It may have been the second match in a glamour friendly double header, but this game carried greater significance for Tottenham fans. Harry Kane loomed large over proceedings: as the massed crowds in white shirts funnelled out of White Hart Lane station and down Whitehall Street, they could not help but be reminded of their all-time record goalscorer as they shuffled past the enormous mural of his face gazing searchingly back at them.
He was an inescapable presence on his first return to the club since leaving for Bayern Munich last summer, his likeness emblazoned on half-and-half scarves, his name on the back of home and away shirts alike. When his name was first read out among the Bayern substitutes, there was a swell of noise that belied the half-empty stadium.
When Kane and Eric Dier, also making his first return since moving to Bayern, were presented with ceremonial gifts by Ledley King before kick-off, fans rose in unison for a standing ovation. Ange Postecoglou spoke before the match about recognising the pair’s contributions and giving them “a proper farewell”; as the first summer for several years in which speculation over Kane’s future has not dominated the agenda, there was no hint of the bubbling angst which accompanied his drawn-out exit.
This was also a reminder of how quickly the game moves on. When Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Dominic Solanke were introduced to the crowd – with Solanke’s £55m transfer from Bournemouth announced earlier in the day – nostalgia made way for a crackle of excitement. While Postecoglou insisted that Solanke cannot be expected to replace Kane like for like, he will be tasked with making the centre-forward role his own after a season in which Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison rotated through the middle. Solanke was restricted to a smile and a wave at his unveiling, having not yet trained with his new teammates, but the thunderous roar in response suggested his signing has met with approval.
Amid the swirling mix of old flames and new beginnings, there were familiar limitations. Having lost the first of two pre-season fixtures against Bayern in Seoul last weekend, Spurs took the lead within a minute after Kulusevski won a bouncing ball in midfield, freed Brennan Johnson and bundled in the return. By half-time, they were 3-1 down after soft goals for Dayot Upamecano and Thomas Müller at set pieces and a rocket from Serge Gnabry. While it pays not to read too much into pre-season results, lax defending for all three goals may cause some concern.
Gray and Bergvall entered the fray after half-time along with another new signing of sorts in Timo Werner, whose loan from RB Leipzig was extended in May. Gray showed the versatility which helped him stand out at Leeds last season, giving a mature performance at right-back while marauding into midfield when Spurs got a handle on possession. Bergvall looked sharp in the middle of the park, producing a smart assist for Kulusevski to make it 3-2. The move started with Bergvall winning the ball high up the pitch and ended with him threading through his teammate with a delicate touch. Spurs fans will hope to see that combination many times over this season.
As for Kane, he had to settle for bystander status until he replaced Joshua Kimmich on 80 minutes. Again, fans rose to their feet all around the ground to applaud, answering Postecoglou’s call for a belated show of love for a player whose legacy at the club is almost too vast to reckon with. When Kane left for Bayern he would not have imagined that, a year on, he would still be chasing an elusive first league title despite another excellent individual season, again a beaten finalist at the Euros, the clock essentially wound back three years. The game moves on, except when it doesn’t.
Kane has another shot at a title with a side strengthened by some new faces of its own, not least Michael Olise and João Palhinha, the latter making a steady second-half cameo as Bayern saw out the win. Embarking on a lap of honour after the match, receiving and returning the applause, Kane can make a fresh start in the glow of a warm send-off.
As for Spurs, there are high hopes for three recruits who, with an average age of 21, have been trusted with shaping the future. Having made it through his first season with a Kane-shaped hole in his side, Postecoglou has more of the materials needed to build anew.
