Football
Dan Kilpatrick, Tottenham Correspondent 7y

Harry Kane says 'ruthless' Tottenham 'confident' in Chelsea chase

LONDON -- Harry Kane and Jan Vertonghen have warned Tottenham's stumbling FA Cup and title rivals Chelsea that Spurs have never felt better or more confident.

Tottenham's 4-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday -- a record 12th-consecutive home win and the first time since 1967 they have won seven-straight top-flight games -- left them four points behind league leaders Chelsea, who failed to extend their advantage on Sunday, losing 2-0 at Manchester United.

The London rivals meet in next Saturday's FA Cup semifinal at Wembley, before the final six league matches, including tricky trips to Everton and West Brom for the Blues.

Kane, who scored his 20th league goal of the season against the Cherries, warned Chelsea: "Every game we go into we are confident. We are ruthless at the moment. Once we score one, we go to get that second and the third to kill the game. It's important we keep doing that, we've got some tough games coming up in the last six or so -- Crystal Palace away, Arsenal, Manchester United.

"I think we feel as confident as we ever have done, we're moving in the right direction, and we'll try to win as many as we can on the run-in.

"Before the game we said it is important keep our momentum going, it doesn't matter what anyone else does, we just got to keep winning games. We don't want draws or to lose, anything to stop our momentum.

"Every game we go into now we have that mindset. We've got a big semifinal next weekend, so the games are coming thick and fast over the next month or so. We're feeling as good as we've ever done, mentally we are strong, and we're feeling ruthless at the minute, so once we go ahead we look to kill the game off."

Kane hopes another victory in the semifinal could give Spurs a mental advantage over the Blues, who had an 11-point lead in the table at the start of April.

"It could be a big thing psychologically. Of course it's a different competition so it's hard to say, but it's a big game for us, a big game for the club, a massive semifinal and you never know. If we win next week it might put more doubt in their minds regarding the Premier League. But we can't control what Chelsea do," he said.

Saturday's win saw Spurs move onto 71 points, one more than they managed in the whole of last season and one short of their record total in the Premier League. Kane also became just the fourth player to score 20 or more Premier League goals in three consecutive seasons and the first Spurs player to score 20 plus top-flight goals in three straight seasons since Jimmy Greaves from 1967 to 1969.

"People say we're still second and Chelsea are still four points clear so they don't think we are doing as well as last season, but if you look at the table, 71 points with six games left is incredible. We've got to make sure we finish strongly -- it isn't over yet," he said.

"I'm pleased to get to the 20-goal mark again, kicking myself that I probably should have had a couple more!

"It's always nice to find out you've broken a record. Jimmy Greaves was unbelievable, a club legend, scored goals week in, week out. It's important for me as a striker to be consistent, so to reach that 20-goal mark again is great."

Goals from Mousa Dembele, Son Heung-Min, Kane and Vincent Janssen ensured victory on Saturday and centre-back Vertonghen said: "Every time I come here, I say it was the best game of the season and I have to say it again. It was a very solid win -- it could have been more. We didn't give them any chances and from the start to the end we played very well.

"We play with so much confidence from the start. The gaffer keeps telling us not to give up, to reach a higher level, he keeps us pushing forward. We're never happy. Even today at 4-0 -- we want more and more.

"The way we playing now, with so much confidence home and away. We feel especially strong at the Lane. It's probably the best form we've been in in a couple of years."

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