Kane 'absolutely fantastic' to beat Messi and Ronaldo - Wenger

Arsene Wenger believes Harry Kane's achievements are all the more remarkable given the competitive nature of the Premier League compared to the rest of Europe.

Kane finished 2017 with back-to-back hat-tricks against Burnley and Southampton, making it 39 Premier League goals to surpass Alan Shearer's previous record of 36 in a calendar year, set in 1995.

The Tottenham forward's 52 appearances for club and country this year yielded 56 goals, two more than Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi (54 in 64) and three ahead of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo (53 in 60).

Watching on from the opposite side of the north-London divide, Arsenal boss Wenger was full of admiration for what Kane has achieved in a division which holds a reputation for higher intensity games on a more frequent basis.

"Yes there are. That is why I say that what he has achieved is absolutely amazing," Wenger said.

"He has done it and would I have predicted it? I would modestly say no.

"What he has done is beat people like Messi and Ronaldo, who are unbeatable in my head, so what he has done is absolutely fantastic."