Tottenham striker Heung-Min Son scored a hat-trick to help Spurs go three points clear of Arsenal in the race for fourth with a clinical 4-0 win away to Aston Villa.
Goals early in each half from Son and Dejan Kulusevski put Antonio Conte’s team in control, before the hat-trick hero added two more on the break to seal an emphatic victory.
Villa had plenty of chances in the first half as they peppered Hugo Lloris’ goal with shots but, roared on by their fans, they could not take any of their opportunities. It was the difference.
Arsenal’s surprise home defeat to Brighton earlier in the day meant Spurs had remained fourth at kick-off and the victory means they are now in a strong position to secure Champions League football.
For Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa, the mood is rather different. This result – a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat and the worst of the lot – leaves them in the bottom half of the table.
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Tottenham’s players appeared buoyed by the shock news from the Emirates Stadium and they took that momentum into the game when they went ahead inside three minutes.
Harry Kane’s shot was going wide but bounced kindly off Matty Cash and Son lashed the ball low into the corner with his left foot. By the end of the day, he would have 17 Premier League goals.
That might have dented Villa’s confidence having lost their previous three games but instead, they tore into Tottenham, firing off no fewer than 14 shots in the opening 45 minutes.
Hugo Lloris did brilliantly to keep out Jacob Ramsey’s effort – one of seven saves before the break – although Danny Ings did not even test him when dragging his close-range attempt wide.
Spurs, who lost Matt Doherty to injury early in the game, defended stoically throughout that first half against a Villa side that briefly looked to be better balanced with Douglas Luiz back in the centre of midfield.
But the contrast in finishing was underlined in the second half when Kane put through Kulusevski and the Sweden international deposited the ball in the bottom corner of the net.
Kane’s awareness was on display again for the third goal – cleverly flicking the ball through with his head to put Son in on goal for another left-footed finish. But the best was to come.
Son threaded a pass through to Kulusevski, the Swede drew the defenders towards him, and he then picked out the Korean near the penalty spot to allow him to complete his hat-trick.
It was a masterclass in precision finishing. Against a team who needed the lesson.
