Son Heung-min's superb hat-trick puts Spurs clear in race for Champions League

Tottenham striker unstoppable in 4-0 win at Aston Villa

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates completing his hat-trick in the 4-0 win at Aston Villa on April 9. Action Images

Son Heung-min scores Tottenham's first goal . PA

Son Heung-Min celebrates scoring the opening goal. AFP

Dejan Kulusevski celebrates after scoring the second goal. Getty

Son Heung-min (right) celebrates with team-mates after scoring the third goal. PA

Son Heung-min celebrates scoring Tottenham's fourth goal to complete his hat-trick. Action Images

Son Heung-min (left) celebrates with Sergio Reguilon after scoring the fourth goal. PA

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte celebrates. Reuters

Harry Kane takes a tumble. Action Images

Son Heung-min fired a sensational hat-trick as Tottenham took control of the race for a Premier League top-four spot with a 4-0 win at Aston Villa.

After Manchester United and Arsenal both lost earlier in the day, Son’s treble and a fine Dejan Kulusevski strike sent Spurs three points in clear in fourth.

It was a fourth win in a row, a seventh from the last nine and makes it difficult to look past them in the battle for Champions League qualification following Antonio Conte’s transformation of this team.

Their deadly front three, with Harry Kane creating two of the goals, sealed the victory, but Spurs also have skipper Hugo Lloris to thank just as much.

After Son’s early opener they were on the rack for most of the first half, with the Frenchman’s heroics keeping a rampant Villa at bay.

Their lethal quality on the break in the second half saw them run away with it and inflict a fourth straight defeat on Steven Gerrard’s side.

Villa manager Gerrard said afterwards: "It's tough - the scoreline is harsh on us, but it's the reality and we have to accept that. I have to accept it - I'm responsible. The story of the game certainly wasn't a 4-0 game.

"It's the first time in football I've gone off at half-time 1-0 down and been really happy and proud, we were magnificent, we didn't take our chances but at half-time I said if we can continue this I have no doubt we get back into the game. The second half it flipped, Spurs' quality players made it about our backline and they punished us really heavily.

"We've got time - I don't know if that's a good thing, you want the next game quickly after a defeat like that which stings but I've got to pick the players up and be ready for the next game. I want us to remember that first half, we have a lot to learn and defensively in the second half we have even more to learn."

Tottenham would have enjoyed watching the results from earlier in the day come in, providing them with a real opportunity to take control of their top-four hopes.

And they could not have dreamed of a better start as they went ahead in just the third minute through Son.

Kane’s drilled shot hit Matty Cash in the midriff and fell perfectly to the South Korean, who fizzed a fine first-time effort into the bottom corner.

But Villa’s response was admirable and Spurs needed their captain Lloris to step up with three big saves.

First he palmed away a low Cash effort, then somehow clawed away Jacob Ramsey’s effort at the near post after the Villa man had into the area before also stopping John McGinn’s swerving shot from distance.

The hosts were all over Spurs like a rash, not letting their visitors breathe, and the chances kept on coming.

Danny Ings shot straight at Lloris from a well-worked free-kick, Ollie Watkins headed over from Phillipe Coutinho’s cross and then saw the Spurs stopper make another save.

The Frenchman was the busiest player on the pitch and had to keep out a Coutinho free-kick at the near post as he ended the first half with seven saves to his name.

Gerrard will have been scratching his head as to how his side were not comfortably in front by the interval, so he probably knew what was coming in the second half.

Just five minutes after the restart Spurs doubled their lead with a moment of real quality.

Kane flicked on Lloris’ long ball into the path of Kulusevski and the Swede did brilliantly to fire a low shot across goal and into the far corner.

Villa had run out of steam and Spurs landed a killer blow in the 66th minute as the Kane-Son partnership delivered again.

It was Kane’s brilliant awareness that set Son clear, knowing exactly where to direct his headed flick, and the South Korean coolly converted past Emi Martinez.

Son completed his hat-trick five minutes later, putting the finishing touches to a brilliant team move.

Kane and Son combined to play Kulusevski in down the right and after a mazy run he cut back to Son, who swept home in style to claim the match ball.