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Harry Kane's season can be kickstarted by Europa Conference League hat-trick, says Nuno Espirito Santo

Harry Kane is yet to score in the Premier League this season, but scored a hat-trick in Tottenham's 5-1 win over NS Mura on Thursday; England captain bidding to end five-game run without a goal in the league; he has not gone six games without a goal in the competition in six years

Harry Kane
Image: Harry Kane has five goals in three Europa Conference League games but is yet to score in the Premier League this season

Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo hopes Harry Kane's midweek hat-trick can help kickstart his Premier League season.

The England captain came off the bench to score a 20-minute treble in the 5-1 Europa Conference League win over NS Mura on Thursday.

But Kane - on the back of an unsettling summer where he wanted to leave the club - has endured a difficult start to the domestic campaign and is yet to score in five Premier League outings going into this Sunday's visit of Aston Villa.

He has not gone six Premier League games without scoring since 2015 and Nuno is banking on him continuing that run on the back of his European cameo.

"We all wish and hope so," Nuno said. "This is what we need, all of the players in the best of their qualities for the team."

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Tottenham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo was pleased with his side's performance as they beat NS Mura 5-1 in the Europa Conference League on Thursday

Nuno, who was named Premier League manager of the month for August, has found himself under pressure after a terrible September where Spurs lost all three games to an aggregate of 9-1.

He was heavily criticised for the way he set his team up in Sunday's 3-1 north London derby defeat to Arsenal, but says that he does not let the public judgement affect him.

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"Football is what it is. Criticism is something we have to be ready for," he said. "I understand the criticism but I don't focus on this. My focus is helping the team finding solutions to help the players. This is what my focus is.

"During my career I had a lot of criticism and lots of good words and praise but nothing had changed. I keep being the same person."

Spurs went some way to rebuilding confidence in midweek ahead of the visit of Villa, even though they were playing the lowest ranked team in the competition.

"The game itself changes a lot of things, but it doesn't erase all the problems that we have," Nuno added. "It makes things easier with the confidence we have, with the good mood to prepare everyone better so it was important but we know Sunday will be a different game against a very good opponent.

"They have a talented squad and a very good manager so it's a tough, tough task we have ahead of us.

"But we will be ready. The home factor will be huge for us. The support of our fans and the atmosphere, we will compete and play the game."

Nuno Espirito Santo
Image: Nuno was appointed Tottenham boss this summer after four years at Wolves

Spurs will still be without Steven Bergwijn and Ryan Sessegnon while defender Ben Davies looks set to miss out with an appendix issue.

Nuno said of the Welsh left-back: "He has a problem on an inflammation on his appendix. He has been taken care of, he has had some scans, but he was not able to play (on Thursday), he was in pain.

"We wish that he recovers soon and he can join us."

Gil torments the NK Mura defence this week
Image: Bryan Gil impressed in Spurs' 5-1 home win over NS Mura on Thursday

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It was a touch of genius, drawing gasps from those hardened souls still healing from the debacle at Arsenal.

Mura's Zan Karnicnik is perhaps still wondering how it happened. The right-back looked odds-on to regain possession from Pierluigi Gollini's long ball, but Bryan Gil already had a picture in his head.

What he did next offered another ray of light at the end of a bleak month for Tottenham, producing an outrageous deft touch with his right foot to evade his marker down the left flank.

There will be far more glamorous fixtures ahead, Spurs will hope, but Gil is more than happy to turn the toil of these early Europa Conference League group matches against inferior opposition into an entertaining watch. The 20-year-old's stock continues to rise with each passing appearance.

Nuno Espirito Santo's preference to ease him in slowly was understandable given Gil's presence at the rescheduled Olympic Games in Tokyo, but there is now a clamour among supporters for a first Premier League start in this weekend's home clash with Aston Villa.

"The fans have made me feel really at home since day one," Gil exclusively tells Sky Sports. "I feel the belief they have in me and this is helping me to settle in.

"Being named on the bench for the opening day win over Manchester City, it was like no other experience I've ever had in football. The atmosphere inside the ground was unbelievable. I was bowled over by the noise and the stadium itself and it made me realise the size of this club."

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