Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale celebrates scoring against Queen Park Rangers. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images
After the week Queens Park Rangers have had it might have felt like a relief for them to have 90 minutes of Premier League football to divert them. The saga of Anton Ferdinand's race row confrontation with Chelsea's John Terry has been testing and frustrating.
Solace, though, came only in the 20-minute period after the interval when Neil Warnock's team threatened, rather abruptly, to take something from this derby. If Tottenham Hotspur had been lulled into a sense of security, it was understandable, given how they had dominated. Rangers' last away fixture had brought the 6-0 thumping at Fulham and at half-time they looked to be heading for a rerun.
Warnock could take pride from the character his players showed in the second half but the difference in class was all to apparent and it was symbolised by Gareth Bale. The Tottenham winger had opened the scoring but it was his second goal, which made the points safe, that took the breath away. Tottenham fans will not tire of rewatching the build-up nor the ruthless finish. "I even found myself clapping at the third goal," Warnock said.
It is now 19 points from an available 21 for Tottenham and, although Manchester City might argue otherwise, Harry Redknapp's team can claim to be the division's form club. Momentum is building here. The race for the Champions League places looks set to captivate and Tottenham will have a loud say.
"It's wide open," Redknapp said. "I said not to write Arsenal off and I wouldn't write Liverpool off. No disrespect to Newcastle … if they can get into the top six, it will be a fantastic achievement but I think there are six other good teams up there. There are six teams for four places."
Warnock had said that the match had been "the main issue this week" at the club, which rather overlooked the scandal involving Ferdinand and the England captain. Warnock's centre-half was followed to White Hart Lane by a bright spotlight but Tottenham's football in the first half quickly took it over.
The home team's movement was slick and dangerous; Rangers struggled to keep pace and Bale's opening goal came as no surprise. The all-action Rafael van der Vaart had forced Paddy Kenny into a smart save and Emmanuel Adebayor had missed a glaring headed opportunity before Tottenham pulled Rangers apart to present the opening for Bale.
Adebayor headed down for Van der Vaart and his intelligent pass invited Aaron Lennon to play the next one out left to Bale, who had tip-toed into space. His driven finish was underpinned by fine technique.
The first half was a Tottenham exhibition. Scott Parker called the tune in midfield and the players in front of him turned on the style. Luka Modric sparkled and his chested touch and first-time volley from Van der Vaart's corner whistled only narrowly wide.
By then Bale had lifted over the crossbar from close range and Van der Vaart had scored, after Ledley King's miscued shot had fallen kindly for him. The Rangers defence was at sixes and sevens. It was Van der Vaart's sixth goal in five league matches. Warnock's only consolation was that the half-time deficit could have been heavier.
He made an attacking change at the interval, replacing Shaun Derry and the frustratingly peripheral Adel Taarabt and bringing on Jamie Mackie and Jay Bothroyd, and he enjoyed a reaction. His team pressed on to the front foot, there was increased tempo and urgency and Heidar Helguson had a shot deflected over the crossbar by King.
Tottenham seemed content to contain and, although they had chances, Rangers' transformation was confirmed when they plundered a goal following Joey Barton's corner, Helguson heading on and Bothroyd flicking home. It had hardly seemed likely but there was a game on and Rangers even went close to an equaliser through Alejandro Faurlín. Brad Friedel needed to get down and across to save.
Tottenham, though, reasserted themselves. Paddy Kenny, who had saved from Van der Vaart and Bale, demonstrated his reflexes to deny Benoît Assou-Ekotto but he was fixed to the spot when Bale scored the clinching goal. The build-up was mesmeric, all finesse and first touches. Having received the ball from Lennon, Bale then played a one-two with him and dispatched the finish into the roof of the net. In the blink of an eye the game was over.
Adebayor missed another golden chance and Rangers did go close to reducing the arrears but this was Tottenham's day. "You have to take your hat off to them, don't you?" Warnock said. "Bale's a great player. It's just a pity he's Welsh."
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