Harry Kane double rescues Tottenham as they beat PSV to keep Champions League hopes alive

Harry Kane’s late double completed a dramatic late turnaround for Tottenham as they beat PSV Eindhoven 2-1 to give themselves a fighting chance of progressing to the Champions League group stages.

For a long time it looked like their dreams would be over for another season, but Kane popped with a brace when his side needed it the most to earn them a deserved victory over PSV.

Late goals have killed Spurs in Europe this season, costing them three points at Inter Milan and two points in the reserve fixture with PSV. This time Spurs fans were the ones smiling at the final whistle.

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Their first win of the Champions League season, combined with Inter’s draw with Barcelona, means that Spurs are three points behind the Italians with two games remaining.

With 13 minutes of the game to go, they were heading out of the competition and it had the feeling of one of those frustrating nights for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

The visitors led after 62 seconds, but Spurs had numerous chances to draw level and should have won the game more comfortably. Kane’s left-footed strike on 77 minutes and heavily deflected header in the final minute of normal time finally beat PSV keeper Jeroen Zoet, who had been tremendous for the visitors.

The manner of the defeat will hurt PSV, but Spurs fully deserved to take home three points.

On a night when defeat meant an early departure, they endured a nightmare start. It was the sort of moment that has happened far too often in the Champions League this season.

Just 60 seconds into the game, PSV had a corner. It was whipped in, Spurs’ marking was not up to scratch and Luuk de Jong rose highest to power a header beyond Paulo Gazzaniga on his Champions League debut.

That early goal sparked Spurs into life and only the performance of a lifetime from PSV keeper Zoet stopped them from going into the half-time break ahead, let alone level.

Within four minutes of going behind, Dele Alli flicked Davinson Sanchez’s effort towards goal and the English midfielder was denied by a leaping Angelino on the line. A couple of deflected efforts were all Spurs had to show over the next 20 minutes, then it became the Zoet show.

Lucas Moura was the first Spurs player to see the 27-year-old deny him. The Brazilian’s first shot, after a quite brilliant run, was blocked, his second effort was tipped over by Zoet. That was the pre-cursor to a stunning double save.

Alli slipped the ball to Christian Eriksen in the box and from six yards out the goal was gaping, but Zoet made himself big and kept the Dane’s effort out. It fell to Alli, but Zoet sprung off the ground quickly to push his chance away. It was the sort of moment that deserves to win a game.

Minutes later an Alli effort had the same outcome – Zoet’s outstretched arm keeping his shot out. The England midfielder could have had a first-half hat-trick.

Every time Spurs had a chance, it seemed to fall to Alli. Early on in the second half he bent a shot over the top corner of Boet’s goal.

There were warning signs at the back for Spurs, who had no choice but to throw men forward as they tried to rescue their campaign. Gazziniga sprung to his right to push away Gaston Pereiro’s header.

Backed by a vociferous travelling support, which gave it the feel of a PSV home game, their backline continued to put their bodies on the line in the face of constant Spurs pressure. Meanwhile, the most vocal Spurs fans were was when they booed Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to take off Moura and replace him with Erik Lamela

Daniel Schwaab epitomised the visitors, amid a whole host of clearing headers, getting a crucial foot on a Heung-Min Son shot to divert it wide was his biggest intervention. Captain and goalscorer De Jong then found himself in his own box, sliding in to deny Ben Davies who had wormed his way into the area.

Moments before Kane’s equaliser, he had seen another effort saved by Zoet. But he finally got the goal Spurs deserved on 77 minutes. The ball fell to him in the box and England’s deadliest finisher made no mistake with his left foot, arrowing the ball into the bottom corner. A difficult chance made to look easy.

Former Arsenal youngster Donyell Malen had a glorious chance to hit straight back for PSV, only to fire the ball straight at Gazziniga when one-on-one. Fernando Llorente, who had been thrown on by Pochettino before the equaliser, could have put Spurs had shortly after that but his headed was comfortable for Zoet.

As it is so often for Spurs, it was Kane who stepped up to be the hero.

Wearing the captain’s armband with Hugo Lloris suspended, the striker’s winner was heavily deflected. But that did not matter. It trickled into the bottom corner, silenced the visiting supporters and sent the 42,000 Spurs fans who had made the trip to Wembley wild.

Spurs: Gazzaniga, Aurier (Trippier 75), Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies, Winks, Eriksen, Dele, Lucas (Lamela 62), Son (Llorente 75), Kane.

Unused subs: Vorm, Walker-Peters, Skipp, Sissoko.

PSV: Zoet, Dumfries, Schwaab, Viergever, Angelino, Rosario, Hendrix, Pereiro (Malen 73), Bergwijn (Gutierrez 76), De Jong (Sainsbury 81), Lozano

Subs: Room, Behich, Ramselaar, Mauro.