Football: Kane destroys Stoke with quick-fire treble

Harry Kane's hat-trick inside the first 23 minutes at White Hart Lane blasted Stoke on to the back foot. Photo / AP

Another Sunday lunchtime in London, another hat-trick for Harry Kane. One week on from an FA Cup treble at Fulham and Tottenham's goal hero feasted on three more to crush Stoke.

Spurs have smashed a dozen goals past Mark Hughes's team in their last three encounters.

Kane has half of them, and three inside 23 first-half minutes at White Hart Lane unleashed another barrage of statistics about his phenomenal strike-rate.

Among them, the fact that he is the first Tottenham player since Jimmy Greaves in 1969 to break the 20-goal barrier in three successive seasons, a return which puts the 23-year-old well on the way to legendary status.

"He is one of the best in the world," said manager Mauricio Pochettino. "With big potential. He can still improve. His mentality is the best.

"Maybe he's starting to be a legend already with the goals and the way he behaves. He is so professional. He has the perfect profile to be a legend here.

"Sometimes he argues with me. Sometimes he's upset with me. Sometimes he's happy. He's a strong character, a top man. He deserves it."

This easy win was Tottenham's eighth successive Premier League home victory, equalling a club record set in 2009.

With it, they moved back into second 10 points behind leaders Chelsea, still on course for a swift return to the Champions League and a chance to atone for the risible European campaign which ended meekly against Gent at Wembley last week.

Concerns about centre halves Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, replaced early in the second half, were eased by Pochettino, who said both should be fit to face Everton on Sunday.

With his team 4-0 up, there was no sense in taking chances. Dele Alli grabbed the fourth at the end of the first half, a goal set up by Kane, to prove there is a team ethic to go with his relentless quest for goals.

His treble took his haul for the season to 22 and was a third hat-trick in nine games and his sixth in total. Daily Mail