Bale awesome as Spurs power past lowly Latics
Spurs followed up their defeat to Manchester City with poor displays against Wolves and Watford but they were at their splendid best last night, playing their usual brand of free-flowing attacking football before Bale put them ahead in the 29th minute.
Luka Modric dispatched a cool 18-yard strike to make it 2-0 five minutes later and Bale scored his second after 64 minutes before James McArthur grabbed a late consolation for the Latics. The win keeps the pressure on both Manchester sides at the top and increased Spurs’ lead over fourth-place Chelsea to seven points.
The three points also brought a smile to Harry Redknapp’s face on his first appearance at White Hart Lane since his defence against charges of tax evasion, which he denies.
Spurs put their recent woes behind them and flew out of the blocks on a sub-zero night in north London. Ali Al Habsi pulled off a point-blank save from Younes Kaboul’s bullet header in the sixth minute and Niko Kranjcar should have tested the Wigan goalkeeper but he miscontrolled while deep inside the away box.
The Croatian went on to miss two more chances before Emmanuel Adebayor, without a goal in his last six games, headed over Kyle Walker’s cross. Only a James McCarthy goalline clearance kept the score goalless in the 24th minute after Kaboul beat his marker to meet Rafael van der Vaart’s corner.
Bale had a fancy scissors kick cleared before and also forced Al Habsi to save at his far post before putting Spurs ahead in the 29th minute. The Welshman took down Modric’s chip at the far post before hooking the ball in on the volley for his 10th of the season.
Van der Vaart worryingly hobbled off with an injury on the half hour and was replaced by Jake Livermore.
Bale then stung Al Habsi’s palms with a fierce shot 12 minutes before the break, and one minute later Spurs were 2-0 up. Wigan’s attempted clearance from a Benoit Assou-Ekotto cross ricocheted into Modric’s path and he coolly turned and slotted past Al Habsi from 18 yards.
Redknapp, delighted with the strike, performed a little jig on the touchline.
Wigan started the second period brightly. Victor Moses wriggled free from his marker but blazed over.
Spurs, always looked dangerous, however, and Bale added his second in the 19th minute of the second half. The winger picked up a pass from Assou-Ekotto on the corner of the box, took one touch past to ease past Ben Watson and fired a peach of a drive across Al Habsi into the far corner.
The away side pulled a shock consolation back on 80 minutes when McArthur’s shot deflected off Scott Parker and looped over Brad Friedel and in off his far post.
Bale was denied a hat-trick on three separate occasions in the dying minutes, but the Welshman will be happy his double strike sealed an easy win.
TOTTENHAM: Friedel, Walker (Sandro 75), Kaboul, King, Assou-Ekotto, Kranjcar, Modric, Parker, Bale, Adebayor (Lancaster 78), Van der Vaart (Livermore 31).
WIGAN: Al Habsi, Stam, Boyce, Caldwell, Figueroa, Moses, Watson (Crusat 87), McCarthy, Beausejour, Gomez (McArthur 70), Di Santo (Sammon 74).
Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).
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