:45 PM

Good evening

The first Monday after the clocks go back, it's been dark for about 12 hours before kick off, but let's gather round the warming fires of Monday Night Football and savour a clash of managerial philosophies and approaches to life as Tottingham's Jose Mourinho takes his talented side to Burnley, whose granite-tough manager Sean Dyche will be drawing on all his famous reserves of toughness as he attempts to weather a gathering storm in Lancashire.

Burnley have played four, lost three so far this season and are still searching for their first win. The club have done brilliantly under Dyche since coming back up after some yo-yo years. They were promoted as Champions after the 2015-2016 season and have stayed in the top flight ever since. With a capacity of under 22,000, it has been a fine effort. But like so many clubs of their size, it's all about survival in the PL and Dyche will expect no sentimentality if they don't start winning soon.

Whether that will be against Spurs is doubtful. The North Londoners have had two thumping wins away from home in the League this season, the 2-5 against Southampton and then the 1-6 at Old Trafford that will live long in the memories of us all. They've also been rattling the goals in on their Continental travels. One thing Dyche will surely note though is that they managed to let slip a three goal lead at home to West Ham the other day. Like much about this season so far, it'd be a brave viewer who made too certain a prediction.

While we wait for kick off at 8pm, and team news at 7pm, have a read of this.

How Harry Kane became the best passer in England