Garth Crooks feels there are still Arsenal fans in denial about Harry Kane’s quality, due to him being a Tottenham Hotspur player.
The BBC pundit, a former Tottenham forward himself, decided that some anecdotal evidence of one fan dismissing Kane’s form was enough to claim that several fans were in denial.
“An Arsenal fan said to me, almost in desperation that ‘we weren’t playing anybody’… the point he was trying to make was that Huddersfield are not a Manchester United, Manchester City or even an Arsenal for that matter,” Crooks wrote for the BBC.
“OK, I get that, but I have seen Harry Kane do what he did to David Wagner’s side to all the above. Arsenal fans can try to convince themselves otherwise, but I have seen Kane score magnificent goals against the very best. Even if some Arsenal fans are in denial.
“I quite understand critics claiming that Kane’s hat-trick against Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League and double at Huddersfield on Saturday won’t win him the Ballon d’Or, but it does build up an unassailable confidence.
“This is particularly the case when you are about to meet your rivals in a north London derby. Maybe that’s what could be bothering Arsenal fans!”
Kane scored 13 goals in September, including a hat-trick against APOEL and braces against West Ham, Everton and Huddersfield. Few fans would deny that by this point, the Tottenham striker’s form has progressed beyond fluky to something more permanent.
Arsenal fan or not, there’s no shame in admitting to the obvious. Supporters should know the 24-year-old can and will score against better teams than Huddersfield Town. He’s scored six in his last six North London derbies. Subsequently, Arsenal have not won any of those matches.
Arsenal play Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, November 18. There’s little doubt Kane will have a few more goals by then, in my opinion, and it’ll be up to the Gunners to find a way of stopping him scoring even more.
Despite Kane’s scoring form, Spurs are only a point ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League table and have near identical records from their recent games.