

Harry Kane believes both he and attacking partner Son Heung-min are entering the prime of their careers after their goals helped Tottenham overcome arch-rivals Arsenal and return to the top of the Premier League table.
The deadly double act were at the heart of another impressive win and both were on the scoresheet as Jose Mourinho’s side took control of the game by the interval.
Son, 28, and Kane, who is a year younger, have now combined for 31 Premier League goals, the second most of any duo behind former Chelsea players Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard (36).
Eleven of those goals have come in this campaign and Kane told Sky Sports: “We’re both at an age now where we’re coming into maybe in our prime in terms of understanding the game and understanding each other.
“When I’m passing him through and he’s cutting inside and whipping them into the top bins it is an easy game for me.”
Mourinho hailed the pair as “world class” and once again highlighted their strong work ethic.
“Kane clearing balls in the box, Sonny for the first 60 minutes as a winger and then a second striker – it is not just about scoring goals and being world-class players,” he said. “It is about being great guys and doing your best for the team.”
Spurs fans were back inside their vast stadium for the first time in 277 days and were celebrating after only 13 minutes when Son took Kane’s pass, advancing on the retreating Arsenal defence before curling a magnificent right-foot finish beyond diving Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno from 25 yards.
Arsenal dominated possession in the first half but it was Spurs who had the ruthless, clinical edge as they caught the Gunners on the break in stoppage time, Son repaying the compliment by playing in Kane for an unstoppable finish off the underside of the crossbar for his 11th north London derby goal and the 250th of his career for clubs and country.
Mikel Arteta’s side, who lost Thomas Partey to injury right on half-time, showed a little more threat after the break but Spurs closed out the win with relative ease to return to the Premier League summit.
Tottenham have that title look
In a season which has already had many twists and turns, the consistency, clinical approach and relentless efficiency of Spurs under manager Jose Mourinho means they carry all the hallmarks of a side who will have a big say in the Premier League title race.
It would be hugely premature to suggest this is the Spurs team who will end the wait for a title that will stretch back 60 years by the end of this season, but Mourinho is a manager who knows how it is done, has been successful over the course and distance with Chelsea and is presiding over the development of a seriously impressive squad.
Spurs did a comprehensive job on Arsenal in the same manner as they overcame the likes of Manchester City here recently, showing a brilliance in front of goal backed up by the sort of mean-spirited defensive organisation that is the Mourinho trademark.
They have undoubted world class in attack, as Son and Kane proved once more, combining with each other to lethal effect as both creators and scorers.
Once again there was no need for Mourinho to employ the services of Gareth Bale, who contented himself with regular warm-ups to the acclaim of the 2,000 Spurs fans who were able to see him in person for the first time since his loan move from Real Madrid.
Spurs are bursting with confidence and that superb attack allied to a concrete-clad defence is a very potent combination, with summer signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg absolutely outstanding as the sentry between defence and attack.
Mourinho again played down Tottenham’s title chances, but conceded that the team was in a good position.
“We can lose everywhere in the Premier League, we can go to any team and lose, any team can come here and beat us,” he said.
“Of course people could expect this past three matches [against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal], three or four points or six and lose one. We did seven [points], we didn’t concede one goal against phenomenal teams.
“We are top of the league for one more week, which is good fun.”
Arsenal’s misery continues
Arsenal languish in 15th place in the Premier League after this north London derby defeat which exposed them as lacking in threat and currently well adrift of their fiercest adversaries.
The Gunners are 11 points adrift of Spurs and there was no evidence here to suggest this gap will be closing any time soon.
Arteta’s side had 62% possession in the first half but were caught out on the break twice by Son and Kane, surely a danger he had warned his players about in advance.
Arteta almost sprinted along the touchline in anxiety as Son advanced for Spurs’ first goal, showing more urgency than his defence as they stood off and allowed this world-class operator to deliver a superb finish.
Arsenal were slightly more of a threat after the break but Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris only needed to make two routine saves and one of Arteta’s biggest concerns will be the form of his biggest names.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was anonymous, as he has been most of the time since signing his new contract, while 32-year-old Willian, secured on a highly expensive deal from Chelsea in the summer, looked a spent force as he was easily outmuscled on many occasions.
It is early days for Arteta – and he has an FA Cup win as insurance – but this sixth defeat of the season demonstrated again the scale of his task and how far away Arsenal currently are from challenging at the top end of the table.

Player of the match
KaneHarry Kane
Tottenham Hotspur
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Squad number10Player nameKane
Average rating8.44
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Squad number7Player nameSon Heung-Min
Average rating8.43
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Squad number5Player nameHøjbjerg
Average rating8.39
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Squad number4Player nameAlderweireld
Average rating7.90
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Squad number15Player nameDier
Average rating7.68
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Squad number17Player nameSissoko
Average rating7.64
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Squad number24Player nameAurier
Average rating7.54
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Squad number1Player nameLloris
Average rating7.54
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Squad number3Player nameReguilón
Average rating7.53
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Squad number23Player nameBergwijn
Average rating7.36
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Squad number18Player nameLo Celso
Average rating7.11
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Squad number33Player nameDavies
Average rating6.78
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Squad number27Player nameLucas Moura
Average rating6.76
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Squad number14Player nameRodon
Average rating6.71
Arsenal
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Squad number3Player nameTierney
Average rating4.73
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Squad number6Player nameGabriel Magalhães
Average rating4.22
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Squad number7Player nameSaka
Average rating4.14
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Squad number8Player nameDani Ceballos
Average rating3.96
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Squad number9Player nameLacazette
Average rating3.94
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Squad number1Player nameLeno
Average rating3.80
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Squad number16Player nameHolding
Average rating3.62
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Squad number18Player namePartey
Average rating3.54
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Squad number12Player nameWillian
Average rating3.53
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Squad number30Player nameNketiah
Average rating3.50
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Squad number2Player nameBellerín
Average rating3.36
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Squad number34Player nameXhaka
Average rating3.08
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Squad number14Player nameAubameyang
Average rating3.06
More records for Kane – the stats
- Spurs have won consecutive Premier League north London derbies for just the third time, after December 1992 and May 1993, and April 2010 and November 2010.
- Mikel Arteta is just the second Arsenal manager to lose each of his first two north London derbies after Bertie Mee in 1966-67.
- Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has taken charge of more home games in all competitions without defeat against Arsenal than he has versus any other side (11 – W7 D4).
- Arsenal have earned just 13 points from 11 league games this season, their lowest return at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1981-82 (12 points).
- This was the 11th time a Mourinho side has had 35% possession or lower in a Premier League match, with the Tottenham manager winning nine of those matches (D1 L1).
- Harry Kane scored his 250th goal in his senior career for club and country – 202 for current club Spurs, 32 for England, nine for Millwall, five for Leyton Orient and two for Leicester City.
- Kane has now scored 11 goals in north London derbies, the most of any player in the fixture’s history, overtaking Emmanuel Adebayor and Bobby Smith.
- Kane assisted his 10th Premier League goal of the season in just 11 games; no player has ever reached 10 assists in fewer appearances from the start of a campaign in the competition (level with Mesut Ozil in 2015-16).
Line-ups
Tottenham
- 1Lloris
- 24Aurier
- 4Alderweireld
- 15Dier
- 3Reguilón
- 17Sissoko
- 5Højbjerg
- 23BergwijnSubstituted forRodonat 90+1′minutes
- 18Lo CelsoBooked at 41minsSubstituted forDaviesat 72′minutes
- 7Son Heung-MinSubstituted forLucas Mouraat 88′minutes
- 10Kane
Substitutes
- 8Winks
- 9Bale
- 12Hart
- 14Rodon
- 27Lucas Moura
- 33Davies
- 45Alves Morais
Arsenal
- 1Leno
- 2BellerínSubstituted forNketiahat 75′minutes
- 16Holding
- 6Gabriel
- 3Tierney
- 12Willian
- 18ParteySubstituted forCeballosat 45+2′minutes
- 34XhakaBooked at 75mins
- 7Saka
- 9LacazetteBooked at 80mins
- 14Aubameyang
Substitutes
- 8Ceballos
- 13Rúnarsson
- 15Maitland-Niles
- 20Mustafi
- 25Elneny
- 28Willock
- 30Nketiah
- Referee:
- Martin Atkinson
- Attendance:
- 2,000
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur 2, Arsenal 0.
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Second Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur 2, Arsenal 0.
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Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Joe Rodon.
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Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Joe Rodon replaces Steven Bergwijn.
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Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur).
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Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Lucas Moura replaces Son Heung-Min.
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Attempt missed. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Eddie Nketiah.
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Attempt blocked. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Alexandre Lacazette.
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Attempt missed. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the right. Assisted by Willian with a cross.
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Attempt missed. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Son Heung-Min with a cross following a set piece situation.
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Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal).
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Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Hand ball by Steven Bergwijn (Tottenham Hotspur).
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Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Serge Aurier.
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Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Serge Aurier.
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Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur).
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Substitution, Arsenal. Eddie Nketiah replaces Héctor Bellerín.
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