A second-half Gareth Bale hat-trick has helped Tottenham Hotspur to a dominant victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Spurs dominated the opening 10 minutes, but there was only one half-chance created, with Gareth Bale volleying well wide from a difficult position.
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Kyle Walker struck from an angle from 25 yards, but his half-volley was deflected wide of Brad Guzan's post.
Bale then came close in the 11th minute, his shot from the edge of the box having to be touched over by Guzan.
Guzan was again called into action just after the 20-minute mark when Jermain Defoe burst through with pace, but the goalkeeper made himself big and blocked the clipped effort.
Villa finally broke forward with half an hour gone, but Joe Bennett's cross from the byline went over everyone in the box.
Emmanuel Adebayor had a shot blocked and Villa broke from the resulting corner, with Matthew Lowton putting in a low cross and Brett Holman unable to steer it on target on the stretch.
Guzan was called into action yet again from a Bale strike from outside the box, this time getting enough behind it to keep out the swerving effort.
Despite a good start from the hosts in the second half it was Defoe who finally broke the deadlock after being played through by Kyle Naughton.
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Just three minutes later it was game over as a contest, a Spurs counter-attack ending with Bale neatly rounding Guzan to slot home.
In the 72nd minute it was 3-0 and classic Bale. He rode a challenge on a run towards the edge of the box before firing low and hard into the corner.
Defoe should have added his second with 10 minutes to play but fired over from 12 yards.
Bale completed his hat-trick with a shot from close range as Spurs ran out 4-0 winners.
Matt Domm
