Harry Kane has revealed he took much of his early inspiration and self-belief from watching NFL star Tom Brady, who hinted at his retirement U-turn to the Tottenham forward.

Kane came through Tottenham's youth academy and was promoted to the first team in 2009, before being sent out on various loans to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester City and Norwich City.

The striker struggled throughout those loan spells, scoring just 11 goals across four seasons, but started to find his feet when Mauricio Pochettino took charge of Spurs in 2014.

Kane has since managed 183 goals in 279 appearances for Tottenham, winning the Premier League Golden Boot award three times, and acknowledged the role Brady played in helping him realise his ambitions.

The England international has also been celebrated in the Museum of London, with a free display aimed at inspiring the younger generations to pursue their dreams.

"I was good when I was younger, but I don't think I was the best player on the team. I really had to work hard to prove people wrong," Kane told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in the United States.

"I think that's what made me who I am today and got me to the level I got to. That kind of self-belief, that drive, that determination. 

"That's why the museum is there, so kids can go and look and see my journey and hopefully one day they will be inspired to be where I am.

"One thing that inspired me growing up was a Tom Brady documentary. I was away at another club on loan and I wasn't getting in the team and I was 18 years old and I was like: 'If I can't play here, how can I play for my team Tottenham?'

"Then I came across the documentary on YouTube called The Brady Six and it was about how he got picked in the sixth round and how he became one of the greatest sportsmen ever. It just gave me a real belief that it was possible for me to go on and have that career."

It appeared as though the 2021 season would be Brady's last when he announced his retirement after seven Super Bowl wins.

But the quarterback backtracked on that decision, returning to Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he has one year remaining on his contract.

Kane suggested he already knew the 44-year-old was going to change his mind when the pair met after a clash between Spurs and Manchester United in March.

"He came to one of our games in the UK about two months ago, it was actually the day before he announced he was coming back to play," Kane said.

"And I asked him: 'How you getting on? How's retirement treating you?' And his face was just like: 'Mmmmm, I'm not sure if I'm ready yet.' The next day he announced it."

Harry Kane is hoping to break Wayne Rooney's England goalscoring record at the World Cup later this year, as he looks to help the Three Lions improve on their 2018 semi-final appearance.

Kane has scored 49 goals in 69 appearances for England after moving level with Bobby Charlton's international tally in a 2-1 friendly win over Switzerland at Wembley in March.

The Tottenham striker is now just four goals behind Rooney's Three Lions record, despite playing 50 international games fewer than the Manchester United legend.

Indeed, Kane has averaged 0.71 goals per game for his country, compared to Rooney's 0.45, and it looks to be a matter of time before Gareth Southgate's captain establishes himself as the greatest goalscorer in the national team's history.

Kane also enjoyed a successful season at club level, registering 17 goals and nine assists in the Premier League to help Antonio Conte's Spurs to Champions League qualification.

Speaking on The Tonight Show, the Spurs talisman expressed his excitement for England to build on their 2018 World Cup semi-final loss to Croatia, as he targeted breaking Rooney's record in Qatar.

"I'm excited," Kane told host Jimmy Fallon. "In the last World Cup we got to the semi-finals, which was the furthest we've gone in the tournament for 30 years.

"The country was going mad, but we fell just that one step short. I'm looking forward to this one as we've got a really good coach and a really good team. 

"We've been building nicely to this World Cup, and hopefully I can break the goal record while we're there."

Kane could even break the record before the tournament, with England facing four Nations League contests next month, including clashes with Germany and Euro 2020 final conquerors Italy.

The 28-year-old scored six goals as England progressed to the final four of the last World Cup in Russia, and a repeat performance would also see him become his country's record goalscorer at the competition, with Gary Lineker having scored 10 goals across the 1986 and 1990 tournaments.

Real Madrid have turned their attention to Milan forward Rafael Leao after being snubbed by Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.

The 22-year-old Portuguese winger scored 14 goals and contributed 12 assists in 42 games in all club competitions this season, after 13 goals combined in his first two campaigns in Milan.

His rapid ascension has seen him fitted with an eye-opening price tag, with ESPN reporting his release clause is at €150million, and that Madrid will offer somewhere in the range of €120m.

TOP STORY – LOS BLANCOS CLOSE IN ON MILAN'S PORTUGUESE STAR

Leao provided an assist in Milan's Champions League loss to Liverpool, scored a goal in their defeat to Atletico Madrid, and tallied three goals and six assists in the last six games of the Serie A season to seal the Scudetto.

With his lofty price tag, it is fair to assume Leao is the Spanish giants' top target in the upcoming transfer window, although he is not the only big-money signing reportedly in the works for Madrid.

ESPN is also reporting Madrid's €80m move for Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has been held up by a tax issue, and if it is to fall through, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are all circling.

ROUND-UP

– The Daily Mail is reporting Everton striker Richarlison has strong interest from Tottenham, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

– With Burnley relegated from the Premier League, the Telegraph is reporting Everton and West Ham will compete for the services of Clarets striker Maxwel Cornet.

– According to the Evening Standard, Harry Kane no longer wishes to leave Tottenham and is now ready to open talks for a new contract.

– Chelsea have been told they will need to pay £45m to pry Marc Cucurella away from Brighton and Hove Albion, according to the Sun.

– Todofichajes is reporting Liverpool would like RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku to be their long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, should the Egyptian leave the club, with his contract expiring in 2023.

Harry Kane's future at Tottenham hinges on whether he can achieve his ambitions by staying put, according to former Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas.

Kane was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City at the end of the 2020-21 season, but the Premier League champions were seemingly unwilling to meet Spurs' asking price.

The uncertainty around the player's future led to him sitting out the opening-weekend win over City at the start of the 2021-22 campaign.

Despite a slow start to the season, with Kane managing only two goal involvements (one goal, one assist) in his first 13 Premier League games, he went on to record 24 (16 goals, eight assists) over his next 24 games.

The turnaround in form came shortly after the arrival of Antonio Conte as Nuno Espirito Santo's replacement, and the Italian guided Spurs to fourth place and Champions League qualification, secured with a final-day 5-0 rout of Norwich City, in which Kane scored and assisted.

Further questions regarding Kane's future are likely to arise during pre-season, though City have since moved on and completed the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.

Villas-Boas, who managed Spurs for 17 months until December 2013, feels Kane's future will be determined by his personal ambitions, and if any potential buying club is willing to match Tottenham's demands.

"I think it's up to him to decide what is progress in his career or not," he told Stats Perform. "If you fulfil your own ambitions of being in Tottenham and making a part of the history in Tottenham, that is great.

"If you have ambitions to go further and to test yourself in other environments, I think you will depart.

"I think it is up to him, it's also up to the clubs who can come around knocking and take him away, but I wish him all the best as well.

"He's a good boy, he has proved a lot of people wrong, he has established himself and I sincerely hope he does well."

Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham sealed their place in next season's Champions League with a thumping 5-0 win over Norwich City.

Antonio Conte's side went into the game knowing a draw would be enough to secure fourth spot given their far superior goal difference over fifth-placed Arsenal, but nothing less than a win looked likely after Dejan Kulusevski's early opener.

Spurs continued to dominate at Carrow Road after that and Harry Kane added a second before half-time following a howler from Tim Krul.

The impressive Kulusevski grabbed his second midway through the second half, before Son - who was chasing the golden boot - scored two excellent goals to move onto 23 goals in the top flight this season.

Kulusevski gave Spurs a deserved lead in the 16th minute, the Sweden international stroking in via a deflection off Jacob Lungi Sorensen after being teed up by Rodrigo Bentancur.

Spurs doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute when Kane headed in from eight yards from Bentancur's first-time cross following a dismal kick out by Krul.

The Norwich goalkeeper twice denied Son after the break, before Kulusevski saw a tame effort cleared off the line after he had rounded Krul. 

The on-loan Juventus forward was not to be denied in the 64th minute, though, as he whipped into Krul's top-right corner from 15 yards. 

Son stroked into Krul's bottom-left corner from Lucas Moura's clever pass in the 70th minute to make it four, with the South Korea international then curling in from 25 yards five minutes later to add further gloss to the scoreline. 

Antonio Conte insisted Champions League candidates Tottenham can stomach any sickness crisis as they bid to avoid a crisis comparable to 2006's 'lasagne-gate' on the final day of the season.

Gary Lineker raised concerns among Tottenham fans when he wrote on Twitter that he had heard of "a food poisoning outbreak" at the club ahead of Sunday's trip to Norwich City.

Former Spurs striker Lineker, now a respected television presenter, added: "No, I am not joking."

It then emerged that Harry Kane had reported feeling unwell on Friday and pulled out of an event he was due to attend at a London museum.

The speculation sparked concerns there might be a repeat of the 2005-06 season-ending drama when food poisoning hit Tottenham hard on the final weekend. Then, a string of stars were left stricken and played their game against West Ham despite vomiting in the changing rooms before kick-off.

Tottenham lost 2-1 and were overtaken by north London rivals Arsenal, who snatched the fourth Champions League place thanks to a 4-2 win over Wigan Athletic. The episode was quickly branded 'lasagne-gate', given the choice of pre-match dinner of several of the Spurs players, as conspiracy theories abounded.

This time around, Tottenham hold a two-point advantage over fifth-placed Arsenal, who slumped to a dismal 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United on Monday, and Spurs will be virtually assured of fourth with a draw due to their considerable goal difference advantage over the Gunners.

Conte said on Friday: "If you remember the last game, the game against Burnley, we had three, four cases of a stomach problem.

"In this week, to be honest we had a couple of cases about this, but we overcame the situation. Members of the staff for one day they were not feeling so good, I don't know why, but last week and also this week, we faced this kind of situation.

"But in this moment, this virus is the last of our problems, because we are very close to reaching a big achievement for the club, for our fans and for the players.

"We are totally focused on the game, and the situation of the players and the availability is the same as for the last game against Burnley."

Asked whether he expected Kane to be available, Conte said: "For sure. For sure Harry doesn't want to miss this type of game, and this game it means a lot for everybody.

"The whole season is behind this game. We can reach something amazing for us, because I think no one can imagine Tottenham in the top four this season. 

"This must be a big push for us because we've worked very hard and deserve to be in this position. Everything is in our hands. For this reason, we want to get it."

Told about the saga which unfolded 16 years ago when Martin Jol's sickly Spurs surrendered fourth place, Conte said: "I don't want to know this story, it is not good. It is not a lucky story."

Norwich have already had their relegation confirmed, so Spurs will be facing a side with little incentive other than to finish a gloomy campaign on a high at Carrow Road, but Conte is not taking anything for granted.

"In England there are no easy games," Conte added. "I remember in my experiences as a player that I had in the last game lucky situations and unlucky situations. For this reason, we have the right focus, and we are understanding very well the importance of the moment."

Norwich have won just one of their last nine league games against Tottenham (three draws, five losses), a 1-0 home victory in February 2014. The Canaries have conceded at least twice in each of their last five against Spurs (one draw, four defeats).

That loss is also the only defeat Spurs have suffered in their last 10 trips to Norwich, winning six and drawing three in that stretch.

One concern for Tottenham, however, may be their record against teams already relegated from the Premier League on the final day of the season.

Surprisingly, they have lost more of those games (three) than they have won (two), beating Wolves in 2003-04 and Hull City in 2016-17, but losing against Leicester City in 2001-02, Burnley in 2009-10, and Newcastle United in 2015-16.

Should Spurs claim a result at Carrow Road, Conte will become the fifth manager to finish in the top four of the Premier League with two different clubs, after Kenny Dalglish, Rafael Benítez, Claudio Ranieri and Jose Mourinho.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane hopes head coach Antonio Conte will remain with the club past the end of the season, saying he and his team-mates are enjoying working with the Italian.

Spurs followed up last week's North London derby victory over top-four rivals Arsenal with a 1-0 win against Burnley on Sunday, extending their unbeaten Premier League run to five games as Conte attempts to lead the team to Champions League qualification.

Kane's first-half penalty was enough to seal Tottenham's crucial win over the Clarets, taking the England captain to 20 goals and eight assists in all competitions this season.

The 28-year-old has certainly benefited from Spurs' uplift in form since Conte took the reins in November after Nuno Espirito Santo's sacking. Having earned just five wins and scored nine goals in 10 Premier League games under the former Wolves boss, Tottenham have won 16 of their 27 league matches under the Conte, scoring 55 goals.

However, rumours have suggested Conte could be tempted to move elsewhere at the end of the campaign, with Paris Saint-Germain touted as a possible destination should the former Chelsea boss decide to depart.

Kane, however, told Standard Sport he is enjoying working with Conte and hopes he remains in North London.

Asked whether he thought Conte would still be in the Spurs dugout next season, Kane replied: "I have no idea to be honest, that is his decision. 

"But he has worked really hard while he has been here, he's a great guy, a really passionate man so whatever his decision is, you have to respect it. For sure I am enjoying it and I know the boys are enjoying working with him.

"I have said I am a big fan of his and we get on really well, so of course, it would be great for the club if he stays. 

"But like I have said that is his decision, he's his own man, and I'm sure he will talk to the club and decide on his future. From our point of view, we are all enjoying working with him."

Kane's admiration for Conte's work will be music to the ears of Tottenham fans after their star striker failed to force through a move to Manchester City just under a year ago.

Meanwhile, Kane says he is pleased with the progress shown by Spurs since Conte's appointment, highlighting their need to be more consistent after enduring frustrating periods under previous bosses Nuno and Jose Mourinho.

"There is still a lot of work to do," he added. "I think the improvement has definitely been there since the gaffer came in to where we are now. 

"It shows it can be done in a short space of time, but obviously we will see what happens over the summer and look forward to the next season with a great manager. Hopefully we've learnt a lot since he's been here.

"We had some good times with Jose, we were top of the league for the first few months of the [2020-21] season, we have had spells where we were really good but it is about doing that on a consistent basis over a whole season in all competitions, and not just in the Premier League. 

"That is where we have got to get better and learn from [Conte], and for sure the last few months have been a big improvement."

Pep Guardiola saw Manchester City squander a glorious chance to all but make sure of the Premier League title, and their quest could go to the final day.

City rallied from two goals down to draw 2-2 at West Ham, but Riyad Mahrez's late penalty miss might yet be a telling moment in the race for silverware.

Tottenham piled pressure on Arsenal in the battle for fourth after a narrow win over a Burnley side who would have been devastated by Leeds United's late leveller against Brighton and Hove Albion, shaking up the relegation battle.

Everton might have seen the visit of Brentford as a chance to banish their own worries about dropping into the second tier, but a home defeat keeps the Toffees on unsteady ground, as Opta data tells the story of the day.

West Ham 2-2 Manchester City: Bowen's bullseye strikes and Mahrez's miss keep title race alive

Jarrod Bowen's double carried West Ham into a 2-0 interval lead, but Jack Grealish and Vladimir Coufal's own goal hauled City level.

This match almost produced a Premier League first for City; however, Mahrez's spot-kick was saved by Lukasz Fabianski in the closing stages to mean they could not complete the turnaround.

This was only the second time City had avoided defeat from two or more down at half-time (D2 L51), but that probably felt like scant consolation, given Liverpool are back in the hunt, providing the FA Cup winners collect three points at Southampton on Tuesday.

Mahrez has missed two penalties in all competitions for City – his first was against Liverpool in October 2018. Between that and the miss at the London Stadium, the Algerian had converted nine consecutive penalties.

Bowen has scored 12 times and provided 10 assists in the Premier League this season, with his 22 goal involvements the third most in a single campaign in the competition by a West Ham player, after Paolo Di Canio (29 in 1999-00) and John Hartson (23 in 1997-98).

Fabianski, the toast of east London and large parts of Liverpool, saved a penalty for the 10th time in the Premier League. Only David James (13) and Thomas Sorensen (12) have saved more in the competition.

Leeds United 1-1 Brighton and Hove Albion: Late Struijk lifts Marsch men

Pascal Struijk headed a last-gasp leveller to negate the impact of Danny Welbeck's opener as Leeds gave themselves a relegation lifeline, climbing above Burnley to reach 17th place.

This felt significant, with Leeds avoiding defeat in a Premier League home game after conceding the opening goal for the first time since October (1-1 v Wolves), having lost each of their last seven such games.

Former Manchester United man Welbeck was looking like delivering three points for Brighton, and his first-half goal means the ex-England international has scored in both of his two Premier League appearances against Leeds. Indeed, they are the only opponent he has scored in his first two Premier League games against.

The Leeds late show has become a habit. Only Manchester City (9) have scored more goals in the 90th minute or stoppage time than Leeds (7) in the Premier League this season, with all seven of their goals in this period being scored by different players (Luke Ayling, Patrick Bamford, Joe Gelhardt, Daniel James, Raphinha, Rodrigo and Struijk).

Tottenham 1-0 Burnley: Cool-eye Kane keeps Spurs in hunt for fourth

When Harry Kane stepped up for a penalty that would have ramifications at each end of the table, the outcome was entirely predictable. Of course Kane scored, just as he now has with each of the last 21 penalties he has taken in all competitions for Tottenham, excluding shoot-outs, and each of his last 15 in the Premier League.

That match-winning spot-kick for Tottenham, after 52 minutes and 36 seconds of play, was the second-latest first-half goal scored in a Premier League game since Opta has exact times available (from 2006-07), behind only Trincao’s strike for Wolves against Leeds in March this year (55mins 11secs).

Kane has scored more Premier League goals against Burnley than any other player, with his ninth strike against the Clarets seeing him overtake Mahrez and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (both eight). Burnley are the fourth side that Kane is the outright top Premier League goalscorer against, along with Arsenal (13 goals), Leicester (17) and West Brom (nine).

Burnley, who have games against Aston Villa and Newcastle United to come, need to find at least one point to stand hope of survival. Points at Tottenham have been hard to come by for Burnley, so this defeat came as little surprise. They have lost nine of their last 10 away league games at Spurs (D1).

Everton 2-3 Brentford: Red, red, whine

Everton had Jarrad Branthwaite and Salomon Rondon sent off in this one, with boss Frank Lampard complaining afterwards: "The reality is we're on the bad end of a lot of decisions this season."

Nineteen-year-old Branthwaite became the first teenager to receive a red card in a Premier League game for Everton since a 17-year-old Wayne Rooney in December 2002 against Birmingham City. Indeed, Everton have been shown more red cards than any other side in Premier League history (104).

There are more unwanted statistics starting to emerge in Everton's dismal season. They have conceded 59 goals now, their joint-most in a 38-game Premier League campaign alongside 2000-01.

Seamus Coleman, who put the ball into his own net for a first-half Brentford equaliser, has scored more Premier League own goals (5) than any other Everton player, while the Toffees have put through their own net the most often in Premier League history (58).

Brentford, who twice trailed after Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison scored either side of Coleman's own goal, have gained the most points from losing positions in the Premier League this term (15).

This was just the fourth match in Premier League history to see a first-half red card (Branthwaite), own goal (Coleman) and penalty (Richarlison), after Coventry v Wimbledon (November 1995), Charlton v Aston Villa (April 2001) and Tottenham v Fulham (February 2003).

Harry Kane's first-half penalty was the difference as Tottenham did just enough to beat Burnley 1-0 in the Premier League and increase the heat on Arsenal in the race for fourth.

Spurs' 3-0 north London derby victory over the Gunners on Thursday left just a one-point gap between the two rivals in the table and, while Antonio Conte's men disappointed during the visit of Burnley, Kane secured the desired result.

The relegation-battling Clarets initially did a fine job of keeping Spurs at bay until conceding what they felt was a harsh penalty, with Kane converting his 23rd successive spot-kick for Tottenham.

Burnley then enjoyed encouraging spells after the interval, with Ashley Barnes hitting the post, but Spurs – who saw Son Heung-min denied twice by Nick Pope – managed to cling onto another important win.

A dominant Spurs start did not yield many clear-cut chances, with Kane and Emerson Royal going closest when forcing straightforward saves from Pope.

Burnley grew as an attacking presence themselves and should have taken the lead when Maxwel Cornet shot straight at Hugo Lloris in a one-on-one situation.

Kane fired wide as Spurs looked to be heading into the break frustrated, but a VAR review subsequently spotted a handball by Barnes in the build-up to that chance, and Spurs' talismanic striker was clinical from 12 yards.

Spurs' start to the second half was sloppy, however, and Burnley almost capitalised.

Josh Brownhill headed agonisingly wide, before Barnes smashed against the post from 25 yards just past the hour.

Son twice looked destined to finish Burnley off in the final 25 minutes, but Pope produced a fine save down low and then made a reaction stop to deny him late on – not that it mattered for Spurs.

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal now face a thorough examination of their mentality and focus after Thursday's morale-sapping 3-0 north London derby defeat blew the race for fourth wide open.

While the importance of Champions League qualification might feel exaggerated to some given the financial muscle of practically every Premier League club, regardless of finishing in the top four or not, the end of 2021-22 will undoubtedly have significant implications for both clubs.

A top-four finish would be Arsenal's best Premier League season in six years and simultaneously the first time since the same season that they'd finished above their bitter rivals.

Champions League qualification would also be vindication of the faith placed in Arteta and a clear sign of genuine progress since he replaced Unai Emery.

For Spurs, on the other hand, it's difficult to look at these final 10 days of the season being anything other than a sliding-doors moment.

Failure to return to European football's top table would plausibly see Antonio Conte call it quits, whereas the possibilities could be endless under him with the extra cash, exposure and lure provided by the Champions League, particularly when you consider the transformational effect he's already had in north London and elsewhere previously.

With those points in mind, it was no surprise to see Thursday's contest – the first with fans present at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – labelled the most important north London derby in Premier League history, and it's fair to say the hosts handled the occasion far better than the Gunners.

Perhaps that wasn't actually as shocking as it initially felt during the match.

The turning point came with just 33 minutes on the clock. While Tottenham were already ahead thanks to a Harry Kane penalty, it was just past the half-hour mark when Rob Holding's pushed his luck once too often.

Having already been booked – frankly, he could have been carded several times by this point – Holding cynically blocked off the relentless Son Heung-min with a combination of shoulder and elbow, deservedly earning himself a second yellow and subsequent red card.

It had been coming. Holding's early duels with Son had the South Korean showing signs of frustration – not because he couldn't get the better of his opponent, but because he was getting the better of him. He just kept getting fouled by the Arsenal defender.

Holding's wry smile when walking away from an angry Son after a tangle that wouldn't have looked out of place on a Judo mat belied a degree of arrogance and misplaced confidence.

It was ill-judged to say the least.

But of course, this is by no means the first time indiscipline's been seen as the scourge of Arsenal. Since Arteta's appointment, the Gunners have been shown five more red cards (13 in total) in the Premier League than any other team.

Granted, they are the youngest team in the Premier League, so perhaps a hint of indiscipline is to be expected as a consequence of inexperience – but that argument can't really be applied to 26-year-old Holding.

Arsenal had actually started the match quite well. Their pressing intensity was excellent, so much so that a Spurs passage of play consisting exclusively of passes between the defence and Hugo Lloris drew significant jeers of derision and frustration from the home crowd.

But Spurs identified they could find joy by playing direct, which was exactly how the opener arrived, with Cedric Soares – no, not Holding this time! – the one guilty of barging Son over at the back post as he looked to reach a deep delivery.

Just four minutes after Holding's red card, Kane – who had endured a career-worst derby drought of two matches prior to Thursday – exploited Eddie Nketiah's lack of awareness to stoop in at the back post to head home his second goal of the game, extending his all-time record as this fixture's top scorer.

Conte was a figure of calm after the first goal, but this time he wore his near-trademark terrifying jubilation with pride, presumably aware only a miracle would save Arsenal now.

The sparkling Son made sure any Arsenal hopes were thoroughly extinguished less than two minutes after the restart, pouncing on a loose ball in the area before steering beyond Aaron Ramsdale with the kind of expertise we've come to expect from a player only outscored by Mohamed Salah in the Premier League this season.

Arteta can console himself with the fact Arsenal remain fourth heading into their final two games of the season. Had you given him the option of being in that situation back in August, he'd have snapped your hand off.

But Thursday's ultimately crushing defeat once again raised questions of the Gunners' mentality and discipline, and their squad is becoming more depleted by the game. It's hardly an ideal combination when the pressure is on – and boy is it on now.

Tottenham – whose kind run-in sees them face Norwich City and Burnley – still need either Newcastle United or Everton to do them a favour at the very least.

But Thursday was evidence of Spurs keeping their cool when it matters. Arsenal didn't, and there's nothing to suggest they're too good to capitulate.

Tottenham secured a huge victory in the race for Champions League qualification by winning 3-0 against Arsenal, who played an hour of the north London derby with 10 men. 

A win for Arsenal would have been enough for them to clinch a top-four finish in the Premier League for the first time since 2016, but they are now just one point clear of Spurs with two games remaining. 

Harry Kane scored the opener from the penalty spot after Cedric Soares' foul on Son Heung-min and it was a coming together with the South Korean that resulted in Rob Holding being shown a second yellow card in the 33rd minute. 

Kane doubled his tally before half-time and Son put the result beyond doubt early in the second period, putting Antonio Conte's men firmly in contention for a Champions League spot. 

Tottenham were awarded a penalty in the 22nd minute when Cedric shoved Son over in the box and Kane showed great composure to send his spot-kick into the bottom-right corner.  

Holding was given his marching orders after catching Son in the head with his arm and Spurs doubled their advantage just four minutes later.  

Son's corner was helped on towards the back post by Rodrigo Bentancur, with Kane stooping to nod into the back of the net from close range.  

Things got worse for Arsenal just two minutes after the restart, with Son dinking the ball home through a crowd of bodies after Gabriel Magalhaes' tackle on Kane. 

Aaron Ramsdale made two saves in quick succession to deny Emerson Royal and Kane, while Son was unable to turn Ryan Sessegnon's pass on target despite being one-on-one with the keeper. 

Gabriel hobbled off late on with a hamstring injury for the Gunners, who were left to mull over a defeat that put a dent in their hopes of a return to the Champions League.

What does it mean? Gunners see red 

Arsenal were completely undone after Holding's dismissal, which was their 13th red card in the Premier League since Mikel Arteta's first game in charge in December 2019 – that is five more than any other team in the same timeframe. 

They were unable to keep things tight and consequently fell to a third straight away loss to Spurs in the league for the first time since August 1961.  

The Gunners must regroup ahead of a trip to Newcastle United and a clash with Everton, with Spurs still to face Burnley and Norwich City.

Another Kane-ing for Arsenal 

With his first-half double, Kane took his haul of top-flight goals against Arsenal to 13. The only team he has scored more against in the competition are Leicester City (17). Kane has now been involved in 52 goals in 69 London derby appearances in the Premier League, two behind Thierry Henry's record. 

No Holding on for Gunners 

While they still had their full complement, Arsenal had a chance of getting back into the game at 1-0 down. However, Holding managed to commit four fouls – the most he has made in a single Premier League appearance – in the opening 33 minutes and his red card ruined their hopes. 

What's next?  

Spurs entertain Burnley on Sunday, meaning Arsenal could be outside the top four when they play away at Newcastle United on Monday 

Tottenham at least temporarily leapfrogged Arsenal into fourth place in the Premier League with a 3-1 victory over Leicester City.

With Arsenal in action at West Ham in the late game on Sunday, Spurs were able to apply pressure to their rivals thanks to their first win in three.

Harry Kane predictably opened the scoring – his 17th goal in 14 Premier League matches against former loan club Leicester – but Son Heung-min stole the show, grabbing a brace.

Tottenham were far more accomplished in the second half than they had been in a shaky opening period, although only the result really matters at this stage of the season with a trip to Liverpool to come next week ahead of a huge north London derby.

The Leicester team showed nine changes from Thursday's 1-1 draw with Roma, yet they enjoyed by far the better of the play prior to Kane's opener, with Patson Daka seeing a low shot from a precise Boubakary Soumare cross touched onto the post by Hugo Lloris.

Brendan Rodgers' side were far too accommodating at the other end, though, when Son swung over a right-wing corner in the 22nd minute and Kane was granted a clear run to head down and past Kasper Schmeichel.

Leicester were similarly generous 11 minutes later, as Nampalys Mendy's underhit backpass set Kane through, forcing Schmeichel to block bravely.

The introduction of Dejan Kulusevski early in the second half then led to the second goal after Cristian Romero won a pair of crunching tackles to tee up the winger, who in turn picked out Son to steer a left-footed finish beyond Schmeichel on the turn.

And Kulusevski and Son combined again for number three, albeit that goal was all about the quality of the scorer, taking a square pass on the edge of the box and curling into the top-left corner.

Kelechi Iheanacho gave Leicester some belated cheer with a fine stoppage-time consolation, fired in off the post from outside the area.

What does it mean? Three precious points in top-four fight

Unlike Europa Conference League semi-finalists Leicester, Tottenham's sole focus is on league points – and goals from Kane and Son delivered three to move Spurs one clear of Arsenal ahead of their trip to West Ham.

After two games without a shot on target, Conte's men mustered seven and netted with three, perhaps profiting from Leicester's ambition, which left gaping holes at the back after the opening goal. It was not an approach that worked for the Foxes in attack either, unable to attempt a single shot between the 39th and 89th minutes.

Kane keeps scoring

Even following an improved second half to the season, Kane's sluggish start in 2021-22 means he is set for his lowest scoring campaign as a Tottenham regular. Among his 13 goals, though, are strikes against Leicester both at home and away.

Only Alan Shearer, with 20 against Leeds United, has scored more Premier League goals against a specific opponent.

Moura misses the mark

Kulusevski dropped to the bench following Tottenham's recent struggles in attack, with Lucas Moura brought in. But that change was reversed after just 55 minutes in which Moura failed to hit the target with either of his two shots and did not create a single chance for his team-mates.

Spurs suddenly posed a greater threat with the introduction of Kulusevski, who finished with a pair of assists. His incredible close control infuriated Luke Thomas, who was booked for hacking down the substitute following one of three completed dribbles from four attempts.

What's next?

It does not get much tougher than Tottenham's next task, away at Liverpool on Saturday. Leicester go to Roma for their semi-final second leg on Thursday, then host Everton three days later.

Paris Saint-Germain secured a record-equalling 10th Ligue 1 title with a 1-1 draw at home to Lens on Saturday, but that may not be enough to keep Mauricio Pochettino in a job.

The Argentine may not be heading for Old Trafford after Manchester United confirmed the appointment of Erik ten Hag last week, but he could still be going out the exit door after a demoralising campaign.

With PSG crashing out of the Champions League in calamitous fashion to Real Madrid in March, reports have suggested Pochettino could be replaced by the boss of his former club Tottenham, Antonio Conte.

With Conte overseeing an improvement in Spurs' fortunes since taking the job and possessing experience of managing big egos at former clubs Juventus, Chelsea, and Inter, could the Italian be the man to get the best out of the star-studded Parisians?

Here, Stats Perform uses Opta-powered data to compare the managerial duo.

Pochettino in Paris: Domestic dominance remains, but so does European fragility 

Many saw the decision to appoint Pochettino as prudent after he made 70 appearances in a two-year playing spell in Paris, before his relationship with compatriot Lionel Messi aided the legendary forward's arrival.

It has not, however, been plain sailing for the former Tottenham boss. PSG beat Monaco to lift the Coupe de France last May but missed out on the league title to surprise package Lille last season.

Lille led PSG by a point when Pochettino arrived and pipped the Parisians to the title by that margin as Pochettino became just the second PSG boss (after Unai Emery) to fail to win the Ligue 1 title since 2012.

While PSG rebounded to win the league in dominant fashion this term, moving level with Saint-Etienne as the most successful club in Ligue 1 history, their 34 matches required to secure the title is the most they have needed since 2014-15, when they wrapped up top spot on matchday 37.

The team's reliance on Kylian Mbappe, who has contributed to 36 of the team's 76 league goals this term (22 goals, 14 assists), could also prove a huge issue next term with the 22-year-old heavily linked with a move to Madrid at the end of his contract in June.

Although the star trio of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe have recorded 37 goals and 32 assists in the league between them this term, they could not inspire Champions League success.

If Pochettino is to depart, March's humiliating 3-2 aggregate loss to a Karim Benzema-inspired Madrid will be remembered as the decisive moment of his time in Paris.

Having beaten the Spanish giants 1-0 at home, PSG have now been eliminated in four of their nine Champions League knockout ties when winning the first leg.

Fixing their fragility on the big occasions will be their foremost aim ahead of next season, which is why the appointment of a manager with one of Europe's most impressive track records has been speculated.

The case for Conte: Title wins and handling big names

Having won five league titles (four in Serie A, one in the Premier League), Conte is always mentioned when a vacancy at an elite European club comes around.

With current club Tottenham battling to ensure Champions League qualification for next season, however, could Conte be tempted to follow in Pochettino's footsteps if he departs PSG?

Conte has overseen a dramatic improvement since taking the Spurs job; before falling to a 1-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion and drawing 0-0 with Brentford, Spurs had plundered 25 goals in their previous seven league games, having scored just nine in 10 league matches under predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo earlier this season.

Star duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min have also been rejuvenated by Conte's arrival, breaking Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba's record of 36 direct Premier League goal combinations in February.

Conte's previous role at Italian giants Inter, however, might prove more relevant to what he could expect at PSG: the Italian excelled under huge expectations to deliver their first Scudetto in over a decade last season, ending a nine-year period of Juventus dominance he began by leading the Bianconeri to an unbeaten season in 2011-12.

Like Kane and Son, Romelu Lukaku – who recorded 24 goals and 11 assists in Serie A last season – profited from a direct style that saw Inter net a remarkable 89 league goals in their title-winning campaign, and has struggled to replicate that form since following Conte out of San Siro.

As well as his title wins, Conte's work with Lukaku, Kane, Son, and other big names certainly suggests he could have what it takes to manage the sizeable egos of PSG's attacking stars if he makes the move.

However, with Conte failing to progress beyond the Champions League last-eight in his career, the Italian would need to improve his European record in order to satisfy the ambitions of continental glory.

Harry Kane insists Tottenham must win their five remaining Premier League games to qualify for the Champions League.

Antonio Conte's Spurs are embroiled in a fight for fourth with rivals Arsenal, who are two points ahead after defeating Manchester United 3-1 before Tottenham were held by Brentford later on Saturday.

That capped a damaging two-game spell for Conte's side, after losing to Brighton and Hove Albion at home last week.

Spurs also failed to register a single shot on target across the games against Brighton and Brentford, having previously scored in 14 consecutive halves of Premier League football.

The north London pair meet in a rearranged fixture in the penultimate week of the season, which could decide who finishes fourth, and Kane urged Tottenham to collect maximum points from their final five games.

Spurs face Leicester City and Liverpool before concluding their campaign against Burnley and Norwich City after the meeting with Mikel Arteta's Gunners on May 12.

"To only get one point from those two games [Brighton and Brentford] is disappointing," Kane told Standard Sport. "We're running out of games in terms of dropping points.

"There are five games left and we feel like we are pretty much going to have to win all of them to get that spot. We are more than capable of doing that, we believe in that and that is what we'll try and do.

"Is it still in our hands? Yeah. If we win the last five games we will be in the Champions League, so that is how we've got to look at it."

Kane – who is set to lead England at the World Cup later this year – also acknowledged the difficult task of facing quadruple-chasing Liverpool at Anfield, while Burnley are fighting relegation, although Norwich will likely be consigned to the Championship by the final day.

"We know those five games will be difficult, we go to Liverpool away as well which will be very tough," he added.

"As we've seen this season, we have dropped points against teams where we were probably expected to win and so have the others around us. It is by all means not done yet.

"We have to stay focused and keep working hard. We have a little gap now to prepare and work and hopefully, we can put in a good performance against Leicester [on Sunday].

"It has been a long season and we've definitely had ups and downs this season. I think we've done great to put ourselves in this position we're in now but it is about who can finish it off.

"That is the most important thing in football. Hopefully, it is us, we will work as hard as we can to make sure it is us and get that Champions League spot."

Along with Brenden Aaronson and Luka Sucic, Karim Adeyemi is part of a young core enjoying a breakout season at Salzburg.

In his third season in the Austrian Bundesliga, the 20-year-old has come up with 16 goals and three assists in 24 league appearances, and earned his first international cap for Germany last September.

Reports also suggest that a return to Germany at domestic level is imminent.

TOP STORY – DORTMUND CLOSE IN ON ADEYEMI

Borussia Dortmund and Salzburg have reached a basic agreement over the transfer of Karim Adeyemi, according to reports from Sky Sport Germany.

After several rounds of talks, this week has finally seen a breakthrough between the two clubs, with €35million the reported fee the two clubs have agreed on.

However, Dortmund are still to arrive at a point that satisfies Adeyemi and his representatives on personal terms.

According to the report, all three parties are looking to finalise the deal, but RB Leipzig, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain also remain interested.

ROUND-UP

– Harry Kane is set to turn down a move to Manchester United, with Erik ten Hag reportedly due to take over at Old Trafford instead of Kane's former boss Mauricio Pochettino, the Mirror reports.

– United have been given a boost in their pursuit of Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger however, as talks with Barcelona have reportedly stalled, according to the Sun.

– Newcastle United have targeted Sevilla's Diego Carlos as a viable alternative if Sven Botman opts to join Milan, per the Chronicle.

– Football Insider reports Villarreal are seeking to permanently sign Giovani Lo Celso from Tottenham, having had the 26-year-old on loan since January.

– Meanwhile, Football Insider also reports that Manchester City have made Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni their top priority to replace Fernandinho.