Bale double eases Spurs past Norwich

NORWICH, England- The Associated Press

AFP photo

Tottenham Hotspur’s Welsh superstar Gareth Bale was instrumental against Norwich City, scoring both of his team’s goals during the English Premier League victory.

Gareth Bale grabbed a second-half double as third-place 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 Dec. 27.

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.

“He’s an amazing player isn’t he?” Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said of Bale. “When he picks the ball up, turns and runs at you, he is unplayable.”

The win lifted Spurs to within seven points of Manchester City and Manchester United, with the London club still holding a game in hand.

“It was a great few days for us - we’ve taken advantage of other teams dropping points,” Bale said.

“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. We are just going to take it one game at a time.”

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.

“You just have to keep grinding out chances and hope one will come for you. And it did,” Bale said.