All-action Spurs finally clicking as Son and Kane lead charge

TOTTENHAM may ultimately fall short in their push to overhaul Arsenal for fourth place but, wherever they end up this season, Antonio Conte’s side are dramatically improving.

- Dan Kilpatrick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

For most of Conte’s tenure, Spurs have struggled to build momentum, every step forward followed by a frustrating step back, and, at times, it has been easy to wonder if the Italian is ill-suited to the challenge of rebuilding this squad.

But a dominant 3-1 win over West Ham added to a growing feeling within the club that something has clicked, making Conte’s a project worth persisting with, even if Spurs do not return to the Champions League next season. “Now, after five months, this is starting to work,” Conte said afterwards.

For the second time in a week, Spurs won by two goals, but the margin could — and should — have been as comfortable as their recent thrashings of Leeds and Everton.

If Leeds, the Toffees and last Wednesday’s opponents Brighton all faced Spurs in the midst of a crisis, West Ham began the day level on points with their rivals and on the back of one of the great nights in their history. And yet they were similarly dismantled, even if the occasion was far nervier than it should have been until the hosts’ late third goal.