Wells makes Premier League debut
Nahki Wells made his long-awaited Premier League debut in Burnley’s 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur today.
The Bermuda striker, making his first appearance for the Lancashire side since signing from Huddersfield Town for £5 million in August, came on as a replacement for Scott Arfield in the 86th minute.
Wells had been waiting for his first top-flight appearance since recovering from minor surgery to remove a screw in his ankle before his move to Turf Moor.
The 27-year-old, who became Bermuda’s third Premier League player after Shaun Goater and Kyle Lightbourne, had featured as an unused substitute on four occasions before today’s game.
Harry Kane scored a hat-trick for Tottenham to equal Alan Shearer’s Premier League record of 36 goals in a calendar year.
Kane converted an early penalty and struck twice more in the second half to match Shearer’s feat from 1995.
Success for Tottenham halted a run of five Premier League games on the road without a win and saw the North London club leapfrog Burnley into fifth place in the table.
It was the perfect response to last week’s 4-1 humbling at Manchester City, and their first away league win since the end of September could have been by a bigger margin.
Dele Alli, fortunate to escape with a yellow card for an ill-judged tackle on Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne last week, was similarly rash at Turf Moor.
Alli was booked in the fourth minute for his lunging tackle on Charlie Taylor, and then further incensed the home fans, who felt he dived when challenged by Kevin Long in the area to earn Tottenham their early penalty.
Kane stepped up to steer his seventh-minute spot kick inside Nick Pope’s left-hand post. It was the first league goal Burnley conceded in 361 minutes.
Tottenham forward Heung-Min Son had one shot saved by Pope and another one blocked, while Kane’s effort crashed into Burnley defender Ben Mee as the visiting side dominated.
Alli was roundly booed by Clarets fans every time he touched the ball, but his slide-rule pass sent Moussa Sissoko into a one-on-one with goalkeeper Pope and the Tottenham midfielder should have scored.
Pope saved the France player’s initial shot and then the rebound — both with his legs.
Kane blazed another effort off target, while a rare foray into Tottenham’s area for Burnley ended with Steven Defour’s excellent cross snaffled by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris ahead of Chris Wood.
Wood was forced off in the 33rd minute and replaced by Ashley Barnes, while Burnley enjoyed their best spell before the interval without creating any openings.
Tottenham spurned another chance at the start of the second period when Christian Eriksen miscued after being played in by Son, who then missed a sitter.
Kane and right-back Serge Aurier combined and from the latter’s cross Son somehow blazed a first-time shot over the crossbar from in front of an open goal.
Burnley felt hard done by when referee Michael Oliver waived their appeals for a penalty after Jan Vertonghen collided with Barnes inside the area.
Tottenham then struck a deserved second. The impressive Sissoko’s pass sent Kane through on goal and with just Pope to beat the England striker calmly slotted home a low finish in the 69th.
Alli set up Kane on the edge of the area ten minutes later, turning effortlessly away from his marker before burying his 25th goal in 27 appearances for club and country this season.