How can Norwich pull off a miracle & help Arsenal into the Champions League?
2. Contain Harry Kane (somehow, someway)
As tough as it might be for some to admit, Harry Kane is a remarkable footballer.
Despite spending the first half of the season rueing his failed move to Manchester City while Nuno Espirito Santo rigorously rubbed his [excellent] beard, the England skipper has scored 16 times and added eight assists a season after he topped both charts.
To deny Conte’s Spurs, first, you’ve got to get to Kane. He’s the heartbeat of the Lilywhites. Nullifying him, though, as both Fabinho and Rodri have discovered this season, is no easy feat.
Arsenal and Mohamed Elneny, in particular, had done an admirable job in the opening stages of the recent derby before their plan went AWOL, while Burnley’s low block frustrated Kane last weekend. However, the Spurs superstar proved at Anfield that he requires a mere moment to have a huge say on the outcome of a match.
While he isn’t the most athletic, man-marking Kane is a tough job due to his guile and physicality. And by making a concerted effort to slow one man down, as significant as he is, you’re then putting yourself at the mercy of Conte’s meticulous automatisms. Spurs’ January arrivals combined with the Italian’s coaching mean they’re as complete a team as they’ve been since Mauricio Pochettino’s pomp.
Nevertheless, shutting down Kane is the absolute key for Norwich on Sunday. I’m not expecting a persistent low block, which means that the hosts’ pivot and centre-back pairing must be in constant communication throughout. They can’t give Kane an inch. Rough him up early doors.
Continues on the next slide…