Silva flops deliver early Xmas presents
IT’S the season of giving and Everton gifted plenty to Tottenham.
The early presents came from keeper Jordan Pickford but his little helpers in the hosts’ backline also aided Mauricio Pochettino’s men before the visitors turned on the style to thrash the Toffees.
It left Marco Silva’s side feeling anything but merry.
Liverpool are No.1 this Christmas, while Manchester City are seen as the main threat to them ending their 29-year wait for a league title.
But on this evidence, you can’t rule out Pochettino’s impressive side, who have made it seven wins in their last eight league games.
Doubles from Heung-min Son and Harry Kane were added to by Dele Alli and a super strike from Christian Eriksen to ensure efforts from Theo Walcott and Gylfi Sigurdsson counted little for Everton. This win moved Tottenham to just two points behind second-placed City, while they keep the gap between them and Liverpool at six points.
They also maintained their best start to a Premier League campaign as they hit 42 points.
Everton has been a favourable fixture for the north Londoners in recent times, with Spurs unbeaten in 11 against the Toffees having won six of those games.
Silva’s men have not been dealing too well with the established top six clubs this season either. They have
lost to Merseyside neighbours Liverpool, City, Arsenal and now Tottenham, with a brave point at Chelsea their best return.
It looked like that might change when Walcott fired in the opener in the 21st minute.
Sigurdsson put Dominic CalvertLewin down the left and his cute cut-back was met by Walcott after he nipped in front of Ben Davies.
Calvert-Lewin then had a header ruled out for a push on Davinson Sanchez which would have doubled the lead and maybe changed the course of the game.
But Silva’s outfit were already showing shaky signs at the back after early chances for the visitors. And it was an early Christmas present from Pickford and Kurt Zouma that gifted Spurs an equaliser.
A punt forward wasn’t dealt with and Pickford recklessly rushed out, only to collide with his defender and Son was on hand to clip in from an angle in the 27th minute.
Alert
The South Korea star then had a low shot saved by Pickford eight minutes later, only for the Everton keeper to push it out and Alli smashed home a low strike.
It was 3-1 before the break as, this time, the Everton defence stood still when Kieran Trippier’s free-kick cracked off the post and fell into the path of an alert Kane.
The England striker then helped create the fourth after the restart when his cross was headed clear by Toffees defender Seamus Coleman.
But Eriksen was waiting at the edge of the area and the Dane’s spectacular finish was the pick of the bunch for the visitors.
Tottenham fans started singing, “You should have gone Christmas shopping” to the frustrated home crowd but their jeers were silenced momentarily in the 51st minute.
Sigurdsson coasted past four Tottenham defenders and his low strike beat Hugo Lloris to pull one back. But Tottenham regained their advantage just after the hour mark with maybe a bit of festive fortune.
Erik Lamela, who replaced Alli at the break, fed Son, who looked marginally offside, but he ignored the raised arms in the Everton defence to get his second of the game.
Kane then got his double to complete the rout when he slid in to turn home Son’s cross as many of the Everton fans headed for the exits with 16 minutes to go.
The travelling support spent most of the remainder of the game singing their manager’s name and hoping he turns down the possible approach from Manchester United this summer.