Wednesday 27 December 2017 13:49, UK
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has described Harry Kane's achievement of scoring the most Premier League goals in a calendar year as "absolutely amazing".
The striker scored a hat-trick in Tottenham's 5-2 thrashing of Southampton at Wembley on Boxing Day to take him onto 39 Premier League goals in 2017.
Kane's treble saw him surpass Alan Shearer's previous record of 36 goals in a year, set at Blackburn Rovers in 1995, while the England international finishes the year as the top scorer in Europe's top five leagues for club and country.
Kane scored 56 goals in 52 games for club and country in 2017, more than Lionel Messi (54 goals in 64 games), Cristiano Ronaldo (53 in 60), Edinson Cavani (53 in 62) and Robert Lewandowski (53 in 55), and Wenger paid tribute to the 24-year-old's achievements.
"He has done it and would I have predicted it? I would modestly say no," Wenger said.
"What he has done is beat people like Messi and Ronaldo, who are unbeatable in my head, so what he has done is absolutely fantastic."
Asked if Kane's achievement is all the more remarkable because of the perception that there are more competitive games in the Premier League than elsewhere, Wenger replied: "Yes there are. That is why I say that what he has achieved is absolutely amazing."
Kane's hat-trick was his eighth of 2017 and took Spurs three points clear of Arsenal, although Mauricio Pochettino's side have played one game more.
Arsenal play their game in hand against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Premier League.
Tottenham are next in action away at Swansea on January 2, also live on Sky Sports.
