Tottenham 5 – 0 Everton

Tottenham produced a five-star showing on Monday Night Football as Harry Kane scored twice in a 5-0 thrashing of relegation-threatened Everton.

In a thoroughly one-sided contest, Tottenham were 3-0 ahead by half-time after Michael Keane’s own goal (14) was added to by Heung-Min Son three minutes later, the South Korean’s shot flashing underneath Jordan Pickford’s body.

Things got even worse for the visitors before half-time as Kane ran onto Matt Doherty’s pass to reverse his shot into the net, with the goal upheld upon VAR review despite a marginal offside call (37).

Frank Lampard sought to address matters by replacing Keane at the interval but his side were further behind 44 seconds after the restart as half-time substitute Sergio Reguilon swept home from Dejan Kulusevski’s cross at the far post.

Tottenham were not done there, as Doherty was given too much time to pick out Kane at the far post for a superb volley back across Pickford’s goal into the far corner with 35 minutes still to play.

The result means Spurs remain in seventh on 45 points but with two games still in hand over West Ham and Manchester United above them and three points off Arsenal in fourth place, who have played a game fewer.

Jamie Carragher described Everton’s defence as a “Championship back four” – and this was a damaging loss for the Merseyside club, who remain in 17th place – one point outside the bottom three – but with a goal difference that is now four inferior to Burnley who occupy the final position in the relegation zone.

How scintillating Spurs embarrassed Everton

Lampard clenched his fists in front of the travelling fans on his last visit here as Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-0 in December 2019 but he stood with his arms crossed and a permanent frown for much of his contest.

Everton’s poor away form predates their current manager but Lampard has now lost all three of his away Premier League games, and in an alarming manner.

No side have collected fewer away points than the six Everton have mustered across the entire season. The visitors actually made an encouraging start in possession, but any growing optimism was blown away in a three-minute period that left Lampard looking to the skies.

Ryan Sessegnon is enjoying a career revival under Antonio Conte and the left wing-back played a crucial role in his side’s opener as his determined run and cross led to Keane’s hapless own goal under pressure from Kane’s dart to the near post.

It was Keane’s error which led to Phil Foden’s winning strike last weekend, and his own goal which decided this fixture two seasons ago during Project Restart. But Everton were still picking themselves up from their own misfortune when another individual mistake extended Tottenham’s lead.

Mason Holgate was too slow to cut out Kulusevski’s through ball as Son surprised Pickford with an early shot which squirmed under the body of the England goalkeeper on his 200th Premier League appearance.

Having been on the wrong side of a contentious handball decision against Manchester City, Lampard would be cursing VAR eight minutes before the break when Kane was played fractionally onside by Holgate to sweep in a third.

By then, the striker had already lashed a rebound wide after Pickford had saved from Son. Doherty also had gone close with a close-range effort, with Everton’s defence all at sea.

Something had to change, and Keane was hooked at the break after taking a blow to the face in the dying embers of the first half but it was a Spurs change that instantly made a difference.

Sessegnon was taken off as a precaution, and his replacement Reguilon was celebrating within a minute as the lively Kulusevski selflessly picked out the onrushing wing-back for his second Premier League goal.

Tottenham fans resorted to gallows humour with chants of “sacked in the morning” towards the forlorn former Chelsea manager, but Lampard stood motionless, as his mannequins in blue did too when Tottenham added a brilliant fifth.

Conte seems to have settled on Doherty at right wing-back and, like Sessegnon, he is taking his chance, as the Irishman’s pass picked out Kane for a superb volley back across Pickford in much the same way he scored recently against Leeds.

Dele Alli was introduced with 20 minutes remaining and given a warm reception from the home supporters. There were very few Everton fans left inside to hear the final whistle.

Man of the match: Harry Kane

Tottenham’s Harry Kane told Sky Sports:

“No game in the Premier League is easy. Credit to how we set up and we punished them on the break. All in all a really good Monday night.

“It is all about getting those chances and I am always confident I am going to hit the target. I always try and keep the ball low. Hard work and practice, it is no secret.

“Over the last few years, my game has changed a bit, in terms of dropping into the pockets, I played as a number 10 in the youth team. As teams and managers change, you have to adapt your game.

“Thierry was one of the greatest strikers we have seen, so nice to go above him in the scorers list and hopefully they keep coming.

“The top four has to be our ambition. We are not the finished article yet but the manager has had time to settle in and physically, I think we are in a really good position. We are in there and in the mix and we have to feel that pressure if we want to be a top team. We can’t hide from that.”

Is it time for Everton to start Dele?

Sky Sports’ Ben Grounds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium:

Frank Lampard waited another 14 minutes after Harry Kane had scored Tottenham’s fifth before he turned to Tottenham’s one-time favourite.

Dele Alli was the poster boy of the cherished team Mauricio Pochettino built, but the feeling is that professional life stifled his joy of playing. It is the only way of explaining how he has ended up at Everton.

He enjoyed a meteoric rise under Pochettino having arrived as a precocious 19-year-old in the summer of 2015 but he only scored nine times in Tottenham’s new stadium before his departure for an initial free transfer at the end of January.

That he failed to fulfil his rich talent in the white of Tottenham is a source of frustration and regret for the majority of those who filled the stands on Monday night, but he must show his hunger to prove he belongs at the highest level again.

Tottenham’s running stats have shot up since Antonio Conte’s arrival but it is a curiosity that Alli didn’t therefore thrive under the Italian, given how he excelled in this category among his peers at MK Dons and notably under Pochettino, who recognised him as the fittest member of his squad.

Lampard resisted calls for a first start but there were flashes of his craft in a cameo which eventually came 24 minutes into the second half. By then, the damage had been done long before. This is a poor Everton side he has landed in midway through a season.

At times, he looked all alone on the pitch as he was instructed to play off Richarlison, chasing a lost cause.

The world wants to see Alli back playing with a smile on his face and having fun, but he has walked into a bad situation at Everton. Only once safety is secured will we see his old, infectious ways but he will expect to start soon judging by the wretched performance of those who failed at Tottenham.

Lampard’s biggest defeat – Opta stats

• Tottenham have scored 4+ goals in consecutive Premier League games for the first time since December 2018 (5-0 v Bournemouth and 6-2 v Everton), with their haul of nine goals in their last two top-flight games as many as they managed in their previous seven.
• Everton’s haul of 22 points after 25 games in the Premier League this season if their lowest total at this stage of a top-flight season in the club’s history.
• This was Everton boss Frank Lampard’s heaviest defeat as a manager in all competitions.
• Everton are winless in their last 11 Premier League away games (D2 L9), their longest run without a win on the road within the same Premier League campaign since another run of 11 between December and May in 2003-04.

What’s next?

Spurs take on Man Utd at Old Trafford on Saturday at 5.30pm in a game you can see live on Sky Sports Premier League, while Everton host Wolves on Sunday at 2pm.