How Brilliant Bale Kept Spurs In Top-Four Hunt

Seeking a mood-boosting win after unrest over their part in the European Super League, renewed speculation over Harry Kane's future, and a Manchester City mauling that delivered a paltry 0.06 in expected goals, Spurs were dominant from the off, albeit against far inferior opposition.

A moment of early hesitancy between Aaron Ramsdale and George Baldock almost cost the Blades with Sergio Reguilon lurking, but Spurs were building patiently as Dele Alli - making only his third Premier League start of the season - drifted between central areas and the left flank.

Team news

• Tottenham made two changes from the side beaten in the Carabao Cup final, with Dele Alli and Gareth Bale replacing Harry Winks and Lucas Moura.
• Sheff Utd were able to recall Chris Basham to their backline, while Sander Berge was included among the substitutes after a long injury lay-off.

Kane's round-the-corner ball fizzed into Bale should have brought reward, the Welshman firing well over, and after Son drew a strong right hand from Ramsdale, Chris Basham had to sidefoot off his line to deny Kane.

Kane had further ballooned over and lashed a free-kick chance into Sheffield United shins but despite weathering the storm, the visitors were unable to make any rare forays forward count. David McGoldrick's pull-back from a dangerous area was straight at Hugo Lloris and Rhian Brewster - still to score for the Blades - shanked high and wide.

They were punished soon after when Bale stretched to elegantly lift a ball chipped into his path by Serge Aurier, the breakthrough belated but inevitable.

Fleck was reprieved after the interval after leaving Lo Celso with a cut that saw ice strapped to his head, the moment deemed accidental, but momentum the Blades seemed to have wrestled back through the substitutions of Oli Burke and Sander Berge was short-lived.

Though Son had been narrowly ruled offside from Toby Alderweireld's long ball forward (52), he was soon riding a Ben Osborn challenge from a spurned Blades corner before setting up Bale, who gave Ramsdale no chance with a powerful finish.

Aurier turned provider again eight minutes later, cutting inside after collecting Alli's slide-rule pass, and affording Bale a low first-time finish.

That sapped Sheffield United of any lingering fight and Son got the goal his busy performance deserved when Steven Bergwijn - on for Bale - robbed Oliver Norwood and teed him up to find the far top corner.

Kane, lively but wasteful, was denied by Ramsdale at the death but the damage was long done, Spurs earning a timely boost as they aim to keep the pressure on, and the Blades well beaten as the last whistle of a torturous season moves thankfully closer.