Are Tottenham Hotspur better without Harry Kane?
In the most literal sense: yes, they are. Last year, Tottenham averaged 1.6 points per game. This season, Tottenham are averaging 2.6 points per game. Harry Kane played for Tottenham last season. This season, Harry Kane plays for Bayern Munich. Without Harry Kane, Tottenham are better. This is objectively true.
It's also absurd. Tottenham are not better because they're without Harry Kane. In 10 Bundesliga starts so far this season, Kane has scored 15 goals and added five assists. Those 20 goal contributions are more than Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé ... and every other player in Europe's Big Five leagues. Strip out the three penalties, and still: no one has contributed to more goals. Only Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy can match Kane's output.
It's pretty simple. The whole point of soccer is to create more goals than the other team, and Kane has created more goals than anyone else in Europe. Every team would be better with Harry Kane.
After Saturday's 4-0 Der Klassiker win over Borussia Dortmund, let's take a look at how he's made Bayern Munich better, and how they've done the same to him. Here's why Harry Kane made the difference on Saturday.