Bale Blitzes Burnley

Gareth Bale’s renaissance continued apace with the Welshman scoring two and creating another as Tottenham emphatically dispatched Burnley 4-0.

If Sean Dyche hoped to contain Spurs, his plans were in tatters after barely 78 seconds. From his berth on the left-wing, Son dipped infield before curling a centre that bypassed the statuesque Clarets rearguard and left Bale clear to prod past Pope from close range.

Following five defeats in their previous six Premier League matches, Bale’s early intervention sent confidence cascading through the Tottenham ranks. Lucas Moura should have added a second on the ten-minute mark. Receiving the ball centrally from Son, the Brazilian eluded Tarkowski’s challenge but opted for power over precision when confronted by Pope, blasting the ball against the keeper from 12 yards.

Moments later, Spurs swarmed forward again. Kane found Son with a measured pass that left the Korean with only one defender between him and the goal. Rather than trying to go it alone, Son slipped the ball to his right, where Bale had burst into space. The pass forced the winger to flash a low delivery across the face of goal rather than shoot, which the already beleaguered Burnley defence just about managed to smuggle to safety.

It wasn’t long, however, before the visitors buckled again. Deep in his own half under no pressure, Bale lofted a long diagonal towards Kane on the left-wing. The lunging Brownhill was unable to cut it out, and fatally – for Burnley – Kane was free to move the ball on to his right foot. The England captain’s shot from the edge of the area looked destined to severely test Pope at his near post. But a slight deflection off Tarkowski’s toe carried the ball beyond the keeper’s dive and into the net.

For all of Mourinho’s success down the years, seldom do his charges appear to be playing with joy. But there was a real exuberance to this Tottenham performance. Finally, this was a return to the form of the season’s early weeks – before the surrender of a three-goal lead to West Ham convinced Mourinho of the need to proceed with caution.

Ndombele was the personification of Spurs renewed swagger in the first half here. Time and again, the midfielder – who has the dexterity and cunning of an escapologist – wriggled free of Westwood and Cork to launch the home side on the attack. Tottenham’s third on 30 minutes, however, was started and finished by Lucas Moura. Dropping off the Burnley backline, the forward worked the ball wide to the right-wing. From there, Bale quickly switched the play to find Reguilon on the left. The full-back teased a cross into the box, which skimmed Tarkowski’s brow before falling to Moura, who had sprinted into the box. The Brazilian’s first touch with his right-foot expertly set up a shooting chance on his left. Pope couldn’t get near it.

After the interval, Tottenham continued to pile forward. Their attacking appetite was rewarded with a fourth within nine minutes of the restart. Reguilon and the indefatigable Son combined on the halfway line, allowing the Korean to make another olympian-like sprint towards the Burnley box. Presented with a myriad of options, Son picked out Bale on the right flank with a sweeping outside of the boot pass. Bale manoeuvred the ball onto his left foot before smashing home an unerring strike in off Pope’s far post.

There wasn’t to be a hat-trick for Bale, making only his third Premier League start of the season. Having waited so long to see the forward at his devastating best, Mourinho is doubtless determined to safeguard him from injury and thus sent Lamela on in his stead. Dele Alli also continued his Premier League rehabilitation replacing Lucas Moura for the last 25 minutes.

The changes did little to disrupt Tottenham’s rhythm. Son linked with Kane, who lined up a fierce shot that swerved left and then right before being palmed over by the alert Pope. Alli and Kane then combined with a slick one-two that set Son away. This time only Pope’s fingertips prevented Son from finding the far corner. In the end, such was Tottenham’s dominance, Burnley will feel relieved that the damage did not extend beyond four goals.

While Mourinho was visibly delighted by Spurs attacking fluidity, he will have also taken particular pleasure in their solidity at the back. Davinson Sanchez, who has looked so shaky at times this season, was immaculate against Burnley’s robust centre-forwards. The Colombian was both imperious in the air and tigerish in the tackle. The excellence of Tottenham’s back four throughout the match garnered a one hundredth Premier League clean sheet for Hugo Lloris.

Cultivating this nascent defensive security may hold the key to Tottenham’s season for their manager. Unquestionably in Kane, Son and the rejuvenated Gareth Bale, Mourinho has a frontline capable of firing the club to silverware.