Spurs closed the gap to the top four in a comfortable win over London rivals West Ham United.

A Harry Kane brace and a bullet header from Toby Alderweireld saw the lilywhites outclass the east London side who rarely threatened.

Kyle Walker produced a fine effort to make it four with Manuel Lanzini scoring a consolation for the Irons.

Pochettino was forced into one change from the draw at the Emirates a fortnight ago, Heung-Min Son returned for the suspended Erik Lamela.

It was a sluggish start from the home side who had not beaten today’s opponent at home for three seasons.

It took until the 20th minute before either side registered a noteworthy effort.

Christian Eriksen letting fly from 25 yards out but his shot was well saved by Adrian after it picked up a deflection on its way towards the top corner.

It was just two minutes after that Eriksen effort that Spurs were in front.

Kane turned Carl Jenkinson all too easily after the ball found its way to him from a blocked shot and he was able to lace the ball sweetly into the net.

The visitors should have been level almost immediately afterwards as the ball sat up nicely for Cheikhou Kouyate and he spectacularly fired his shot onto the crossbar.

The midfielder was adjudged to be onside despite being a yard in front of the last defender.

Spurs struggled to contain the aerial presence of Olivier Giroud in the North London Derby and the threat of Andy Carroll up front was testing the Tottenham backline.

The home side doubled their lead in the 33rd minute when Alderweireld lost his man Winston Reid to nod Spurs into a commanding position.

It should have been game over minutes later when Son fired straight at Adrian from just inside the box and Dele Alli’s rebound header ricochet off the crossbar.

Kane then found himself one-on-one with the West Ham keeper but horribly scuffed his shot wide.

The home side came flying out the traps and made it 3-0 after 50 minutes.

James Tomkins passed the ball straight into the path of Eirksen who was able to set up Kane on the edge of the box.

The English forward rifled his shot underneath Adrian who felt he should’ve done better.

It was becoming all too easy for Spurs to carve open a fragile West Ham and it would have been 4-0 but for a fine double save from Adrian to first deny Son and then Eriksen.

With the match effectively over as a contest the handbags came out.

Firstly Mark Noble and Alli came to blows and then Diafra Sakho and Kyle Walker clashed after a foul by the Spurs man, all four received yellow cards.

A sumptuous strike from full-back Walker after a neat give and go with Son saw the defender curl the ball with the outside of his boot into the corner.

That left West Ham fans heading for the exit and most of them would have missed Lanzini’s rasping effort into the roof of the net.

It was mere consolation for a below-par West Ham.

Spurs: Lloris, Walker, Rose, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Dier, Alli (Mason 69’), Eriksen, Dembele, Son (Onomah 84’), Kane (Carroll 89’).

Subs; Vorm, Mason, Trippier, Townsend, Davies West Ham: Adrian, Reid, Cresswell, Tomkins, Jenkinson, Kouyate, Noble (Song 78’), Moses (Zarate 62’), Lanzini, Sakho, Carroll (Jelavic 62’).

Subs: Spiegel, Ogbonna, Antonio, Oxford.