4-1 v Watford FC - 1 January 2017 - Away

Tottenham Hotspur Badge

Spurs 4

Watford FC

Watford FC

1

Details
Match Number

7212

Opposition
Watford

Watford FC

Competition
Premier League

Premier League

Season

2016/17

Date

1st January 2017

Kick Off

13:30

Venue

Vicarage Road

Attendance

20,882

Referee

Michael Oliver

League Position

5th

Opposition League Position

12th

Opposition Form

LDLLWL

Weather at Kick Off

7.2° - Drizzle

Facts & Milestones
  • 7176th overall match (3414 wins, 1585 draws, 2164 losses)

  • 5596th competitive match (2510 wins, 1317 draws, 1769 losses)

  • team

    63rd match vs Watford FC (43 wins, 12 draws, 8 losses)

  • competition

    943rd Premier League match (385 wins, 245 draws, 313 losses)

  • 6562nd match in England (3076 wins, 1479 draws, 1994 losses)

  • 25th match at Vicarage Road (16 wins, 6 draws, 3 losses)

  • There were 4 changes to the starting lineup from the last match.

Report

Harry Kane and Dele Alli scored two goals apiece as Tottenham thrashed lacklustre Watford to move into the Premier League's top four for the first time since October.

Spurs dominated from the off at Vicarage Road - having 13 shots in the first half alone - and seconds after Alli struck the bar, Kane coolly finished a well-weighted Kieran Trippier pass.

The same duo combined for the second, Kane stealing between two static defenders to prod home Trippier's fine cross from six yards.

It was the England striker's 59th goal in his first 100 Premier League appearances, matching Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.

Alli made it 3-0 by passing low into the net after Younes Kaboul skewed the ball into his path, then arrived unmarked to finish Kane's cross for his fifth goal in three matches.

Watford, who did not have a shot on target until Kaboul bundled home a late consolation, drop to 13th having won just once in seven matches.

Spurs' fourth successive win briefly took them third, before Arsenal moved back ahead of them with victory over Crystal Palace.

Having won at Southampton by the same scoreline on Wednesday, Tottenham have scored four goals in consecutive away games for the first time since October 1960 - the season they did the Double.

Their 10-point deficit on leaders Chelsea, whom they host on Wednesday, will temper any title talk, but there can be no doubt Spurs are in menacing mood.

Trippier, in for the suspended Kyle Walker, impressed on just his third league appearance of the season and underlined the strength in depth at White Hart Lane.

The former Burnley player was a constant outlet - having more than 100 touches - and his early assists allowed Kane to show the ruthlessness of his finishing.

Had Son Heung-Min been more clinical with any of his five shots, the damage could have been worse.

But boss Mauricio Pochettino will be thrilled with a 100% record over a busy festive period in which his side secured their first league away wins since September.

It is easy to praise Tottenham, but Watford's early defensive offering was non-existent.

Manager Walter Mazzarri has stressed he will use the transfer window to find cover for as many as eight first-teamers out injured.

But his side can have no excuse for their dire defensive work against Spurs - the third time this season they have been three goals down at half-time.

With 34 goals conceded, 14 more than at this stage last season, holes at the back need plugging urgently, but there are also problems at the other end of the pitch.

Odion Ighalo, drafted in after Camilo Zuniga limped out of the warm-up, was peripheral, with just 23 touches, only two more than 68th-minute Spurs substitute Ben Davies. He and Troy Deeney have contributed 10 goals between them this season, 14 fewer than at the same stage in 2015-16.

The Hornets next face Stoke and Middlesbrough. Their fans could be looking over their shoulders at the bottom three by mid-January, unless they can find some form.

Watford manager Walter Mazzarri: "Zuniga was the 10th player to get injured, five or six are starting 11, we had four under-23s in the 18 players that we brought today. Unfortunately this is the situation."

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino: "We played very good, to a very high standard. The first half was one of the best we've played this season. I'm very happy because it was a difficult game, and the team responded."

Timeline
KO

José Cholevas

44'
HT

Sebastian Prödl

63'

Craig Cathcart

83'
FT
Location
League Table
# Team PL W D L GF GA GD PTS
1
Chelsea
19 16 1 2 42 13 29 49
2
Liverpool
19 13 4 2 46 21 25 43
3
Manchester city
19 12 3 4 39 21 18 39
4
Arsenal
18 11 4 3 39 19 20 37
5
Tottenham Hotspur Badge Tottenham Hotspur
18 10 6 2 33 13 20 36
6
Manchester united
19 10 6 3 29 19 10 36
7
Everton
19 7 6 6 25 23 2 27
8
West bromwich albion
19 7 5 7 25 23 2 26
9
Southampton
19 6 6 7 19 22 -3 24
10
Afc bournemouth
19 7 3 9 26 31 -5 24
11
Burnley
19 7 2 10 21 29 -8 23
12
Watford
18 6 4 8 22 30 -8 22
13
West ham united
19 6 4 9 23 33 -10 22
14
Stoke city
19 5 6 8 22 32 -10 21
15
Leicester city
19 5 5 9 24 31 -7 20
16
Middlesbrough
19 4 6 9 17 22 -5 18
17
Crystal palace
18 4 4 10 29 33 -4 16
18
Sunderland
19 4 2 13 17 35 -18 14
19
Hull city
19 3 4 12 16 41 -25 13
20
Swansea city
19 3 3 13 21 44 -23 12
# Team PL W D L GF GA GD PTS
1
Chelsea
19 16 1 2 42 13 29 49
2
Liverpool
20 13 5 2 48 23 25 44
3
Manchester city
20 13 3 4 41 22 19 42
4
Arsenal
19 12 4 3 41 19 22 40
5
Tottenham Hotspur Badge Tottenham Hotspur
19 11 6 2 37 14 23 39
6
Manchester united
20 11 6 3 31 19 12 39
7
Everton
20 8 6 6 28 23 5 30
8
West bromwich albion
20 8 5 7 28 24 4 29
9
Afc bournemouth
19 7 3 9 26 31 -5 24
10
Southampton
20 6 6 8 19 25 -6 24
11
Burnley
20 7 2 11 22 31 -9 23
12
Watford
19 6 4 9 23 34 -11 22
13
West ham united
20 6 4 10 23 35 -12 22
14
Leicester city
20 5 6 9 24 31 -7 21
15
Stoke city
19 5 6 8 22 32 -10 21
16
Middlesbrough
20 4 7 9 17 22 -5 19
17
Crystal palace
19 4 4 11 29 35 -6 16
18
Sunderland
20 4 3 13 19 37 -18 15
19
Hull city
20 3 4 13 17 44 -27 13
20
Swansea city
19 3 3 13 21 44 -23 12
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