24 June,2020 08:33 AM IST | London | AFP
Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane (right) shoots past West Ham United midfielder Pablo Fornals during their English Premier League encounter in London on Tuesday. Pic/AFP
Harry Kane believes he is as fit as he has ever been after netting his first goal of 2020 as Tottenham kickstarted their challenge for a Champions League place next season with a 2-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday. The England captain looked far more like his old self after a laboured performance in his first appearance for six months against Manchester United on Friday, and was rewarded with a goal eight minutes from time.
"I'm in good shape. I've been working very hard through my rehab, lockdown and training. I feel as fit as I probably ever have done before," said Kane, who had surgery on a hamstring injury prior to the shutdown due to COVID-19. "When you've been out for six months it is just getting that feeling back on the pitch. You can train as much as you want but being out here is different." Tomas Soucek's own goal had opened the scoring as West Ham remain precariously poised outside the relegation zone only on goal difference.
Jose Mourinho's men were worthy of a first win in eight games dating back to February. Victory takes Spurs to within six points of the top four and within one of Manchester United in fifth. Should Manchester City's appeal against a two-season ban from European competitions not prove successful, fifth would be good enough to qualify for the 2020-21 Champions League.
"I am happy with the result, the clean sheet, it means the team is more solid, the players have less doubts," said Mourinho. In keeping with many of the 14 games since the EPL's restart seven days ago, this was another slow burner as Spurs took time to start picking holes in West Ham's rearguard. Son Heung-min thought he had broken the deadlock on the stroke of half-time, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.
Moyes's men were undone by one of their own when Soucek turned a corner into his own net. The visitors had to alter their gameplan of containing Tottenham to look for an equaliser. But in doing so, they left themselves exposed at the back and Kane timed his run perfectly from a Son pass before slotting past Fabianski.
"I should have scored one other but it was nice to put that one away," added Kane. "As a striker it's what you want
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to do. You want to score goals and want to help win the games."
