SIZZLING SPURS BLITZ BIG SAM
Kane scores twice but Son shines brightest as Everton are demolished at Wembley
TOTTENHAM’S response to the demonstration of Manchester City’s superiority over them a month ago has now been emphatic and decisive. Since the 4-1 defeat at the Etihad, Mauricio Pochettino’s team have won four out of five in the Premier League, with one draw and 15 goals scored.
They might be second best to City but, all things considered, that is not a bad place to be. In the form they were in against Everton here they will be a force to be reckoned with throughout Europe in the Champions League.
Never remotely troubled, Tottenham were simply too strong, too quick and too creative for a ragged-looking Everton. Son Heung-min was outstanding and Christian Eriksen not far behind. When Harry Kane and Deli Alli are your four or fifth best performers, you know you have a squad capable of great things.
Of course, opposition may not always be as accommodating as Everton. The Sam Allardyce revival has faltered somewhat, this being a fourth successive defeat. More alarmingly, having only conceded twice in his first seven games, Everton have now shipped 10 in four.
Against Spurs they looked nothing like an Allardyce team; over-run in midfield, chaotic in defence and pretty much inviting their opponents to run amok.
And Tottenham did just that. When they attack with pace and verve they are a joy to watch and here they proved impossible to contain. In the 26th minute Everton allowed them time and space to play short passes before Eriksen produced an outstanding switch of play with a cross-field pass into the path of Serge Aurier. But the space afforded both passer and the receiver of the ball was astonishing. Cuco Martina was following Son into the box but no one from midfield saw fit to cover his position. It was a team failure. Aurier took his cue, positively galloped into the Everton box and drove the ball across goal, where Son timed his run perfectly to score from close range. Despite their lack of competitive edge early on and their scant ball possession, it was, however, Everton who had the ball in the net first. From a rare corner, Cenk Tosun rose powerfully and with serious intent to meet the ball and send it goalwards. Wayne Rooney, lurking close to goal, darted to get the final touch but was in an offside position, so it was ruled out. In theory, Tosun, with Rooney, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Yannick