It was a bittersweet afternoon for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane at Villa Park, as he equalled Mohamed Salah’s record for the most matches scored in during a Premier League season – and he still has two games left to claim the record outright. Jacob Ramsey opened the scoring after just eight minutes for the hosts, tucking home a low cross, and Kane actually missed a gilt-edged chance to equalise for Spurs early in the second half before Douglas Luiz netted a free-kick. With time running out, substitute Dejan Kulusevski played a ball in behind Villa’s high back-line for Kane, who beat Emiliano Martinez to the ball before being wiped out by the keeper; referee Peter Banks initially gave a corner before being sent over to the VAR screen to award a penalty. After a long wait, Kane took his customary deep breaths and sent Martinez – who is so effective at stopping penalties – the wrong way, firing into the bottom right corner. Ultimately it proved to be little more than a consolation goal for Spurs, who were second-best for much of the contest, and rather sums up their season and the extent to which Kane has carried the team. Nevertheless, it represents yet another milestone for the England captain, who has now scored in 24 different Premier League matches this season – the same tally Salah managed in the 2017-18 season.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland leads the scoring charts with 35 goals, but he has only netted in 22 different matches so far – two less than Kane. Kane still has four matches left to try and draw level with Haaland, or perhaps even overtake him. He also has two matches left this season against Brentford at home and Leeds United away, and will fancy his chances of claiming the record outright. His latest strike also takes him to 210 Premier League goals, leaving him 50 shy of Alan Shearer’s all-time record – a milestone he could reach in the next two seasons if he maintains his current scoring form.