Harry Kane believes Tottenham made a statement of intent at Manchester United as the perennial slow starters continued their winning start to the season in some style.
After a frustrating first-half display on Monday evening, Mauricio Pochettino’s men kicked on to comprehensively end their Old Trafford drought and ratchet up the pressure on the hosts.
Kane’s superb header was complemented by a Lucas Moura brace in a 3-0 triumph that represents the biggest home defeat of Jose Mourinho’s managerial career and acts as quite the warning sign to Premier League rivals.
In recent years Spurs’ title tilts have been damaged by sluggish starts, but kicking off the campaign with three successive wins points towards an exciting season.
Asked if Monday’s victory at United was a statement of intent, Kane said: “Yeah, 100 per cent. We’ve maybe fallen behind at the start of the season the last few years, so we have to stay up there from the very start.
“The only way to do that is to come here and win, and all the other big games as well.
“It’s been a great start for us. We’re not getting too carried away, of course, it’s only three games in, but that’s what we needed.
“We needed to start the season well and now it’s about maintaining that for the rest of the year.”
Spurs’ start is all the more impressive given the fact their nine World Cup semi-finalists made late returns to training in a summer when Pochettino’s men did not make a single signing.
The lack of acquisitions could prove costly in the long run, but Kane says it has boosted the squad so far.
“The gaffer said he’s not just going to bring in players for the sake of it,” the Tottenham striker said.
“What that does is it gives the rest of the squad huge belief because it shows he has belief in us, so now we have to repay him for that and repay the club for that.
“Lucas is one of them that some fans might have thought ‘is he going to stay, is he going to go?’
“He’s stayed, he’s worked hard and he’s done well and he’s deserved his place in the team and that’s what it’s about.
“He wants to keep his place and we all do. The competition for places is high and we’ve just to keep it going.”