PLAYER RATINGS: Kane puts in man-of-the-match display in Spurs win
PLAYER RATINGS: Harry Kane puts in man-of-the-match display while Jordan Pickford makes a costly error and Neal Maupay struggles to find his feet as Spurs beat Everton to go level on points with Manchester City
- Tottenham continued their good form with a win over Everton on Saturday
- England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford conceded a penalty in the second half
- Harry Kane duly converted the spot kick to put the home side ahead
- Pierre Emile Hojbjerg added a second late on to secure the three points
With the World Cup drawing ever closer, it was two of England’s biggest stars that made the difference as Tottenham defeated Everton to move level on points with Manchester City.
After twice denying Harry Kane with a pair of spectacular saves, England No 1 Jordan Pickford fouled his compatriot to give the Spurs talisman an opportunity to put his team ahead from the twelve yard mark.
In a move that will delight nervy England fans ahead of the tournament, Kane continued his exemplary record with spot kicks to give the home side the lead. Spurs then capped off the performance with a late goal from Pierre Emile Hojbjerg.
Sportsmail’s Gerry Cox rated both teams’ players after the game
Jordan Pickford brought down Harry Kane allowing the England captain to break the deadlock
TOTTENHAM 3-4-3
Hugo Lloris Hardly had a save to make against a lightweight Everton attack. One weak shot and a simple cross to catch was his lot. 7
Cristian Romero Spoken to after a series of robust challenges early on. Put one header over the bar, otherwise solid defensively. 7
Eric Dier Caught in the face by Maupay’s arm early on, but recovered to put in his usual commanding performance 7
Pierre Emile Hojbjerg continued his good form with a solid performance in midfield
Ben Davies Preferred to Lenglet at left-back, had his hands full with Gray in the early stages but was coasting by the end 7
Matt Doherty Back in place of Emerson Royal, got forward well had a header saved and his shot led to the penalty. 7
Pierre Emile Hojbjerg Tidy and hard-working as ever in the heart of Spurs midfield, and well-deserved goal. 8
Kane scored his ninth league goal of the season with the second-half spot kick
Rodrigo Bentancur Harshly booked after tackling Gray, but kept midfield ticking over. Fine cross to set up Hojbjerg’s goal. 7
Ivan Perisic Dangerous down the left with his crosses causing problems for Everton’s defence, denied a late goal by Tarkowski. 8
Richarlison Clattered early on, headed over the bar, had one shot deflected wide and a flick just over before leaving injured on 52 minutes. 6
Harry Kane Denied three times by Pickford but beat the England keeper from the penalty spot after being tripped. Masterclass of forward play 9
Heung Min Son Looking confident again, combined well with Perisic on the left and also with Kane up front. 8
After a shaky start to the season Heung Min Son is back to his best alongside Kane
SUBS
Yves Bissouma for Richarlison 52 Solid and aggressive after replacing Richarlison
Davinson Sanchez for Romero 87 Couple of strong challenges and headers won
Djed Spence for Doherty 90+3 Big roar when went on for his home debut in stoppage time
Lucas Moura for Kane 90+3 Didn’t need to touch the ball
Oliver Skipp for Bentancur 90+3 Too late to make an impact
MANAGER
Antonio Conte Shuffled his side with three changes from the team that beat Eintracht Frankfurt, and came out on top again. Maintained 100 per cent record at home
EVERTON 4-3-3
Jordan Pickford Two good saves from Kane before tripping his England colleague after fumbling Doherty’s shot to concede a penalty. 6
After a number of solid saves, Pickford will be disappointed with his costly error
Seamus Coleman Tough time against Son and Perisic on Tottenham’s left, often overrun. Replaced on 66 by Garner. 6
James Tarkowski Plenty of blocks and last-ditch challenges to keep the score down. Everton’s best defender. 7
Conor Coady Solid in the centre of Everton’s defence in the early stages, but overrun when Spurs stepped up a gear. 6
Vitaliy Mikolenko Quiet throughout but kept Richarlison mostly in check until the Brazilian went off. Struggled against Spurs forward line. Booked 6
Alex Iwobi Spent most of the game helping out Coleman on the right against Son and Perisic, hardly got forward and managed only one cross. 5
Idrissa Gueye Busy in the heart of Everton’s midfield, booked for high boot on Hojbjerg and lucky to escape a second later.
Demarai Gray was one of the few shining lights as Frank Lampard’s team fell to a defeat
Amadou Onana Started brightly, blew a great chance when put clear on goal, shooting over the bar in the first half, and faded as the game wore on. 6
Dwight McNeil Quiet game apart from a booking for a crude foul on Doherty. Never really involved going forward, and no crosses of note. 5
Demarai Gray Everton’s most dangerous player, a handful in the first half but blazed high over the bar when clean through. Faded as the game went on. 7
Neal Maupay Very quiet game, got away unpunished for an arm in Dier’s face and did little else. Replaced by Calvert-Lewin in 66th minute. 4
Former Brighton star Neal Maupay was almost entirely absent throughout the game
SUBS
Dominic Calvert-Lewin for Maupay 66 Caused some problems when he replaced Maupay for only his second game back from injury
Salomon Rondon for Gueye 81 Sent on to beef up the attack but never threatened
James Garner for Coleman 66. At least fired in a dangerous cross to give Lloris something to do.
MANAGER
Frank Lampard His side defended well for an hour and had two half-chances that they blew in the first half. Very little attacking threat.
REFEREE
Paul Tierney Inconsistent with his decisions and cards, but got the one big call right, a penalty for Pickford’s foul on Kane. 6/10
Share this article
Source: Read Full Article