'To score and win as well makes it even more special'
Harry Kane may have had his thunder as England's brightest young strike hope stolen of late by Jamie Vardy but Tottenham Hotspur's own home-polished jewel sparkled once more on his 100th appearance for the club on Saturday.
Kane marked his milestone with a 10th goal in his last 10 club games, a marvellous solo effort to set up the 2-0 win at struggling Southampton and shoot his side into the Premier League's top four for the first time this season.
The 22-year-old England international had a slow start to the season, struggling to live up to the hype generated by his extraordinary breakthrough 2014-15 campaign when he would score for fun.
Yet while Leicester City's Vardy grabbed all the headlines with his 11-match scoring sequence this term, Kane was reminding everyone of his class to embark on a scoring spree only recently interrupted by a three-game mini-drought.
That was ended conclusively, though, with Kane's tour de force five minutes before halftime that set Spurs on their way to a comfortable win, sealed just a couple of minutes later by a Dele Alli goal.
It was Kane's 47th goal for Spurs in a century of appearances, leaving him to enthuse to reporters afterwards: "It was a proud moment for me to make my 100th appearance. To score and win as well makes it even more special."
Kane called it a 'great' team performance at St Mary's Stadium after the setback of last week's shock home loss to Newcastle United as Spurs muscled into the Champions League places, even if still nine points adrift of leaders Leicester.
After watching Kane burst between two defenders, poke Alli's through ball past Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk and then finish expertly, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino could only sigh: "Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the league and we're delighted that he's with us."
Alli, who has two assists and two goals in his last four games, was also singled out by Pochettino for praise. "I believe that the most important thing for young players is for the club to show belief in them and we are doing that," he said.
Villa survival hopes look bleak despite battling draw
Aston Villa displayed some fight to earn a 1-1 draw in torrential rain at Newcastle United on Saturday but their Premier League survival hopes grow bleaker by the week.
Jordan Ayew's beautifully struck goal on the hour cancelled out Fabricio Coloccini's close-range opener before the break and Villa had late chances to claim their first league victory since they beat Bournemouth on the opening day of the season.
However, a glance at the table makes depressing reading for the once powerful Midlands club.
They have seven points from 17 games and are five behind second-bottom Sunderland and 10 adrift of Newcastle who are fourth from bottom.
No team has avoided the drop from the Premier League with fewer points at Christmas and on the two previous occasions Villa were bottom at this stage of the season (1935-36 and 1958-59) they were relegated.
Manager Remi Garde said his side's second-half display offered some hope, although he questioned why it took them until after the interval to spark into life.
"Our attitude was different in the second half," said former Arsenal midfielder Garde, who is yet to taste victory of any kind since taking over from Tim Sherwood in early November, said.
"The first half we were out of the game in terms of intensity, we were losing all the duels, and if you don't win the ball you can't win the game.
"We played only 45 minutes," he added.
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