Some Arsenal fans are 'in denial' about Tottenham's Harry Kane - Garth Crooks

Tom Doyle3 October 2017

Harry Kane has already proven that he is no flat-track bully for Tottenham, says Garth Crooks.

Kane has won the Premier League Golden Boot for the last two seasons running, but made a slow start to the 2017-18 campaign with a goalless August for Spurs.

But Kane has been in red-hot form in September, scoring 13 goals for both England and Spurs to head into the international break on a high.

Kane's added two goals in the 4-0 victory over Huddersfield to his domestic tally after doubles against Everton and West Ham, with a Champions League brace against Borussia Dortmund and a treble against APOEL Nicosia marking him out as a real rival to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's European dominance.

While the England striker's latest goals may have come against newly-promoted Huddersfield, former Spurs striker Crooks says fans of Premier League rivals - particularly Arsenal - should be under no illusions as to the danger he now poses on a weekly basis.

Writing in his BBC Sport column, Crooks said: "An Arsenal fan said to me, almost in desperation that 'we weren't playing anybody'... the point he was trying to make was that Huddersfield are not a Manchester United, Manchester City or even an Arsenal for that matter.

In Pictures | Huddersfield vs Tottenham | 30/09/2017

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"OK, I get that, but I have seen Harry Kane do what he did to David Wagner's side to all the above.

"Arsenal fans can try to convince themselves otherwise, but I have seen Kane score magnificent goals against the very best. Even if some Arsenal fans are in denial.

"I quite understand critics claiming that Kane's hat-trick against Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League and double at Huddersfield on Saturday won't win him the Ballon d'Or, but it does build up an unassailable confidence.

"This is particularly the case when you are about to meet your rivals in a north London derby. Maybe that's what could be bothering Arsenal fans!"

Crooks believes Kane is now in the same sort of form that saw Gareth Bale earn the interest of Real Madrid, and says Spurs must now be wary of the Spanish giants swooping for another one of their star forwards.

In Pictures | Harry Kane's Premier League goals 2016/17

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"Kane's performances at the moment remind me of the form Gareth Bale was in when he had that unbelievable purple patch at Spurs some years ago," he added.

"Let's hope for Tottenham's sake he doesn't end up at Real Madrid. It's not out of the question if he carries on at this rate."