Tottenham Hotspur 4 Sheffield United 0 - Gareth Bale’s brilliant hat-trick puts Blades to sword

Three-sy: Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game and his hat-trick against Sheffield United. Picture: Shaun Botterill/PA Wire.

Bale claimed his first Spurs treble since 2012 with a trio of brilliant finishes to move his side into fifth, five points off Chelsea with four games left to play.

Son Heung-min also scored a fine goal as Ryan Mason’s men ran riot against a Blades side whose relegation fate has already been sealed.

Bale was unplayable and took his Premier League tally to eight goals in the last eight games, after alarmingly under-used by former boss Jose Mourinho, even when he had regained peak condition, and playing with freedom in a front four with Harry Kane, Son and Dele Alli, Spurs were a constant threat and a far cry from the pragmatic style that dogged Mourinho’s era.

Neat finish: Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale scores the opener against the Blades. Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire.

It may have come too late to gatecrash the top four this season, but playing like this makes them a strong bet to finish in a Europa League spot.

Spurs went ahead in the 36th minute with a moment of quality.

Bale broke from deep to latch on to Serge Aurier’s ball over the top and then sent it past Ramsdale with a cute finish with the outside of his boot.

Spurs were cursing VAR twice in the opening seven minutes of the second half.

First Peter Bankes ruled that John Fleck did not commit violent conduct when he appeared to stamp on Giovani Lo Celso’s face and then VAR ruled out a Son goal, judging the South Korean’s armpit to be in an offside position .

The hosts were not denied for long, however, as Son evaded two challenges and sent Bale clear for his second and he then completed his hat-trick with another moment of quality, drilling in a low effort. Son got the fourth curling effort from 20 yards in off the far post.

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