EPL

'Special' Kane produced one of best Premier League displays against Man City – Carragher

By Sports Desk February 20, 2022

Harry Kane produced a "special" display against Manchester City that will be tough to match in the Premier League this season, says Jamie Carragher.

Tottenham stunned City with a thrilling 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, a result that gave Liverpool fresh hope in the title race.

Kane scored twice and had another goal ruled out by VAR but it was his creative play against a City team who tried to sign him last year that delighted Liverpool great Carragher.

The England captain's pass sparked the move that saw Dejan Kulusevski open the scoring and his link-up play with Son Heung-min – who racked up two assists – was sublime throughout.

"That was one of the best performances I have seen this season, it really was," Carragher said to Sky Sports about Kane, who had 19 passes in the opposition half, with no other Spurs player reaching double figures.

"It was a privilege to watch. What made it so special was that Kane didn't get a lot of the ball, but when it came into him, everything he did was pure class.

"Kane is one of the best passers of the ball in the Premier League, he's not far behind Kevin De Bruyne."

Another former Liverpool star, Graeme Souness, felt Kane had shown exactly why clubs contending for honours like City want to buy him.

Souness said: "Harry Kane was fantastic - he's put himself in the shop window again. 

"Not just his goals but his general play. He was a real problem. He gets over the ball, he's got the technique and the vision to see things, and he can deliver on what he sees.

"Some of his passing was an absolute delight, as good as it gets."

Liverpool play Chelsea in the EFL Cup final next week but Carragher feels the Reds should be even more enthused by the prospect of catching City.

The Reds – 3-1 winners over Norwich City in their game at Anfield - are now just six points behind Pep Guardiola's leaders and have a game in hand at home to Leeds United on Wednesday.

"I certainly think for the next four or five days, the Leeds game at Anfield is more important than the cup final on the Sunday against Chelsea," added Carragher.

"I'd still favour Man City [for the title] with Liverpool still to come to the Etihad and Liverpool's fixtures may be tougher.

"But there was a little bit of hope that Liverpool could do something, a glimmer of hope, when Man City dropped points at Southampton.

"It was the first time in such a long time that they hadn't won and you very rarely see a Pep Guardiola team get pegged back.

"I'd still say they are very much in the hotseat - even a team of Liverpool's quality coming [to the Etihad] to win will not be easy.

"But the great thing, not just for Liverpool supporters but for the country, is that it looks like we could have a title race on.

"Four to six weeks ago we thought that wasn't going to be the case so long may it continue."

Related items

  • Xavi has 'zero doubts' over Araujo's Barcelona future Xavi has 'zero doubts' over Araujo's Barcelona future

    Ronald Araujo’s Barcelona future is still undecided, but Xavi says he has "zero doubts" over the defender’s decision.

    The Uruguayan has been offered a contract extension to keep him at the club beyond 2026, but Araujo is yet to sign it.

    This season, he has made 36 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona, though he dropped to the bench for their win over Real Sociedad on Monday.

    Asked about Araujo’s future on Wednesday, Xavi said: "I talk a lot with Araujo, and he knows what I think. There are zero doubts about his future on my side.

    "He knows what I want for his future. I always try to speak honestly and sincerely and he’s happy here."

    Reports suggest that Bayern Munich and Manchester United are interested in signing Araujo if he does decide to leave Barcelona.

  • Alonso wary of Atalanta threat ahead of Europa League showdown Alonso wary of Atalanta threat ahead of Europa League showdown

    Bayer Leverkusen will find it tough to overcome Atalanta in the Europa League final, manager Xabi Alonso said. 

    The Italian side knocked out Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and three-times finalists Marseille in previous rounds.

    But Leverkusen have plans of their own as they chase a treble of titles, having recently been crowned as the new Bundesliga champions.

    Currently on an extraordinary 50-match run this season, Leverkusen play Gian Piero Gasperini's side, who are fifth in Serie A, in Dublin on May 22.

    "Atalanta is one of the best teams in Europe. The coach has a clear plan, they have a great mentality and a big squad," Alonso told reporters on Wednesday.

    "If we do our best, we have a chance, but it will be tight. They are a top team."

    With the league title in the bag, Leverkusen are fully focused on winning both their finals, which includes the German Cup clash against Kaiserslautern on May 25.

    But before that, they have a home game against Augsburg in the league on Saturday.

    "The feeling is very good, we're looking forward to playing two finals. It's a great opportunity for us. We have time to prepare. There's still the Bundesliga game, but of course we're already focussing on the two finals," the Spaniard said.

    "With the Bundesliga decided, we can focus more on the Europa League than if there was still something at stake. But the Bundesliga is not over yet, and we respect Augsburg."

    Midfielder Florian Wirtz, who has scored 18 goals for Leverkusen in all competitions this campaign, is better after missing the last two games through injury.

    "We'll take it slowly and look day by day. There's no risk of a more serious injury, it's all about the pain. We'll see how it looks again tomorrow," Alonso added.

  • Klopp's assistant Lijnders to take charge at Salzburg Klopp's assistant Lijnders to take charge at Salzburg

    Jurgen Klopp's long-time assistant Pep Lijnders has agreed to take over at Salzburg, the Austrian club and Liverpool have confirmed.

    Lijnders joined the Reds in 2014 as under-16s coach, before he became first-team development coach a year later.

    Initially working under Brendan Rodgers, Lijnders has played a key role in Klopp's staff since the German took over at Anfield in October 2015.

    It was confirmed in January that Lijnders would join Klopp in leaving Liverpool, and the Dutchman will now take a step into management, having agreed a three-year deal with Salzburg.

    "I am very proud to become the new head coach of Salzburg," said Lijnders.

    "This is a real privilege for me. After PSV, Porto and Liverpool, I am now moving to another exceptional club with a really good structure and a particular focus on youth development.

    "I want to develop a mentality with the team that places a lot of emphasis on an attacking style of play and where passion and hunger for success are the basis of everything.

    "My family has visited the city before and was overwhelmed by its beauty and the friendliness of the people. That was the last and important step for me in choosing Salzburg."

    This is Lijnders' second managerial position, after a brief spell at NEC Nijmegen.

    Lijnders will be joined by another of Liverpool's backroom staff, Vitor Matos, who will serve as his assistant. They are replacing Gerhard Struber, who was dismissed in April by 17-time Austrian champions Salzburg.

    The duo, along with Klopp and the rest of his staff, will celebrate the end of their glorious Liverpool tenure when the Reds take on Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.