leaders Chelsea as some brilliant first-half
finishing set up a dazzling 4-0 win over Watford at
White Hart Lane.
Top scorer Harry Kane was back on the bench from
an ankle injury absence to see deputy Vincent
Janssen add to his catalogue of painful misses
before Dele Alli magnificently opened the scoring
with his 16th league goal of the season.
England colleague Eric Dier and Son Heung-min
joined in the fun with similarly emphatic strikes
from outside the box, although Watford boss Walter
Mazzarri will lament poor closing down on the first
and third Spurs goals.
Watford appeared simply helpless as they were cut
open for Son to add a sumptuous fourth, their
ambitions of stringing together three consecutive
top-flight wins for the first time this season having
long since evaporated.
It amounted to a far more assured route to victory
for Mauricio Pochettino's side than the remarkably
frantic midweek comeback at Swansea City and
cut Chelsea's advantage at the summit to four
points, at least until Antonio Conte's men face
Bournemouth in Saturday's late kick-off.
Janssen almost had his first Premier League goal
from open play when he cleverly spun Craig
Cathcart in the ninth minute, forcing Heurelho
Gomes to save with his legs.
It was an assured start from Walter Mazzarri's
side, but they should have fallen behind in the 19th
minute when Janssen's combination of dwindling
confidence and wretched luck came to their aid.
Kieran Trippier stunned a volley across the face of
goal and, although the Netherlands international
was partially unsighted by Watford defender Adrian
Mariappa, Janssen inexplicably managed to hit the
crossbar after the ball spun up off his thigh two
yards from goal.
Shortly afterwards, the outstretched and
beleaguered striker failed to get the decisive touch
on another dangerous Trippier cross, while he
strayed needlessly offside following a fine run and
pass from Alli.
The England midfield stunningly took matters into
his own hands in the 33rd minute, exchanging
passes with Son before arching a dipping effort
over Gomes and into the top corner.
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