Harry Kane puts Tottenham back in Champions League mix: ‘Football, always, changes very quickly’

'I think we are more strong now' said Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino after his side gave the once-embattled Argentine a famous victory over Chelsea on Thursday.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino directs his players during their 5-3 Premier League win against Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Thursday. Michael Regan / Getty Images / January 1, 2015

Harry Kane starred as Tottenham Hotspur crushed Chelsea 5-3 in a New Year's Day blockbuster to leave Jose Mourinho's side dead-level with Manchester City at the Premier League summit.

Scoring a famous victory in his first season at the helm of Spurs, manager Mauricio Pochettino said following the match said that “we’ve started to improve a lot in the last few months.

“I think that we are more strong now.”

Kane, a 21-year-old Spurs youth-team graduate, scored twice and had a hand in two other goals as a Mourinho side conceded five goals for only the second time in his managerial career.

It left Chelsea and City with completely identical records, after former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard had scored the decisive goal in the champions’ 3-2 win over Sunderland.

“It shows how good we are,” said Kane, whose side leapfrogged Arsenal into fifth place. “To score five against one of the best defences in the world shows how we’re coming together as a team.”

Pochettino was full of praise for his young striker, who has been a salve for a Tottenham team that have struggled to find consistent scoring from a strike squad that includes the frustrating likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado.

Even England won’t be able to ignore Kane for much longer, according to Pochettino.

“We need to be careful with him. He’s still young. But it’s impossible to hide him because of his performances,” said Pochettino.

“We try to help him improve every day and, if the national team manager believes in him and wants to give him the opportunity. It’s not my decision.

“In the last few months Harry has had the possibility to play more and start to show his qualities. We are really happy with that.”

Tottenham are right back in the Champions League hunt after an upturn in results and Pochettino added: “In football, always, it changes very quickly the situation.

Diego Costa put Chelsea ahead in the 18th minute at White Hart Lane by tapping in Oscar’s shot after Eden Hazard had hit the post, but Kane drilled in from the edge of the box on the half hour.

Danny Rose put Spurs ahead in the 44th minute and Andros Townsend extended the hosts’ lead from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time after Kane had been felled by Gary Cahill.

Nacer Chadli teed up Kane to make it 4-1 early in the second half and Kane returned the favour after Hazard had reduced the arrears, with Chelsea captain John Terry netting a further consolation in the 87th minute.

“I think we made some defensive mistakes, some individual defensive mistakes,” Mourinho told BT Sport.

“The players tried a lot, but the fifth goal killed a bit our fantastic reaction.”

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