Tottenham Hotspur Prove Their Worth Without Harry Kane

While Harry Kane was limping down the tunnel, only 11 minutes into the second half of the match in the Champions League quarterfinal where they clashed against Manchester City. He was forced to hop on one leg following a reckless challenge against Fabian Delph; the initial conclusion could have been that Tottenham’s hopes and dreams of advancing to the semi-final were lost with him as he left the pitch.

Some players are so vital to the prospects of a club that playing a match without them can’t even be considered by other players. Think back to how Liverpool was slumping during the Champions League final while playing against Real Madrid after Salah suffered a shoulder injury which forced him to leave the game? Real Madrid also discovered that a match without Sergio Ramos wasn’t sure after they were defeated in the Champions League with a 4-1 defeat at home while playing against Ajax in March.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Victory Over Manchester City

Harry Kane, with his talismanic qualities and goals, is usually as vital to Tottenham as Ramos is to Real Madrid and Salah is to Liverpool. However, this was an evening where Tottenham Hotspur managed to prove that they are capable of delivering the good without their superstar striker on the field. Mauricio Pochettino’s team would have liked their striker to lead the way in next week’s clash at Etihad. However, all is not lost without Harry Kane on the pitch.

With Harry Kane unable to play for the rest of the match, Lucas Moura was added to the mix and Tottenham instantly looked far more dangerous on the field going forward. They are posed a far greater threat to Manchester City who was able to challenge the England captain quite well for most of the evening thanks to Nicolas Otamendi and Aymeric Laporte.

After Son Heung-Min managed to score the only goal of the match during the 78th minute to finally secure a 1-0 victory over Manchester City, it was a clear reminder that the 26-year-old South Korean international was more than capable of rising to the challenge without Harry Kane on the field. When Harry Kane suffered an ankle injury earlier this season, Son managed to score in 4 consecutive matches for Tottenham Hotspur before he went six games without scoring once after Kane returned to the field.

Harry Kane has managed to score four goals in the last eight games for Tottenham Hotspur after he made his return following his initial ankle injury during February. There’s no denying that Tottenham is an entirely different squad without Harry Kane. Dele Alli, Son, and Lucas operating as the front three provide a more fluid force with far more pace as opposed to Kane. Manchester City remains favourites to make it to the semi-final of the Champions League. However, after the 1-0 victory this week, it gives Tottenham a bit more breathing room before they visit the Etihad for the second leg of the quarterfinals.