Spurs' Kane grabs 30th goal of season as Man City bounce back

Harry Kane scored his 30th goal of a stunning breakthrough season and 20th in the Premier League as Tottenham Hotspur won 3-1 away to Newcastle United on Sunday.

Victory saw Spurs maintain their push for European football next season against a Newcastle side who are now looking nervously over their shoulders at the relegation zone following a sixth successive league loss.

Earlier, Manchester City strengthened their grip on fourth place with a 2-0 win at home to West Ham, but at the cost of seeing David Silva carried off on a stretcher.

Influential Spanish playmaker Silva was on the receiving end of what appeared an accidental elbow from West Ham's Cheikhou Kouyate midway through the second half and needed lengthy treatment on the field before being taken off amid fears he could miss the rest of the season.

Kane and Manchester City's Sergio Aguero were both on target on Sunday, with the pair the joint top-scorers in England's top-flight this season.

Reigning champions City's hopes of a successful title defence were all but over before last week's 4-2 derby defeat by Manchester United.

But this win saw them move to within a point of United and, significantly, go seven clear of fifth-placed Liverpool, beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday.

Only the top four clubs at the end of the season enter the Champions League, with the Premier League's fourth-placed side having to first take part in a qualifying round.

"We deserved it today," Kane told Sky Sports. "We've had some disappointing performances in the last couple of weeks and we wanted to put that right.

- Lineker landmark -

Asked about being the first Spurs player to reach the 30-goal mark since Gary Lineker back in 1991/92, the 21-year-old England forward added: "I'm very proud but there are five games left and, hopefully, I'll get a few more goals."

North London club Spurs' win saw them climb into sixth position, level on points with Liverpool.

"It is important because we are in a position where we can fight for something until the end of the season," said Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The effect of a boycott by Newcastle fans protesting at  owner Mike Ashley's running of the north-east side was reflected in rows of empty seats at a normally sold-out St James' Park.

The mood of those Magpies supporters who did turn up wasn't improved when Nacer Chadli gave Spurs a 30th-minute lead with a 25-yard shot.

But just 18 seconds after half-time, Newcastle equalised when Jack Colback followed up after Ayoze Perez's shot was blocked.

However, Newcastle were level for a mere seven minutes before Christian Eriksen's free-kick into the box beat everyone, including home goalkeeper Tim Krul, on its way into the net.

Kane's stoppage-time goal sealed Spurs' victory, with Newcastle now just seven points above the bottom three.

City's win was timely for their under-pressure manager, Manuel Pellegrini, but afterwards he was more concerned about Silva than his own future.

"At this moment he is in hospital and they are checking if he has a broken bone in his cheek," Pellegrini said.

Reflecting on the result, the Chilean added: "It was important to win because we come from two defeats."

As for his own job prospects, Pellegrini simply said: "No comments about that."

City went ahead in the 18th minute when West Ham defender James Collins sliced Jesus Navas's cross over the head of goalkeeper Adrian for a spectacular own-goal before Aguero finished a slick counter-attack nine minutes before half-time to make it 2-0.

Defeat meant mid-table West Ham had won just two of their last 16 league matches, with this reverse doing little to calm the speculation surrounding the future of manager Sam Allardyce at the London club.

"We gifted them two goals," Allardyce said. "You can't make the mistakes we made and expect to get anything out of the game."
Source: AFP