Harry Kane's remarkable St Stephen's Day record continues as Spurs beat Crystal Palace
Harry Kane scores against Crystal Palace (John Walton/PA)
Harry Kane’s opener against Crystal Palace saw him match Robbie Fowler’s Premier League record for goals on St Stephen's Day.
The Tottenham striker has never failed to score in a fixture on December 26 and took his tally to nine in six games.
Spurs went on to beat Palace 3-0 to cement their impressive return to form since Antonio Conte took over as manager, with the Spurs boss full of praise for his lead striker.
"I always say we are talking about a top-class striker and a player that for us is very important," said Conte. "Today I had the possibility to give him a bit of rest and for him to play only 60 minutes for us was important. Kane is a player it is very difficult to decide to put in a rotation."
Lucas Moura scored one and made two more as Tottenham piled the misery onto Palace, who failed in a bid to get the game called off after Covid issues in their camp, with manager Patrick Vieira one of those affected by a positive test and absent in north London.
Moura made matters worse with a virtuoso display, setting up goals for Harry Kane and Son Heung-min either side of his own headed effort in the first half.
Wilfried Zaha compounded his side’s woes with a needless red card before the break, leaving Palace to wish their request had been granted.
Kane’s effort saw him equal a Premier League record for Boxing Day goals, level on nine with Robbie Fowler, and his return to form is another step in the right direction for Spurs.
That matched the tally of former Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester City man Robbie Fowler and here, we look at Kane’s St Stephen's Day record.
2014: Leicester 1 Tottenham 2
Kane started as he would go on with a goal in his first minute of top-flight St Stephen's Day action, meeting Nacer Chadli’s cross to beat Wes Morgan and finish against the club where he previously spent a spell on loan. Leonardo Ulloa equalised before Christian Eriksen scored Tottenham’s winner.
2015: Tottenham 3 Norwich 0
Kane, second right. celebrates his second goal against Norwich (Scott Heavey/PA)
Kane reached a club-record 27 league goals in the calendar year as he first won and converted a penalty before doubling the lead from Dele Alli’s pass. Tom Carroll rounded off the win as a substitute.
2017: Tottenham 5 Southampton 2
Kane chips Fraser Forster for his third and Spurs’ fifth (Steven Paston/PA)
Another record for Kane as he this time moved to 39 league goals for the calendar year in 36 games, beating Alan Shearer’s mark of 36 set in 1995. He headed in Eriksen’s free-kick for the opener, tucked in a second from Son Heung-min’s pass and clipped an impudent third past Fraser Forster from Alli’s through-ball.
2018: Tottenham 5 Bournemouth 0
Kane kept up his record in 2018 against Bournemouth (Adam Davy/PA)
Tottenham thrilled their home fans with five goals at Wembley for the second Christmas in succession, with Kane this time contributing just one as he brilliantly finished from Eriksen’s ball over the top.
2019: Tottenham 2 Brighton 1
Kane lashes home against Brighton (Bradley Collyer/PA)
Kane had a goal disallowed by VAR as his side trailed 1-0 at half-time to Adam Webster’s header, but he equalised at the second attempt after Mat Ryan saved his initial effort and Alli then netted a Spurs winner.
2021: Tottenham 3 Crystal Palace 0
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Spurs made it 15 Boxing Day fixtures without defeat as the England captain set the ball rolling and Lucas Moura and Son made sure of victory against 10-man Palace, with Wilfried Zaha sent off.
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