SIZZLING SPURS SINK SAM
Kane delivers a double to take Sheringham’s record but Son is star of the show
TOTTENHAM’S response to the very public demonstration of Manchester City’s superiority over them a month ago has now been emphatic and decisive.
Since their 4-1 defeat at the Etihad, Mauricio Pochettino’s team have won four out of five in the Premier League, with one draw, scoring 15 goals.
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.
Heung-Min Son was outstanding and Christian Eriksen was not far behind. When Harry Kane and Dele Alli are your fourth or fifth-best performers, you know you have a squad capable of great things.
‘It was an unbelievable performance from us,’ said Son. ‘We deserved to win, everyone enjoyed it, to play against them.
‘I enjoy every game at Wembley and I try to give my best performance every game.
‘For us, now it feels like home. It’s not our real home but we really enjoy this stadium.’
Even when he was outshone by a couple of his team-mates, Kane was still breaking records. He scored his 97th and 98th Premier League goals for the club, overtaking Teddy Sheringham’s record.
‘Harry is so talented, so professional and I am very happy,’ added Pochettino. ‘He deserves all the credit and a lot of praise. In this way, he will break all the records in the Premier League. ‘The good thing is Jimmy Greaves’ record (all-time top Tottenham league scorer with 220 goals) is far, so not every week he is going to break something.’ Opposition may not always be as accommodating as Everton. The Sam Allardyce revival has faltered somewhat, this being a fourth successive defeat. ‘I’m hugely disappointed in the professionalism of my players today,’ said Allardyce. ‘It’s out of order. Play your way back into the game and be professional about it. ‘It shocked me. I haven’t seen it since I got here. I’ve got to cut it out.’ Alarmingly, having only conceded twice in Allardyce’s first seven games, Everton have now let in 10 in four games. Against Spurs, they looked nothing like an Allardyce team: overrun in midfield, chaotic in defence and pretty much inviting their opponents to run amok. In fact Tottenham, when they attack with pace and verve, 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 truly astonishing.
Full-back 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, galloped into the Everton box and drove the ball across goal, where Son timed his run to score from close range.
Despite their lack of competitive edge early on and their scant ball possession, it was Everton who had the ball in the net first.
From a rare corner, new signing Cenk Tosun rose to meet the ball and send it goalwards.
Wayne Rooney darted to get the final touch but from an offside position, so it was ruled out.
In theory, Tosun with Rooney, Gyfli Sigurdsson and Yannick Bolasie behind him should be a forward line to be reckoned with.
It combines goals, craft, experience and speed. Certainly former manager Ronald Koeman, denied Bolasie through injury and a centre-forward because of transfer failures, would have liked to have started with a front four resembling this.
Yet there was little chance to judge them in that first half as Tottenham swaggered their way through.
There was an Eriksen free-kick in the 15th minute which was whipped in and met by Son’s head but diverted sharply over the bar.
And there was a Kane strike in the 22nd minute saved by Jordan Pickford. Given their superiority, they might have expected more.
No matter, they put things right early in the second half. Again, there was a degree of chaos among Everton’s defenders. Jonjoe Kenny raced out to cut off Son, who was launching a counter.
Yet he overran himself, allowing Son to slip past and advance into space. Again Everton were caught on the back foot.
Son measured his cross and Kane met it from three yards to extend the lead.
Everton were overwhelmed again in the 52nd minute as Son advanced through midfield and played in Alli, who shot cleanly but found the side netting.
Two minutes later, there was space in abundance yet again as Kane strolled through midfield to shoot from long range, prompting Pickford to parry the ball away.
In the 58th minute, a lovely Aurier pass found Son, whose quick and powerful strike rebounded off the post. Everton had no response.
A third goal was inevitable. It came just a minute later when Eric Dier swung in a cross and Mason Holgate could only watch as Kane ghosted past him and finished from close range, almost embarrassed by the ease of it all.
A fourth would come, the only surprise being it took until the 81st minute.
Pickford was responsible for maintaining some form of respectability for his side, his double save in the 77th minute from Son and Alli the equivalent of holding the fort on his own against a clinical assault.
It could not last and, finally, Son cut across goal, played in Alli who, with an audacious back heel, found Eriksen, who simply swept the ball home to complete the win. TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier (Wanyama 74), Dembele (Sissoko 82); Eriksen (Lamela 87), Alli, Son; Kane. Subs (not used):Trippier, Vorm, Llorente, Walker-Peters. Booked: None. EVERTON (4-4-2): Pickford; Kenny, Holgate, Jagielka, Martina; McCarthy (Schneiderlin 72), Gueye, Bolasie (Lennon 57), Sigurdsson; Rooney, Tosun (Calvert-Lewin 62). Subs (not used): Robles, Williams, Niasse, Lookman. Booked: Jagielka, Rooney. Referee: Craig Pawson. Attendance: 76,251.