Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara has drawn comparisons with Harry Kane’s record in big games with that of Mohamed Salah, who endured a final to forget against Newcastle United.
On Sunday evening, Tottenham Hotspur supporters would have watched in envy as Newcastle United ended their 70-year trophy drought with a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
Eddie Howe became the first English manager to secure a major trophy since 2008, a record previously held by ex-Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who won the FA Cup with Portsmouth that same year.
Ironically, 2008 was also the last time Tottenham won a major honour—coincidentally, the League Cup.
However, with the Lilywhites still in the Europa League this season, fans are desperate for the football gods to finally smile down on them again.
Harry Kane
Credit: @shooting.practice on Instagram
Jamie O’Hara sees similarities between Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane
Following Newcastle’s victory, former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara was quick to highlight a glaring stat about Mohamed Salah.
The Egyptian has been one of the best players on the planet this season, even touted as a Ballon d’Or contender, yet his recent performances in crucial matches have left plenty to be desired.
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Over the past few weeks, Salah has suffered major setbacks, watching his side crash out of the Champions League before losing the Carabao Cup final.
O’Hara believes his performances in these moments have been underwhelming and sees parallels with Tottenham’s record goal scorer, Harry Kane.
He told Grosvenor Sport: “I feel for Mohamed Salah, he’s a bit like Harry Kane. He’s a brilliant player—there’s no doubt—but if you want to be classed as the ‘hero’ player for Liverpool, like Steven Gerrard and Ian Rush, you have to perform in finals.
“While, yes, Liverpool do have the trophies, they’ve relied on team performances rather than individuals.
“Him personally, in a final, hasn’t really performed to his usual standard that we see in the Premier League. He was non-existent in the EFL Cup final against Newcastle.
“In eight finals for Liverpool and Egypt, I think he’s only scored once and assisted once—and that goal was a penalty against Tottenham. He has to be more of a presence in big games.”
Kane’s record in Tottenham and England finals raises questions
The comparisons between Kane and Salah aren’t far-fetched, as the England captain’s record in finals is far from impressive.
Kane has featured in six major cup finals for Tottenham, England, and Bayern and is yet to lift a single trophy. The list is damning:
2015 League Cup final.
2019 Champions League final.
2021 League Cup final.
Euro 2020 final.
2023 German Super Cup.
Euro 2024 final.
In each of these, his impact was minimal at best. Despite his goal-scoring prowess at club level, Kane has consistently struggled to deliver in the biggest moments.
Regardless, the England skipper remains on the hunt for his first major honour and his Bundesliga title chase with Bayern Munich this season could finally break the curse.
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