After two-and-a-half games on the sidelines, during which Spurs have been utterly abject, Kane recovered from ankle injuries to start against the Baggies and opened the scoring in a 2-0 win.
With the England captain leading the line again, Spurs were unrecognisable from the reactive, clueless side that laboured to a third consecutive defeat against Chelsea on Thursday.
Many had wondered before kick-off if Mourinho was taking a gamble with his talisman’s fitness after only two days of training but Kane looked confident, sharp and menacing – albeit initially rusty in front of goal.
He missed three sighters in the first half before opening the scoring with a cool finish ten minutes after the interval. That strike leaves him tied with Bobby Smith as the joint-second highest scorer in the club’s history on 208 goals.
He also played a major part in the crucial second goal, starting the counter-attack from which Lucas Moura brilliantly assisted Heung-min Son’s strike.
Kane was not the only Spurs player who made a positive a difference, as Mourinho’s set-up and selections offered an encouraging blueprint for his side’s potential recovery going forward.
Ndombele’s presence in a deeper midfield role enabled Spurs to progress possession into the final third with far more regularity than against Chelsea and Lamela was impressive at inside right. Lucas fully justified his inclusion with a 60-yard run for the second goal.
Mourinho’s formation worked well and paves the way for the return of Dele Alli or Giovani Lo Celso as a No.10 ahead of Ndombele, suggesting there are reasons for optimism after the abject defeats to Liverpool, Brighton and the Blues.
Ultimately, more important than formations or personnel was Tottenham’s attacking intent and the evidence of clear and coherent patterns of play in the final third.
The obvious caveat was West Brom’s lack of ambition and quality but with this more positive set-up there are reasons to think Spurs can be more effective and easier on the eye, starting against Everton on Wednesday.
Conversely, the dramatic impact of Kane’s return will inevitably raise questions about Spurs’ over-reliance on the striker – frankly, they have never felt more like ‘the Harry Kane team’ – which feels unsustainable with the FA Cup and Europa League restarting in the next fortnight. But in the short-term, Mourinho will not care.
Evening Standard
Follow us on:
