Spurs up to second as Kane treble crushes Stoke

LONDON: Harry Kane hit a first-half hat-trick as Tottenham stormed up to second in the Premier League with a 4-0 home demolition of Stoke on Sunday.

Kane’s treble took his tally to 17 league goals this season, while his first of the day at White Hart Lane was his 100th club goal.

The England forward, 23, who also scored three against Fulham in the FA Cup a week ago, capped an outstanding all-round display by setting up Dele Alli for the fourth.

That helped Alli to draw a line under his dismissal against Gent that contributed to Spurs’ Europa League exit on Thursday.

Tottenham’s victory took them above Manchester City and closed the gap on runaway leaders Chelsea to 10 points.

The damaging failure to beat Gent marked the latest disappointment for Spurs in a frustrating month that also saw their title challenge fade significantly.

The challenge confronting Mauricio Pochettino’s side was to produce a performance and result that would help put the midweek embarrassment behind them.

It quickly became clear this game would provide the ideal platform for Spurs and Alli to redeem themselves after a testing 72 hours of soul-searching.

Within three minutes, Christian Eriksen had flashed a shot across the face of goal, provoking an angry reaction from Pochettino, who was infuriated at the Dane’s failure to pick out a better-placed teammate.

The manager need not have worried. Stoke could barely manage to rouse themselves and after Joe Allen hit the side netting for the visitors, Kane produced the 14th-minute opening goal that put the home side firmly in control.

On Saturday, Chelsea extended their lead at the top of the Premier League as Pedro inspired a 3-1 win over Swansea, while Leicester’s gloom deepened as the troubled champions plunged into the relegation zone.

Antonio Conte’s leaders won for the 17th time in their last 20 league games to push them a step closer to the title.

Cesc Fabregas, restored to the team in place of Nemanja Matic, was making his 300th Premier League appearance and the former Arsenal star marked the milestone in the 19th minute with his 46th goal in the competition.

Picked out inside the penalty area by Pedro’s cut-back, Fabregas nimbly adjusted his stride before clipping his shot past Lukasz Fabianski.

Despite being outplayed for much of the first half, Swansea snatched an equaliser seconds before the interval at Stamford Bridge.

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s long free-kick caught the Blues napping and Spanish striker Fernando Llorente rose to head powerfully beyond Thibaut Courtois.

But Chelsea’s dominance was rewarded in the 72nd minute when Pedro’s routine long-range effort slipped past a weak attempted stop by Fabianski.

Diego Costa wrapped up the points when he finished off Eden Hazard’s pass in the 84th minute for his 17th goal of the season.

But there was bad news for the malcontents from Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace’s 1-0 win over Middlesbrough left Leicester one point from safety in 18th place.

Palace had lost six of their last seven league games and their previous five league fixtures at Selhurst Park all ended in defeat.

But Sam Allardyce’s side climbed above Leicester thanks to Patrick van Aanholt, who notched his first goal for Palace since his January move from Sunderland with a cool finish from the edge of the area in the 34th minute.

Middlesbrough are without a win in nine league games and lie one point above the bottom three.

Everton pushed their former manager David Moyes closer to relegation with a 2-0 win over bottom of the table Sunderland at Goodison Park.

Ronald Koeman’s team went ahead when Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye fired into the roof of the net in the 40th minute.

Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku sealed the points for seventh-placed Everton in the 80th minute to leave Sunderland three points from safety.

Watford forward Mauro Zarate was taken to hospital for scans on a serious knee injury during his side’s 1-1 draw with 10-man West Ham.

The Hornets took the lead through Troy Deeney’s third-minute penalty after Cheikhou Kouyate’s foul on Zarate.

But Zarate was stretchered off with his right leg heavily strapped and an oxygen mask over the Argentine’s face after lengthy treatment in first half stoppage-time.

There was more anguish for Watford in the 73rd minute when West Ham substitute Andre Ayew equalised from close-range, before Hammers winger Michail Antonio was sent off for a second booking in the closing moments.

Hull missed a chance to climb out of the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw against Burnley at the KCOM Stadium.

Bournemouth are just five points above the relegation zone after losing 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion.