A dreadfully drab Easter Sunday stifles the previously unstoppable force that is Harry Kane as the Spurs talisman blanks at Turf Moor. Meanwhile, a former White Hart Lane favourite provides the key moment of quality as Jermain Defoe’s sweetly stuck winner decides the Wear-Tyne derby. Here’s the notes from Sunday’s “action”…

Kane subdued in bore draw

Harry Kane was isolated for large periods at Turf Moor as Sunday’s early kick ended in a 0-0 stalemate between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley – the North London club’s first clean sheet since Gameweek 23. The Fantasy Premier League’s (FPL) highest-scoring forward was hampered by a dearth of creativity, as Spurs struggled to unlock the home defence.

Skippering Spurs on the day, Kane managed just two goal attempts in 94 minutes against Clarets and was responsible for one of two shots on target for Spurs. Having blanked at Old Trafford in Gameweek 29, Kane’s lack of service on the road will be a minor concern which could dent the captaincy faith ahead of the trip to Newcastle in Gameweek 33. Nonetheless, a home encounter with Aston Villa up next will serve as a prime opportunity for Kane to restore parity and bag his 20^th goal of the campaign.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino made two enforced changes in defence, with Vlad Chiriches earning a rare start at centre-back as Jan Vertonghen missed out through illness (breaking a run of 19 league starts for the Belgian). Michel Vorm replacing the injured Hugo Lloris in goal. Elsewhere, Andros Townsend, somewhat surprisingly, gave way to Paulinho: the Brazilian lined up at the No. 10 role in a 4-3-2-1 set-up, shifting Christian Eriksen out onto the right flank.

Eriksen’s blank means that he has now failed to net in eight league outings, with only two assists in that period to bolster his points tally. Again, the 26% holding the Spurs asset will likely keep the faith ahead of the White Hart Lane meeting with Villa.

On the injury front, Kyle Walker was subbed off early in the second half having sustained a blow to the foot in the first 45. Speaking in his post-match press conference, Pochettino revealed that the right-back is unlikely to be sidelined for an extended period, yet there’s clearly a question mark over his availability for Spurs next match-up against the Villains. In the event of his absence – and Vertonghen’s return – Chiriches will likely be tasked with filling in.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche named an unchanged side from that which fell to a 2-0 defeat against Southampton last time out, as the Clarets earned their second successive home clean sheet. Despite Burnley’s recent resilience, upcoming matches against Arsenal and Everton seem unlikely to return further shut-outs.

Having tallied five goals in six starts from Gameweeks 20 to 25, Danny Ings has now drawn blanks in his last six appearances, with the improved Arsenal defence up next.

Defoe screamer grounds Magpies

Jermain Defoe announced his return to the scoresheet in spectacular fashion in the Wear-Tyne derby, rifling in a 22-yard volley to seal a 1-0 victory for Sunderland.

The former Tottenham striker had toiled in the past six Gameweeks but will now be flowing with confidence ahead of an enticing quintet of fixtures (CPL, blank, sto, SOU, eve, LEI). Sunderland’s blank Gameweek 33 provides a major obstacle to investment, but another productive performance against the Eagles for Defoe could render him a short-term prospect from Gameweek 34.

Equally, there could be value in re-assessing the Sunderland black line. Dick Advocaat’s first win in charge of the Black Cats was a largely routine affair for the defence. Santiago Vergini was recalled in the centre in place of the injured Wes Brown, while Anthony Reveillere lost out to Billy Jones at right-back. Patrick van Aanholt, now at just 4.1 in the FPL, appears to be re-instated as the stand-out option.

Newcastle’s fourth loss in a row means that they now boast just one victory in their last eight outings. The Magpies look devoid of direction and ill-equipped to cope with a tricky double (liv, TOT) in the coming Gameweeks in light of their injury-hit back line. Fabricio Coloccini still has one more match of his suspension to serve, while top striker Papiss Cisse is sidelined for a further four fixtures. Considering the Toon took 78 minutes to register their first shot on target, Cisse’s presence is clearly impacting their goal threat.