It's been a rough week for Tottenham Hotspur, but the beleaguered side will head into the international break on a high thanks to a 2-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday.
Spurs' two previous matches weighed heavily on the team and its fan base, with a 2-1 loss to rival Arsenal in the North London derby on March 14 followed up by a demoralizing collapse in the Europa League's round of 16 four days later that saw the club squander its two-goal first-leg advantage in a shocking 3-0 second-leg loss to Dinamo Zagreb..
Needless to say, Tottenham was desperate to get back in the win column, and Sunday's Premier League victory was just what the doctor ordered.
Jose Mourinho elected to employ a new strike partnership with Harry Kane and Carlos Vinicius leading the line, and the manager's gamble paid off big time as both players found the back of the net. Kane, especially, seemed energized with his new running mate, as the England international was involved in the build-up to the first goal before netting one of his own via a 68th-minute penalty kick.
For Kane, Sunday's win was exactly what Spurs needed.
"The last couple games have not been good enough," the 27-year-old told Sky Sports after the match.
"We knew we had to bounce back, obviously, just before the international break as well. We didn't want to go away with three losses or two losses and a draw [over the last three matches]. We knew we needed to win."
As much as Kane felt that the players needed Sunday's victory, he said it was also just as important to show Spurs fans and the organization that the players are still prepared to fight to ensure a successful season for the club.
"Whenever you go through a difficult couple of games that we have — obviously losing the [North] London derby then going out in Europa League in that fashion was embarrassing for us as players — the only way we can kind of give back to the fans [and] give back to the club is to get out on the pitch and then show what we're made of," he said. "And I think we've done that today."