Harry Kane makes it four goals in two appearances with a late strike against Villa. Mousa Dembele and Jordan Ayew both net for the second time in as many league outings as Spurs move into fifth position, just one point off the top four.
Kane in the Goals Again
Harry Kane netted his fourth goal in two starts to cap off Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-1 home win over Aston Villa, thus extending their unbeaten streak to 10 matches. The England international left it late at White Hart Lane – rifling into the top corner three minutes into stoppage time – having been relatively starved of scoring opportunities (two attempts) before then. Prospective investors in the 9.3-priced forward might be deterred by the difficulty of Spurs’ upcoming trio of fixtures (ars, WHU, CHE), but it’s worth noting that Kane bagged a combined five goals in his previous match-ups with Arsenal and Chelsea.
Mousa Dembele came through on our Differential shout, claiming his second goal in as many outings. Notwithstanding his attractive price tag (5.3), the Belgian’s Fantasy potential is somewhat diminished by the fact that he’s only made it past the 70-minute mark on three occasions due to Mauricio Pochettino’s tendency to freshen things up late on in matches. Elsewhere among their mid-priced midfielders, Erik Lamela (6.8) earned his third assist of the campaign, rendering him one to watch when Spurs’ schedule clears up beyond Gameweek 14 – the Argentine has now delivered two goals and three assists in the last seven outings.
Delle Alli netted the hosts’ second of the night, boosting his output to two goals and as many assists for the season. Although Pochettino might opt to rotate the 19-year-old when Nabil Bentaleb returns from the treatment room – given that he’s enjoying his first year in the Premier League – Alli’s 4.9 valuation minimises the risk of recruiting the promising fifth midfielder.
Danny Rose highlighted his attacking instincts with back-to-back assists. Since the 5.2-priced left-back reclaimed his starting berth in Gameweek 9, only Alberto Moreno (six) has notched more shots (five) among all defenders. Those eyeing up Rose will have to await news on his health, as he was replaced at the 82-minute mark due to injury.
Ayew Strike Mere Consolation for Villa
On for the injured Ashley Westwood, Jordan Ayew chalked up his second goal in consecutive Gameweeks and looked lively throughout his 53-minute stint, surely convincing new manager Remi Garde to afford him a run of starts.
Garde clearly has a daunting task on his hands, given that Villa have now lost seven on the bounce and picked up a single point since the season opener at Bournemouth. Moreover, the West Midlanders also became just the third outfit to lose nine of their first 11 match-ups. From a Fantasy perspective, it will be interesting to observe whether the likes of Scott Sinclair (4.7) and Rudy Gestede (5.8) re-emerge as viable budget pick-ups under the Frenchman’s reign, though with numerous options available, it looks very wise to steer clear until we see signs of improvement. Given that Villa now face City, Everton, Watford, Southampton and Arsenal in the next five, Garde looks set for a testing opening period at the helm.
