Kane upstages Lukaku, powers Tottenham to 3-2 win vs Everton
Whether scoring from distance or performing an intricate goal celebration, Harry Kane makes it look easy.
No other player has been as consistently lethal in front of goal in England in the last three years. And the Tottenham forward supplemented his repertoire of goals with a double in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Everton.
A ninth successive home win in the Premier League buoyed Tottenham’s pursuit of Chelsea and asserted Kane’s striking supremacy. While Tottenham remains second in the league standings, Kane is now out on his own on the scoring leaderboard with 19 goals. Kane edged ahead of challenger Romelu Lukaku after the Everton striker could only manage one goal in their striking showdown at White Hart Lane.
Kane’s first in the 20th minute was audacious but expertly executed, a strike unleashed from 30 yards (metres) that dipped past goalkeeper Joel Robles after he had skipped through Everton’s soft midfield resistance.
It gave Kane and Dele Alli a chance to flaunt their well-rehearsed celebration, involving fleeting handshakes and taps to the chest.
“We thought we’d come up with a little celebration,” Kane said, “and we’ll stick with it.”
Alli also gave little away about its conception.
“It’s quite complicated,” said Alli, who set up Kane’s second before scoring himself. “I think we got the hang of it straight away.”
Kane’s second goal 11 minutes into the second half owed as much to Everton’s sloppiness as his own ability to seize on the opening. Robles rolled the ball out to the dithering Morgan Schneiderlin and it was intercepted by Alli as Moussa Dembele applied pressure. Alli threaded a pass through to Kane, who swept a shot low into the net for his 24th goal in all competitions this season.
The 23-year-old Kane is only four behind last season’s goal haul with more than two months remaining, even after missing 10 games through injury earlier in the season.
Manager Pochettino was jovial, only because his players clung on to what should have been a comfortable victory. Entering the final 10 minutes, Lukaku finally had a shot on goal and became the first player to beat goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in the league at White Hart Lane since December with a sidefooted finish.
It was an unexpectedly nervy conclusion. Even after Alli deftly clipped Harry Winks’ free kick into the net in the second minute of stoppage time, Everton immediately reduced the deficit again at the other end from a set-piece that Enner Valencia completed.
But Spurs held on to end a ninegame unbeaten run for seventhplaced Everton on a weekend when north London rival Arsenal fell six points behind Spurs by losing at Liverpool.
David Silva sets up 2 goals as Man City beats Sunderland 2-0
Manchester City survived an early scare before goals from Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane secured a 2-0 victory at bottom-placed Sunderland.
Jermain Defoe came close to giving the hosts a shock lead in the 20th minute when he drilled his shot against the post but Aguero opened the scoring from pointblank range in the 38th from David Silva’s cross.
Silva also provided a defencesplitting through-ball early for Sane to get the second in the second half.
City is third - eight points behind leader Chelsea.
P W D L F A Pts Chelsea 26 20 3 3 55 19 63 Tottenham 27 16 8 3 53 20 56 Man City 26 17 4 5 53 29 55 Arsenal 25 15 5 5 54 28 50 Liverpool 26 14 7 5 55 33 49 Man United 26 13 10 3 39 22 49 Everton 27 12 8 7 44 30 44 West Brom 27 11 7 9 36 34 40 Stoke 27 9 8 10 32 40 35 Southampton 26 9 6 11 32 34 33 West Ham 26 9 6 11 35 44 33 Burnley 27 9 4 14 30 40 31 Watford 27 8 7 12 33 47 31 Bournemouth 27 7 6 14 37 52 27 Leicester 27 7 6 14 30 45 27 Swansea 27 8 3 16 35 59 27 Crystal P. 27 7 4 16 35 46 25 M’boro 27 4 10 13 19 30 22 Hull 27 5 6 16 24 53 21 Sunderland 27 5 4 18 24 50 19