Son Heung-min stars as Spurs maintain title charge with rout of Watford

Tottenham kept their Premier League title hopes alive with a 4-0 hammering of Watford at White Hart Lane.

The Lilywhites made it six league victories on the spin with a dominant showing to maintain the heat on leaders Chelsea. Goals from Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Son Heung-min did the damage in a late first-half blitz after the Hornets had been competitive in the early exchanges.

The impressive Son then added his second of the match after the break to take his tally to 18 for the season as Mauricio Pochettino's men coasted through the second period. The South Korean should have marked his display with a treble but hit the bar and missed a gilt-edged one-on-one.

It proved to be an afternoon full of positives for the hosts as an 11th straight top flight home win saw them equal a club record dating back to 1922, with captain Hugo Lloris returning from illness and talismanic hitman Harry Kane back from a three-game absence as a substitute on the hour.

For Watford, the decision to drop in-form Troy Deeney to the bench backfired as their winless Premier League run against Tottenham continued. Walter Mazzarri's side stay 10th and remain on the cusp of securing their Premier League status as they are nine points above the drop zone with seven games remaining.

Tottenham keep the pressure on. Spurs are 14 points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal and are all-but certain of Champions League football again next season. They also look set to finally break the hoodoo and finish above the Gunners for the first time in over 21 years - but Pochettino's sights are set much higher than local bragging rights. With seven games to go it's a tall order to haul in Chelsea, but they have Kane and Lloris back and seem capable of finishing the campaign with a flourish. The Blues have the tougher run-in on paper and next weekend could be significant. Spurs can pile pressure on Antonio Conte's side when they entertain Eddie Howe's men in another early Saturday kick-off, with Chelsea visiting Manchester United the following day.

Son-Heung-Min (Tottenham): Full of energy and attacking intent. Had a hand in the first two goals and then took his brace well. Should have had a treble but there's no doubt he's currently in the form of his Tottenham career.

Tottenham: Lloris 7, Trippier 8, Alderweireld 7, Vertonghen 7, Davies 7, Dier 7, Dembele 7, Son 8, Eriksen 8, Dele 8, Janssen 6. Subs: Kane 6, Sissoko 5, Onomah na.

Watford: Gomes 7; Mariappa 7, Cathcart 6, Holebas 7; Janmaat 6, Cleverley 6, Doucouré 5, Amrabat 6; Niang 6, Okaka 5, Success 5. Subs: Zuniga 6, Deeney 6, Kabasele n/a.

8' - TOTTENHAM CHANCE! Janssen uses the pace on Eriksen's prod forward to roll the defender and fire in a low effort that Gomes does well to block. Just prior to that Son hit the outside of the post with a deflected cross from the left.

19'- OFF THE BAR! Somehow Watford are still level. Janssen looks to have a tap-in inside the six-yard box but makes a real mess of Trippier's volleyed cross as it hits his leg and bounces up against the bar.

33' - GOAL! TOTTENHAM 1-0 WATFORD. Alli lets fly with a 25-yard curler that arrows into the top corner from just outside the left of the area.

39' - GOAL! TOTTENHAM 2-0 WATFORD. Dier doubles the home side's advantage. Son's cross from the left deflects into his path and the midfielder thunders a rasping drive home from the edge of the box.

44' - GOAL! TOTTENHAM 3-0 WATFORD Son surely seals it before half time. He turns onto Eriksen's pass 25 yards out and curves a lovely left-foot strike into the bottom corner.

55' - GOAL! TOTTENHAM 4-0 WATFORD. Son snares his second of the afternoon! The Korean arrives on cue at the far post to side foot a volley home from Trippier's fine cross.

81' - TOTTENHAM CHANCE! Kane leads the charge and lays it across for Son. The Korean has time to slot home from 12 yards but slides his shot wide of the post! That should have been the hat-trick.

84' - OFF THE BAR! Son races onto Trippier's lovely pass into the right of the area, but sees his first-time shot come back off the bar. That treble remains elusive.

Dele Alli has been directly involved in 14 goals in 13 Premier League games for Spurs in 2017 (10 goals, four assists).

Son Heung-Min is the first South Korean player to score 10+ goals in a single Premier League season.

Eric Dier has scored two goals in his last three Premier League apps, as many as in his previous 61 combined.