Harry Kane surpassed Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer with his 267th goal, which came from a composed 10-yard finish, and dented Manchester City’s title hopes in a rowdy match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The strike was made possible by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s exceptional pass that found Kane inside the box.
Spectators sprang from their seats in applause for the 29-year-old striker, who scored his first goal for Spurs on December 15, 2011. The scoreboard in the stadium displayed a message reading “Congratulations Harry Kane”. This 15th-minute goal was also Kane’s 200th in the Premier League, making him the third highest scorer in the league, behind Alan Shearer (260 goals) and Wayne Rooney (208).
Harry Kane proclaimed it to be a “dream come true” to be named Tottenham’s all-time top scorer, after his 267th goal for the club secured a 1-0 Premier League victory against Manchester City.
Hard to put it into words what it means to be this club’s all time record goalscorer. A really magical moment – I’m so proud. pic.twitter.com/GN0dfAOvHA
— Harry Kane (@HKane) February 5, 2023
Harry Kane surpassed the legendary Jimmy Greaves to become Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer with his 267th goal for the club. This composed finish from 10 yards out at the rambunctious Tottenham Hotspur Stadium inflicted damage on Manchester City’s title aspirations. The credit for setting up the milestone goal goes to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who found Kane expertly within the box. As England’s captain, Kane’s achievement was all the more noteworthy.
Contrary to the flow of the game, Tottenham secured the win in the absence of their manager, Antonio Conte, who was recovering at home after a gallbladder surgery. Despite playing with only 10 men after defender Cristian Romero was red-carded in the 87th minute for two bookable offenses, Tottenham’s resilience in Conte’s absence proved successful in stifling Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s team failed to reduce Arsenal’s five-point lead at the top of the table, as the Gunners suffered a defeat against Everton on Saturday. Riyad Mahrez nearly equalized with a shot that hit the bottom of the crossbar, but City have yet to earn a point or score a goal in five trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Though they still trail Arsenal by five points with an extra game played, Tottenham’s win lifts them to one point behind fourth-placed Newcastle.
Special Moment
Kane celebrated his landmark goal with the exuberance of a young player – reminiscent of his emotions when he scored his first goal for Spurs at the age of 18, in a Europa League match against Shamrock Rovers, 12 years prior.
It was a fitting moment for the celebration to occur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in front of his beloved club’s fans who erupted with a thunderous cheer as the ball sailed past City keeper Ederson.
Kane scored his 267 goals in 416 matches, while it took Greaves 379 games to score 266 goals. The only sour note was that Kane’s manager, Conte, was unable to witness the historic goal in person, as he was recovering from surgery. Conte’s assistant, Cristian Stellini, led the team against Manchester City in his absence.
After the final whistle, Kane’s teammates and Tottenham’s coaching staff lingered on the field while Kane was interviewed and basked in the moment. To make the occasion even more special, Kane was played a congratulatory message from Danny Greaves, the son of Jimmy Greaves, on the big screen, acknowledging Kane’s remarkable achievement.
One season wonder 😉 pic.twitter.com/nX1vnf5InZ
— Harry Kane (@HKane) February 5, 2023