Harry Kane scored his third hat-trick in nine games as Tottenham Hotspur reacted to their European exit by hammering Stoke to move second in the Premier League.
The England forward struck three times in 23 minutes before the break, his first a well-taken finish into the bottom corner as the ball dropped to him in the area before an exquisite half-volley with his left foot from Christian Eriksen’s corner.
Kane completed his third treble of 2017 when his low drive from Eriksen’s tapped free-kick took a huge deflection off Peter Crouch in the Stoke wall, leaving goalkeeper Lee Grant stranded.
Dele Alli then added a fourth first-half goal for the hosts, sliding in to convert Kane’s cross from the right as an abject Stoke fell apart at White Hart Lane.
After the interval, Grant made a fine save to deny Kane his fourth, while centre-back Toby Alderweireld limping off injured was the only sour note for Spurs on an otherwise perfect response to being knocked out of the Europa League by Gent on Thursday.
Stoke, who stay 10th, improved marginally in the second half but Mauricio Pochettino’s side eased to a victory that takes them above Manchester City, although they remain 10 points behind runaway leaders Chelsea.