Harry Kane marked his first competitive appearance since the World Cup with a goal which helped inspire Tottenham Hotspur to rescue a 2-2 draw against Brentford on Monday.
Spurs were two goals down against the Bees and had been rather underwhelming for much of the game but once again they found a way to rescue a result. There may have been a month break but normality definitely resumed with the first Premier League match back after the World Cup.
All eyes were fixated on Kane in this one following that missed penalty against France at the World Cup quarter-finals which appeared to take its toll on the England captain. It was the biggest personal setback the forward had experienced in his career.
Kane was reminded of the moment by the Brentford supporters who sang “you let your country down” at him. Brentford had gone a goal up through Vitaly Janelt following a swift break from the Bees. Starting slow has been a regular trend this season for Antonio Conte’s side. He has sometimes been able to galvanise a response at half-time but it remains an enigma as to how Spurs still struggle to make an impact from the first whistle.
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And for Kane himself, that first half was far from ideal because he rarely saw the ball. For a player looking to regain confidence with as many chances as possible in his first game after something as crushing as a penalty miss, this wasn't what he would have planned. The 29-year-old was offbeat when he did get the ball, passes went awry, he was slow in the challenge and it wasn’t surprising. He had a shout for a penalty in the second half which would have given his side a chance to claw their way back into the match, but that would have only intensified the pressure on him.
Spurs found themselves two goals behind when Ivan Toney capitalised on poor defending and it had been coming. The visitors were able to give themselves some life when a deep cross from Clement Lenglet was powered home by the head of Kane. This sparked Spurs into life and minutes later they were level as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fired his shot into the far corner. Once again Spurs dragged themselves out of danger despite looking wayward for large portions of the game. Kane nearly completed the turnaround with a glanced header that ricocheted off the crossbar and that would’ve been Spurs doing Spurs things.
The striker is probably thinking a lot of things about his own situation now. It was only 18 months ago that he was all set to link up with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and he was prepared to leave Spurs in the hope of adding some silverware to his footballing legacy. He has appeared to be happier since the club appointed Conte as manager, but as we have seen this season, a lot still needs to change for Spurs to challenge for silverware.
This is where England’s World Cup exit could have an impact. Another opportunity to win a title on the international stage has passed him by and he could now start to question his chances of winning a trophy in north London. It’s been 15 years since Spurs last won a piece of silverware and the club, not just Kane, are desperate to win something, anything.
Heading into the season, you felt that Conte’s experience would give the team a great chance at winning a domestic trophy, or so we thought. Last month they were sent crashing out of the Carabao Cup in the third round as they lost 2-0 to 10-man Nottingham Forest. That defeat will also no doubt be lingering in Kane’s mind. As much as he wants to be loyal to the club where he’s been their star, they still appear to be lightyears behind their Premier League rivals.
