Tottenham 4-0 Stoke: Harry Kane hits first-half hat-trick to inspire Spurs to victory

Tottenham 4-0 Stoke - watch the highlights

Harry Kane scored a first-half hat-trick to send Tottenham on their way to a 4-0 victory against Stoke in the Premier League on Sunday.

The in-form striker netted all three goals inside 37 minutes, before setting up Dele Alli for a fourth in the final moments of the opening period, as Spurs won their eight consecutive league game at White Hart Lane.

The Potters offered very little in terms of response - their best chance coming from Peter Crouch before the break - and remain tenth in the table.

Tottenham move up to second above Manchester City - who did not play this weekend - although they remain 10 points behind leaders Chelsea.

Harry Kane scored his third hat-trick in nine games during the 4-0 victory

Both managers named unchanged sides for their last outings - Stoke in the Premier League and Tottenham from their Europa League exit in midweek - but the hosts certainly shook off their disappointment from Thursday's match in a sublime opening 45 minutes.

It took Kane 14 minutes to grab his first goal of the game, which also brought up his century of club goals. The ball fell to the striker after Ryan Shawcross' clearance from the feet of Christian Eriksen, Kane firing low past Lee Grant.

Kane scored his hat-trick goal from a free kick

Stoke had their best chance of the game in the 25th minute as Crouch got on the end of an Erik Pieters cross, but it was saved by Hugo Lloris at point-blank range, while Jan Vertonghen rattled the woodwork soon after.

Kane curled a fantastic effort just past the top corner but his wait for another goal didn't last long. Eriksen picked out his team-mate with a curling corner and Kane hit a fine half-volley through the legs of Victor Wanyama to double the hosts' lead with 32 minutes gone.

Toby Alderweireld was taken off injured early in the second half

Five minutes later, Kane completed his third hat-trick in nine games. After Alli was once again clipped by Charlie Adam, it was Eriksen and Kane who lurked over a free-kick with the former tapping it into the path of the striker who thumped the ball towards goal (37). It took a big deflection off the heel of Crouch, but it was heading into the back of the net nonetheless and Kane peeled away to celebrate.

Kane rounded off a marvellous opening period with an assist as he powered forward in the first minute of two added on, sliding the ball into the path of an unmarked Alli, who bounced back from his red card against Gent and slotted home to round off a mesmerising first half performance.

Dele Alli celebrates scoring Tottenham's fourth goal

The second period was a much quieter affair, although it did not begin on the best note for Spurs as Toby Alderweireld was taken off with a suspected groin strain within the opening five minutes.

It took 12 minutes for Tottenham to have their first shot of the half as a short corner was whipped into the box by Eriksen, searching for the on-running Kane at the back post, but it just went over his head with the striker clattering into the upright in the process.

Kane celebrates his hat-trick with team-mate Kyle Walker

Grant continued to be tested and pulled off some fine saves to deny Spurs a fifth goal. The Stoke stopper got down low in the 62nd minute to keep out a nick from Eric Dier on an Eriksen free kick, before denying Kane another strike 12 minutes later, again getting to the floor to keep out his fierce drive from the top of the box.

Stoke attempted to make some forays forward as the game wore on but never truly tested the Tottenham defence, with Grant once again saving the visitors from further embarrassment with five minutes of the game to play as he kept out an effort from Walker but it was not needed as Spurs cruised to victory.

The match officials jokingly tried to stop Harry Kane from collecting the match ball!

Player ratings

Tottenham: Lloris (7), Dier (7), Alderweireld (7), Vertonghen (7), Walker (7), Wanyama (7), Dembele (7), Davies (7), Alli (8), Eriksen (8), Kane (9).

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Subs used: Wimmer (6), Winks (6), Son (n/a).

Stoke: Grant (7), Bardsley (6), Shawcross (6), Martins Indi (6), Pieters (6), Whelan (6), Adam (6), Sobhi (6), Allen (7), Arnautovic (7), Crouch (6).

Subs used: Berahino (5), Afellay (5), Cameron (n/a).

Man of the match: Harry Kane.

Man Utd 3-2 Southampton: Zlatan Ibrahimovic the star as United win EFL Cup

Highlights of Manchester Utd's 3-2 win over Southampton in the EFL Cup Final.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice, including a late winner, as Manchester United beat Southampton 3-2 in the EFL Cup final on Sunday.

The Swede headed home the winner from six yards out in the 87th minute after earlier scoring the opener in a hugely entertaining affair at Wembley as United sealed their first major trophy under Jose Mourinho.

After Southampton wrongly had an early goal disallowed through Manolo Gabbiadini, Ibrahimovic gave United the lead with a drilled free-kick from 25 yards on 19 minutes, before Jesse Lingard swept home seven minutes before half-time in space 18 yards out for 2-0.

Saints halved the deficit on the brink of half-time through Gabbiadini's close-range finish, and were level just three minutes after the restart through the Italian's superb effort into the bottom right corner on the turn from 15 yards.

But despite some clear chances for Claude Puel's side to earn their first big piece of silverware since 1976, Ibrahimovic popped up with three minutes to go to once again take the headlines.

Ibrahimovic scores the opening goal at Wembley

Mourinho, who had won 10 of his last 12 cup finals before the game, started Ibrahimovic at Wembley, while fit-again Wayne Rooney was on the bench.

Paul Pogba had the first attempt in anger as Fraser Forster beat away the Frenchman's effort from 20 yards, before Saints had the ball in the net on 11 minutes.

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Finishing off Cedric Soares low cross from the right, Gabbiadini was adjudged to be offside in the six-yard box, though replays showed he was just inches on, much to the anger of Saints players and Sky Sports pundit and club legend Matt Le Tissier.

Disgusting decision

— Matt Le Tissier (@mattletiss7) February 26, 2017

Their misery was compounded moments later as Ibrahimovic struck a superb free-kick home from 25 yards following Oriol Romeu's needless challenge on Ander Herrera, though Forster could have done better with the effort.

Jesse Lingard (right) celebrates his goal with Antonio Valencia

Saints did not seem overly affected by the opener and arguably had the better of the play in the first half, seeing long-range shots from James Ward-Prowse and Dusan Tadic saved well by David de Gea before the break.

But Mourinho's side found themselves 2-0 up on 38 minutes through last season's FA Cup final match-winner Lingard, who stroked the ball low into the right corner past Forster from 18 yards after United had opened Saints up with some neat passing on the left.

All eyes were on referee Andre Marriner moments later after Jack Stevens went studs-up on Antonio Valencia, but the referee showed a yellow card despite protestations from the United players.

Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini celebrates his equaliser

Saints got the goal they deserved in first-half stoppage time through Gabbiadini, poking through De Gea's legs from close-range after Ward-Prowse's cross from the right.

And just three minutes after half-time Gabbiadini was at it again with his fifth goal in three games for the Saints, this time producing a stunning snap-shot on the turn after the ball dropped to him in the area, leaving De Gea rooted.

The post then denied Southampton a third as Romeu went close with a header from a Ward-Prowse corner, and at the other end Lingard volleyed a clear chance over the bar having taken the ball down at the far post in acres of space.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic heads the game winning goal beyond Fraser Forster

Saints refused to retreat, and went close as Ryan Bertrand's dangerous cross evaded both Shane Long and Ward-Prowse, but it was that man Ibrahimovic who arrived late on for the match winner.

Getting on the end of Herrera's deft cross, the 35-year-old netted his 26th of a magnificent debut season in England, heading high unmarked past Forster from close range.

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Tottenham 2-2 Gent (Aggregate 2-3): Dele Alli sees red as Spurs exit Europa League

Dele Alli (L) was sent off for Tottenham in the first half

Tottenham crashed out of the Europa League at the last-32 stage after a dramatic 2-2 second-leg draw with Gent at Wembley that saw them lose 3-2 on aggregate.

Having levelled the tie in the 10th minute through Christian Eriksen, Spurs suffered a setback when Gent grabbed an away goal after Harry Kane diverted a header into his own net.

Dele Alli was sent off for a reckless challenge on Brecht Dejaegere before half-time, but the hosts still dominated and took the lead on the night when Victor Wanyama fired in on the hour mark.

Tottenham vs Stoke

February 26, 2017, 1:00pm

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It seemed only a matter of time before Spurs grabbed a third, even with 10 men, but instead it was Gent who snatched a crucial second away goal through Jeremy Perbet in the 82nd minute that put the tie to bed.

Three yellow cards in the final five minutes told the story of Spurs' frustrations on a night when they had 25 shots on goal and their opponents, who are eighth in the Belgian top flight, had just four.

And it is yet another disappointing result for Spurs at Wembley, where they have now lost seven of their last eight matches. They return to White Hart Lane on Sunday to face Stoke in the Premier League, live on Sky Sports.

Looking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit, the hosts, who played three at the back, made a fast start and were soon level on aggregate as Toby Alderweireld's long ball down the right fell for Eriksen, who raced clear and coolly finished.

Eriksen scored an early goal for Spurs

It looked like a second goal would soon arrive as Alli fired wide and Kyle Walker also missed the target after bursting into the box.

But it was Gent who were celebrating in the 20th minute as a deep corner was headed goalwards by Stefan Mitrovic and diverted into his own net by Kane.

Despite the setback, which left them needing to score at least two more goals to qualify, Spurs continued to dominate.

Eriksen sliced wide and then played a quickly-taken corner right across the face of goal, before Walker, a continuous threat down the right, saw a powerful shot palmed away by Lovre Kalinic.

Gent players celebrate after Kane's own goal

But, after Gent almost created a rare chance from another corner, the hosts were reduced to 10 men when Alli slid in recklessly on Dejaegere, going over the ball and catching him near the knee.

Even with a man less, Spurs still controlled the game and created openings, with Kane failing to convert in the 57th minute and then inadvertently blocking a goal-bound shot from Eriksen shortly afterwards.

They eventually got a second goal when Eriksen teed up Wanyama to fire in from just inside the area.

At that stage it seemed like there was only one winner as Kane almost turned in a cross, Kalinic saved from a corner and then Walker fired into the side-netting.

But Spurs ran out of steam in the final 20 minutes and, after Moses Simon headed a superb chance wide, it was the visitors who booked their place in the last 16 when Kalifa Coulibaly broke and squared for Perbet to finish.

Spurs created further chances as their frustration mounted, but Son blazed over and then Kane shot across goal and wide to cap off a miserable night.

Watch Spurs v Stoke live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 1pm on Sunday.

Jamie Carragher: Sympathy for Leicester gone after Claudio Ranieri sacking

Jamie Carragher has discussed the sacking of Claudio Ranieri

Jamie Carragher believes any sympathy neutral fans had for Leicester's struggles this season will evaporate following Claudio Ranieri's sacking.

The Foxes made the controversial decision to fire the man who won the Premier League just nine months after he lifted the trophy but with the team a single point above the relegation zone.

Carragher feels fans of other teams - who enjoyed seeing the underdog Midlands club win the league - will now not be upset if Leicester are relegated.

Rob Dorsett discusses Leicester City's decision to sack the man who led them to the Premier League last season

"I think a lot of people wouldn't have wanted to see Leicester go down with Ranieri as the manager but I think a lot of that sympathy will go now," he said.

"There will be more sympathy with teams at the bottom of the league and I don't think there will be many tears shed outside of Leicester if they go down, because of this decision.

"They were everyone's second team but that's well gone now."

Carragher also feels relegation for Leicester would not be as disastrous as is being made out, with the club having a reputation as a team which regularly moves between the top two divisions.

"People make out that it's a disaster if a team goes down but Leicester have always been a yo-yo club," he said.

Carragher believes a 'change' in Leicester City's players has been to blame for the team's struggles this season

"They always have done that and it wasn't going to change because they won the title. What were they expecting when they signed Ranieri?

"If someone said they'd win the league and then go down, every Leicester fan would have said yes to that."

Leicester have not won in the past six games and Carragher believes the players should take some responsibility for the team's struggles this season and that winning the league has "changed" some of them.

Former Leicester City player Tony Cottee says he can't get his head around the sacking of Ranieri

"What they did last season was proof that you should never give up and they did fantastically well," he said. "Those players will never achieve anything like that again and I think if there's one person that hasn't changed in that dressing room this season it's the manager.

"Some of the players have changed. With the contracts they have, you see some of them in lifestyle magazines, maybe some of it has gone to their heads a little bit.

"Last season was a freak. We loved it and we were all willing them to do it but we all know really that Leicester aren't that good.

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February 27, 2017, 7:00pm

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"We expected the quality to drop off, not this far of course. I'm devastated for him. A lot of questions have got to be asked of the owners and of the players.

"I think they should have a statue of him there and I think they should start that in the morning."

Also See:

• Ranieri sacked by Leicester City
• Leicester's decline in stats
• Ranieri's Leicester timeline
• Claudio: I had offers to leave