Greater support is making Harry Kane better

Three at the back and a forgotten man are making Tottenham’s Harry Kane a better striker this season.

Harry Kane can’t stop scoring after bagging yet another brace in Tottenham’s 3-2 win over West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday. It means Kane has scored six goals across all competitions so far in September.

Goals by the bucket load are hardly a new thing for Kane, who won the Golden Boot with 29 goals last season. Yet Kane should score even more goals during this campaign considering the greater level of support he’s receiving.

Spurs have done two key things to get more players closer to Kane in attacking areas.

The first has been manager Mauricio Pochettino’s commitment to playing three at the back. Record-buy Davinson Sanchez has slotted in seamlessly between Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.

Deploying an extra center-back has created two advantages for the Tottenham midfield. Primarily, Spurs no longer need to field two holding players at the base of midfield.

Eric Dier was often partnered by fellow destroyer Victor Wanyama the last two seasons. But the extra security offered by a third central defender has removed the need for two holders.

Without Wanyama, Dier is being left to operate as a cross between a destructive defensive midfielder and a deep-lying playmaker. It’s a demanding dual role the 23-year-old England international is steadily growing into.

Wanyama’s knee injury has put greater importance on Dier. But it’s working wonderfully for Spurs, specifically for two more members of the Tottenham midfield.

Having Dier patrol in front of a three-man defence has allowed Christian Eriksen to push further forward. The playmaker is now playing alongside Dele Alli in a skillful double act supporting Kane.

Having more freedom to roam the final third is paying off for Eriksen. The former Ajax schemer was also on the scoresheet against West Ham.

It was Eriksen’s second league goal of the month, one helping him set a Premier League record for his country, per OptaJoe:

Eriksen getting in behind defences more often isn’t the only thing making life easier for Kane. So is the ongoing inclusion of Moussa Sissoko. He was a major flop last season after signing for £35 million on deadline day in 2016.

Yet Sissoko has already started four times in the league and made two more appearances off the bench in the new campaign, per WhoScored.com. He’s rapidly emerging as a key figure in Pochettino’s midfield.

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The Frenchman’s forward-thinking instincts are serving Kane well. Specifically, Sissoko’s willingness to break from deep and run beyond the striker is pulling markers away from Kane in the final third.

Sissoko being a less static figure than Mousa Dembele is adding greater fluidity to Tottenham’s attacking play. His desire to supplement Kane, Eriksen and Alli has also mean Spurs can keep a solid base in midfield, while still boasting enough firepower, even without Heung-min Son.

Where Kane was often isolated last season, Spurs are now regularly creating a numbers advantage in and around the box. Sissoko and Eriksen are drawing defenders out of position and opening more pockets of space for Kane to exploit and turn into scoring positions.

Pochettino saluted the ex-Newcastle United star’s box-to-box threat after the win over the Hammers, per Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Independent:

"We had Christian and Sissoko, who can go forward on the right side to stretch the opponents. I feel happy in the way we changed and played. Sissoko was fantastic today. He is doing very well, I am so happy with him this season."

Mentioning Eriksen’s contribution alongside those of Sissoko was a key reference from Pochettino. It spoke to the changing shape of Tottenham’s midfield and how these two players are driving Spurs’ efforts to give Kane greater support.

It’s now up to Pochettino to keep this important dynamic in place, even if he might want to put another player alongside Dier. The manager’s “preferred midfield partner for Dier is Mousa Dembele, but the Belgian continues to wrestle with pain in his left foot,” per Tom Allnutt of Press Association Sport, via the Daily Mail.

Dembele can add value to any team, thanks to a potent mix of physicality and quality technique. Yet it’s in Spurs’ greater interests to keep Sissoko in the starting XI because of the 28-year-old’s runs forward and how they support Kane.

Playing three at the back regularly has given Tottenham the platform to get more players around their attacking talisman. The performances of Sissoko and Eriksen are giving Kane more space in the final third.

If they continue roaming further forward, Kane is sure to break the 30-goal barrier in England’s top flight this season.