Daily Times

LONDON: By the time Harry Kane entered the fray at White Hart Lane on Saturday – returning from a three-week injury lay-off – Tottenham’s victory was already ascertained.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men had fired four past their London rivals Watford who, just four days prior, had impressed at home against a notoriously stubborn West Brom side.

It was a rounded and dynamic performance from Tottenham, with every white shirt dancing to the beat of the same drum – one that has been fastidiously orchestrated by Pochettino these past few weeks as Spurs continue to chase Chelsea.

If the win at the Liberty Stadium had demonstrated Tottenham’s mental “character” – as the Argentine had said – Saturday’s victory reaffirmed the togetherness that now underpins the side.

That Tottenham have scored 17 goals from their last five games, without Kane in the equation, bears testament to the load of responsibility that is now being shared across the entirety of the team.

From man-of-the match Kevin Trippier to the effervescent Son Heung-Min, Tottenham’s players demonstrated on Saturday their ability to function as what Pochettino calls a “collective unit”.

But no-one has blossomed under the aura of their own talent more than Dele Alli this season.

Firing home a delicious curled effort to open the scoring on Saturday, the 20-year-old’s performance was yet another reminder of how much the player has matured.