Harry Kane is a man in form, despite flattering to deceive against Bournemouth, and Tottenham need him now more than ever.
Tottenham Hotspur finally won a Premier League game at Wembley on Saturday with the 1-0 defeat of Bournemouth.
While Mauricio Pochettino will be delighted to put that miserable home streak behind him, he will be aware that it was far from a convincing Spurs performance.
Harry Kane, who scored 13 times for club and country in September, failed to find the target and passed up numerous big opportunities as Christian Eriksen proved Tottenham’s hero.
Of course, Kane is allowed the occasional off day – and it may suit Pochettino’s men that it occurred in this game, as they must be at their best on a consistent basis over the next six weeks.
Spurs’ next eight games in all competitions comprise of three Champions League clashes, as they face Real Madrid twice and Borussia Dortmund, meetings with Liverpool and Manchester United and three London derbies – including a trip to Arsenal.
This is the most pivotal stretch of Tottenham’s season and, while they are not “the Harry Kane team” as Pep Guardiola suggested – reported by Sky Sports – with a number of other stars, their England international forward is the key man and they need him to deliver.
If Kane can repeat his stunning September in the coming weeks, Spurs could emerge from that spell very much in a title race, while also through to the Champions League knockout stages and the last eight of the League Cup.
Should Tottenham and Kane struggle for goals, though, their season could be all but over before Christmas.
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