MANCHESTER: Harry Kane feels he is already reaping the rewards of a rare month off as Tottenham鈥檚 talisman hopes to outgun England teammate Raheem Sterling when Spurs visit Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday.
Kane was beset by ankle injuries last season after just a three-week break between lifting the Golden Boot as the World Cup鈥檚 top scorer and the start of another gruelling Premier League season.
He returned just in time for Tottenham鈥檚 first ever Champions League final and England鈥檚 Nations League semifinal against The Netherlands in June, but looked well short of match fitness as he ended up on the losing side in both games.
Rejuvenated by a summer off, in which he got married to childhood sweetheart Kate Goodland, Kane got his and Spurs鈥� season off to flying start with two goals in the final five minutes to beat Aston Villa 3-1 on the opening weekend.
鈥淚 had four weeks off, the most I鈥檝e had off in a few years now,鈥� said the England captain.
鈥淚鈥檝e had a good pre-season, been here from the start, worked with the team and everyone鈥檚 feeling good.
鈥淲e鈥檝e still got work to do, I鈥檝e still got work to do in terms of fitness and things like that, but playing games will only help.
鈥淚 feel in a good place and hopefully I can continue doing what we鈥檝e done.鈥�
A double still was not enough to gain an early lead in the Premier League Golden Boot race, though, as Sterling scored a hat-trick in City鈥檚 ominous 5-0 demolition of West Ham.
But for Tottenham, City could have celebrated a quadruple of trophies last season as even shorn of Kane for the majority of the tie, Mauricio Pochettino鈥檚 men edged a thrilling Champions League quarter-final on away goals.
Son Heung-min was Tottenham鈥檚 star then, scoring three of his side鈥檚 four goals, but Spurs鈥� lack of depth slowly caught up with them in the final few months of the season.
With 12 Premier League games of last season to go, Spurs were just five points adrift of City and had a game in hand.
However, they won only three to finish 28 points behind the champions and clinging onto fourth place.
Tottenham鈥檚 squad has been bolstered by the signings of Tanguy Ndombele, who scored on his debut last weekend, Giovani lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon.
Yet, with Son serving the last of a three-match ban, the pressure is on Kane to ensure they do not falter at just the second hurdle in the title race.
鈥淲e kept up with them for a while last year but they blew ahead after January,鈥� said Kane on challenging City and European champions Liverpool for the title this season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we stay in touch as long as we can.
鈥淲e have full belief that we can go all the way but there鈥檚 a long road ahead and we鈥檝e got to be fully focused.鈥�
However, stopping the City juggernaut on home soil is a huge ask for Spurs, particularly with Sterling continuing the fine form he showed to win the football writers鈥� player of the year award in England last season.
Tottenham let Kieran Trippier leave for Atletico Madrid last month and did not replace the England international meaning the inexperienced Kyle Walker-Peters has the unenviable task of keeping Sterling quiet.
鈥淪ince we started this season in China and the Community Shield he鈥檚 scored one goal minimum every game,鈥� said City boss Pep Guardiola on Sterling鈥檚 thirst for goals.
鈥淚 know the special quality of the player, the consistent physicality and the finishing.鈥�