Tottenham vs Aston Villa: Hugo Lloris says Harry Kane has his 'confidence back' after difficult start to season

The England striker scored a hat-trick last time out

(2015 Getty Images)

Hugo Lloris is pleased to see a smile back on the face of Harry Kane ahead of an important week in Tottenham's season.

The England striker scored a hat-trick in the win at Bournemouth last weekend having only hit one goal over the rest of the campaign leading into the clash on the south-coast.

Spurs welcome managerless Aston Villa to White Hart Lane on Monday night ahead of a vital Europa League clash with Anderlecht on Thursday and the small matter of a north London derby away to rivals Arsenal on Sunday.

Kane scored 31 goals for Tottenham last season and opened his Premier League account in a win at Villa and - since taking the match-ball home from Bournemouth - Spurs skipper Lloris is delighted for the 22-year-old.

"We talk about the situation," the goalkeeper told Tottenham's official website when asked about Kane's barren spell.

"It's not easy. He's really professional, he works hard and creates a lot but he was not rewarded for his effort for the team. Sometimes when you don't expect it you score a lot like at Bournemouth, where he scored a hat-trick.

"His confidence is back. He's still young, we all know his potential and his importance for the team and the club and we want to see Harry with a smile."

Spurs have not won at Arsenal since 2010 and will want to be in a prime position to address that - but Lloris knows that cannot come at the expense of results against Villa and Anderlecht.

"We can say the next week is very important," he said.

"We start against Villa, then we play Anderlecht and we finish the week against Arsenal, our derby. We're preparing well and we all know the importance of this week, especially just before the international break, it's always important to have a good feeling.

"Villa are struggling at the moment. They will expect a new coach soon so we just have to be focused on ourselves, on our performance. It's a home game and it's important to be respected at home in front of our fans."

Mauricio Pochettino has praised the togetherness of his squad and believes they are a difficult team to beat - with Lloris also happy with the camaraderie at the club.

"We have a lot of honest guys in the squad with a great mentality so it's really easy to come into this team," he added.

"It's really positive. These players bring their skills but also their personality and mentality.

"I think it's what the gaffer expects - a great atmosphere in the team, a great mentality, a working mentality and we need to be ready to win all together, to suffer all together, to learn from defeats together. It's not just about one or two players, we're a team and if we want to bring the club to the next step, this is the foundation."

PA