Entering the game just before the hour mark, Harry Kane made his presence felt, almost instantly, as he bagged three goals in 19 minutes and led Tottenham Hotspur to a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Slovenian club Mura in their UEFA Conference League group stage match on Thursday.
The victory will come as a major respite for new boss Nuno Espirito Santo and Spurs, who have hit a slump after recording three straight losses in the Premier League.
They also failed to win their first game in the Conference League against Rennes as the London side were held to a 2-2 draw.
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However, tonight, Tottenham started strong and within four minutes Dele Alli won a penalty and calmly converted it himself to give Spurs the lead.
Minutes later, Giovani Lo Celso doubled the lead, as rushed into the box from the left and smashed home the ball past the Mura keeper.
Following the two quickfire goals, Spurs failed to break down the Slovenian club’s defence yet again before the half time. The London side enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and had four shots on target.
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After the break, Mura wingback Ziga Kous pulled one back for his team with a thunderous volley from outside the box. In visible pressure, Espirito Santo had to call upon the club skipper to cement the victory. The star striker came on before the hour mark and netted three goals between the 68th and 87th minute.
For the first, Kane was set up by a perfectly weighted through ball from Lucas Moura, which the English forward poked into the back of the net.
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Nine minutes later, Son Heung-min hit Mura on the break and laid off the ball to Kane to tap it home. For his third, Kane hovered in the opposition box and made a neat finish off a Lo Celso pass.
The Conference League was set up to give clubs from smaller countries more chances to compete.
