Norwich: Gareth Bale grabbed a classy second-half double as third-placed Tottenham cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win over Norwich to keep the pressure on the Manchester clubs at the top of the Premier League on Tuesday.
The Wales winger revived memories of his performances in the Champions League last season with an impressive individual display at Carrow Road, capped by goals in the 55th and 67th minutes.
While his first was a simple close-range shot after good work from Emmanuel Adebayor, his second was more memorable, bursting through the middle before supplying a deft finish over Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy.
The win lifted Spurs to within seven points of Manchester City and Manchester United, with the London club still holding a game in hand - at home to Everton next month.
It also moved Harry Redknapp's team four points clear of Chelsea, who may have dropped out of title contention by drawing 1-1 at home to Fulham on Monday. Arsenal are a further point back after being held 1-1 by Wolverhampton earlier on Tuesday.
It looks increasingly like a three-horse race for the title, however, Bale and Spurs aren't getting ahead of themselves.
"We said at the start of the season that our main objective was to get back in the Champions League and that's still the case," said the 22-year-old Bale. "We are just going to take it one game at a time."
Heading into the game at Carrow Road, Tottenham knew Manchester United - who are level on points with City - were the only team in the top six to have won in the latest round of fixtures. The pressure was on Harry Redknapp's team to take advantage and they did just that.
Bale emerged as a potential superstar in a breakthrough 2010-11 season in which he won the English league's Player of the Year award.
His talent was already well known in Britain but fans worldwide were given a taste of his pace and power when he ripped apart the defences of Italian giants AC Milan and Inter Milan in Champions League games.
His displays this campaign have been slightly more subdued but he was unstoppable against Norwich at Carrow Road, where he could feasibly have scored four of five times.
A 27th-minute shot deflected just wide before he ran clean through following a defensive blunder by Russell Martin, but blazed high and wide as he lost his balance with only Ruddy to beat.
Bale then drew a smart save out of Ruddy in the 35th as Norwich somehow reached the interval without conceding, despite having been given a footballing masterclass from the visitors.
Spurs, who were unfortunate to only draw 1-1 with Chelsea last week, found their cutting edge in the second half through Bale.
Adebayor, who was a menace to the Norwich defence all game, displayed some impressive close control when surrounded by a cluster of defenders before laying the ball off to Bale, who sidefooted past Ruddy from 10 yards.
Adebayor had a goal disallowed for offside in the 66th but Bale made it 2-0 a minute later, running onto a pass from Luka Modric, powering clear of Zak Whitbread before chipping Ruddy.
Bale could have had more goals. Out of Spurs' 15 shots, he had seven.
"He's an amazing player isn't he?" Redknapp said of Bale. "When he picks the ball up, turns and runs at you, he is unplayable."
Arsenal have never finished behind fierce north London rivals Tottenham since the Premier League's inception in 1992, but this could be the season.
Arsene Wenger's team missed a great chance to climb above Chelsea into fourth place by only drawing against Wolves, who played the last 17 minutes with 10 men following the harsh straight red card handed to Serbia midfielder Nenad Milijas for a studs-first tackle.
Meanwhile, Queens Park Rangers ended their three-match losing run by drawing 1-1 at Swansea in Tuesday's other game, moving three points clear of the relegation zone.
Jamie Mackie scored QPR's equalizer at the Liberty Stadium when he got in behind Swansea's notoriously stubborn defence to stab home a finish in the 58th minute, canceling out Danny Graham's goal for Swansea in the 14th minute.
The draw lifted 16th-placed QPR three points clear of the relegation zone after 18 games. Swansea, who rose one place to 14th, have two more points after maintaining their impressive form at home, where the team has only lost once - to Manchester United.
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