Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton. Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur StadiumAttendance59,647.
Match report and highlights as Tottenham run riot against relegation-threatened Everton on Monday Night Football; Michael Keane own goal is added to by Heung-Min Son before Harry Kane scores twice either side of Sergio Reguilon strike
Tuesday 8 March 2022 10:42, UK
Tottenham produced a five-star showing on Monday Night Football as Harry Kane scored twice in a 5-0 thrashing of relegation-threatened Everton.
In a thoroughly one-sided contest, Tottenham were 3-0 ahead by half-time after Michael Keane's own goal (14) was added to by Heung-Min Son three minutes later, the South Korean's shot flashing underneath Jordan Pickford's body.
Things got even worse for the visitors before half-time as Kane ran onto Matt Doherty's pass to reverse his shot into the net, with the goal upheld upon VAR review despite a marginal offside call (37).
Frank Lampard sought to address matters by replacing Keane at the interval but his side were further behind 41 seconds after the restart as half-time substitute Sergio Reguilon swept home from Dejan Kulusevski's cross at the far post.
Tottenham were not done there, as Doherty was given too much time to pick out Kane at the far post for a superb volley back across Pickford's goal into the far corner with 35 minutes still to play. It was the striker's 176th Premier League goal, surpassing Thierry Henry in the records.
The result means Spurs remain in seventh on 45 points but with two games still in hand over West Ham and Manchester United above them and three points off Arsenal in fourth place, who have played a game fewer.
Jamie Carragher described Everton's defence as a "Championship back four" - and this was a damaging loss for the Merseyside club, who remain in 17th place - one point outside the bottom three - but with a goal difference that is now four inferior to Burnley who occupy the final position in the relegation zone.
Antonio Conte said afterwards: "We've got 12 games to play and I have to be the first to take responsibility. I don't like to speak of the Champions League as my ambition as I play to win trophies, but for me, it is our Premier League title if we reach the fourth place.
"I'm pleased for my players. The hard work we are doing is starting to pay. This team is improving a lot. We have a lot of space to continue to improve.
"It's not enough. The players and I want to try to be competitive and to fight for position at the top of the table. We have to take this responsibility, the players and I, in the last 12 games to give everything. We'll see what our position will be."
Conte was Chelsea's manager when a 5-0 win over Everton in November 2016 at Stamford Bridge acted as a springboard to his only actual Premier League title but this result could have significant psychological ramifications for both these teams.
Everton have failed to have a shot on target in two of their last three Premier League games, something they had not done in any of their previous 80 matches. The team's haul of 22 points after 25 games is their lowest total at this stage of a top-flight season ever.
If they were under any illusions about being in a relegation battle, they certainly aren't now.
"I am confident, but that doesn't mean anything," Lampard said following his heaviest defeat as a manager. "I didn't walk into the building with a magic wand. I am absolutely confident that is why I am here. The feeling at this club when I came here was we could be going down, it was clear around the city, it was up to me to change that and I thought we had changed that. But this is a test of that."
Lampard clenched his fists in front of the travelling fans on his last visit here as Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-0 in December 2019 but he stood with his arms crossed and a permanent frown for much of this contest.
Everton's poor away form predates their current manager - no side have collected fewer away points than the six they have mustered across the entire season - but Lampard has now lost all three of his away Premier League games, and in an alarming manner.
The visitors actually made an encouraging start in possession, but any growing optimism was blown away in a three-minute period that left Lampard looking to the skies.
Ryan Sessegnon is enjoying a career revival under Conte and the left wing-back played a crucial role in his side's opener as his determined run and cross led to Keane's hapless own goal under pressure from Kane's dart to the near post.
It was Keane's error which led to Phil Foden's winning strike last weekend, and his own goal which decided this fixture two seasons ago during Project Restart. But Everton were still picking themselves up from their own misfortune when another individual mistake extended Tottenham's lead.
Mason Holgate was too slow to cut out Kulusevski's through ball as Son surprised Pickford with an early shot which squirmed under the body of the England goalkeeper on his 200th Premier League appearance. On his 28th birthday, there was little to celebrate.
Having been on the wrong side of a contentious handball decision against Manchester City, Lampard would be cursing VAR eight minutes before the break when Kane was played fractionally onside by Jonjoe Kenny to sweep in a third.
By then, the striker had already lashed a rebound wide after Pickford had saved from Son. Doherty also had gone close with a close-range effort, with Everton's defence all at sea.
Something had to change, and Keane was hooked at the break after taking a blow to the face in the dying embers of the first half - Lampard later confirmed he had been feeling unwell and had put himself forward to play - but it was a Spurs change that instantly made a difference.
Sessegnon was taken off with a muscular injury, and his replacement Reguilon was celebrating within a minute as the lively Kulusevski selflessly picked out the onrushing wing-back for his second Premier League goal.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, on his return to the side following a groin strain, dragged a shot wide of Richarlison's studs at the far post before normal service was resumed as Kane's cross was flicked onto the crossbar by Eric Dier.
Tottenham fans resorted to gallows humour with chants of "sacked in the morning" towards the forlorn former Chelsea manager, but Lampard stood motionless, as his mannequins in blue did too when Tottenham added a brilliant fifth.
Conte seems to have settled on Doherty at right wing-back and, like Sessegnon, he is taking his chance, as the Irishman's pass picked out Kane for a superb volley back across Pickford in much the same way he scored recently against Leeds.
Dele Alli was introduced with 20 minutes remaining and given a warm reception from the home supporters. There were very few Everton fans left inside to hear the final whistle.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane has netted 176 Premier League goals, with only five players managing more in the history of the competition (Shearer 260, Rooney 208, Cole 187, Agüero 184 and Lampard 177).
He told Sky Sports: "No game in the Premier League is easy. Credit to how we set up and we punished them on the break. All in all a really good Monday night.
"It is all about getting those chances and I am always confident I am going to hit the target. I always try and keep the ball low. Hard work and practice, it is no secret.
"Over the last few years, my game has changed a bit, in terms of dropping into the pockets, I played as a number 10 in the youth team. As teams and managers change, you have to adapt your game.
"Thierry was one of the greatest strikers we have seen, so nice to go above him in the scorers list and hopefully they keep coming.
"The top four has to be our ambition. We are not the finished article yet but the manager has had time to settle in and physically, I think we are in a really good position. We are in there and in the mix and we have to feel that pressure if we want to be a top team. We can't hide from that."
Conte said of Kane: "Harry is in a good moment of form. He's an important player for us. Today it's good to celebrate because we won 5-0 but I want an answer from my players in the game against [Manchester] United on Saturday. I want to see if we're getting better and better in a tough game against an important team fighting with us for the top four."
Sky Sports' Ben Grounds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium:
Lampard waited another 14 minutes after Kane had scored Tottenham's fifth before he turned to Tottenham's one-time favourite.
Alli was the poster boy of the cherished team Mauricio Pochettino built, but the feeling is that professional life stifled his joy of playing. It is the only way of explaining how he has ended up at Everton.
He enjoyed a meteoric rise under Pochettino having arrived as a precocious 19-year-old in the summer of 2015 but he only scored nine times in Tottenham's new stadium before his departure for an initial free transfer at the end of January.
That he failed to fulfil his rich talent in the white of Tottenham is a source of frustration and regret for the majority of those who filled the stands on Monday night, but he must show his hunger to prove he belongs at the highest level again.
Tottenham's running stats have shot up since Antonio Conte's arrival but it is a curiosity that Alli didn't therefore thrive under the Italian, given how he excelled in this category among his peers at MK Dons and notably under Pochettino, who recognised him as the fittest member of his squad.
Lampard resisted calls for a first start but there were flashes of his craft in a cameo which eventually came 24 minutes into the second half. By then, the damage had been done long before. This is a poor Everton side he has landed in midway through a season.
At times, he looked all alone on the pitch as he was instructed to play off Richarlison, chasing a lost cause. He remained on the pitch afterwards to express a final gratitude to the Spurs supporters who vociferously sung his name.
The world wants to see Alli back playing with a smile on his face and having fun, but he has walked into a bad situation at Everton. Only once safety is secured will we see his old, infectious ways but he will expect to start soon judging by the wretched performance of those who failed at Tottenham.
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte: "It was a good night for everyone. On Saturday [against Manchester United] it will be a really tough game and we have to show we're becoming stronger.
"Since my arrival in Tottenham I didn't know if it could be realistic but now after our months of hard work, I think the two players [Bentancur and Kulusevski] complete our squad. Now my expectations have become higher.
"It's difficult to beat us when we have more days to prepare. The big problem is when we have games in a short period. When you don't have more time to prepare the game... Now we have only one target, to finish in the best possible way. We have more time to prepare and we have to try to do our best and we'll see at the end of the season."
Everton boss Frank Lampard: "Well beaten obviously, started alright first 15 minutes. We spoke about the counter-attack, and we didn't deal with it well enough. Individual moments of bad defending.
"Some of those goals are just mistakes. We have to think of the bigger picture, 13 games to go. Teams around us are difficult. Before I came in, there were issues and they are becoming clearer but important the positivity remains, not stupid positivity.
"This gives me a lot of food for thought going forward. If you give away goals, the mental side comes in, but the football always starts it.
"All the messaging was clear but make errors and they will score goals. I have no problem with the challenge, I knew what it was. The general feeling has been very good and we can't lose that because people will throw things at us for one bad game.
"I had 20 years as a player. I had 100 periods like this. Everything is relative. It is important you stick together and work hard."
Spurs take on Man Utd at Old Trafford on Saturday at 5.30pm in a game you can see live on Sky Sports Premier League, while Everton host Wolves on Sunday at 2pm.
