Manchester: Lucas Moura’s first Premier League hat-trick helped Tottenham Hotspur climb above Chelsea into third position in the Premier League points table after a 4-0 victory Saturday over bottom side Huddersfield Town.
With Chelsea not in action until Sunday when they take on title-chasing Liverpool, Spurs cruised past the already-relegated Yorkshire side at their new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to move on to 67 points, one ahead of Maurizio Sarri’s side.
In another game, two Paul Pogba penalties earned a lethargic Manchester United a 2-1 victory over West Ham United and lifted them above Arsenal into fifth place.
“They played better than us, it is fair to say, I don’t think anyone will disagree,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said after his side secured only a second win in their last six matches in all competitions. “We got away with it, sometimes we have lost when we should have won, so over a season it evens itself out.”
In the absence of the injured Harry Kane and the rested Son Heung-min, Spurs still made it three wins out of three at their inspiring new home, Victor Wanyama’s early goal being followed by Lucas’s treble, which featured two late strikes.
The victory was an important one for Tottenham, who face a daunting trip Wednesday to league leaders Manchester City in the Champions League, before the same fixture takes place in the Premier League next weekend.
“After the game when Harry got injured everyone believed Sonny (Son) was going to step up and is going to be the man, but we have seen today (Saturday) Lucas got a hat-trick and it was an unbelievable afternoon for him,” Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “It is going to help and bring him confidence.”