Tottenham vs Everton: Player ratings and analysis as Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg break down Toffees

Tottenham moved within a point of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a 2-0 win over Everton.

Just seven months ago, when the Toffees were crushed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the biggest defeat of his tenure, it felt like the end for Frank Lampard. Yet his compact Everton are unrecognisable now as they drew an uninspiring first-half performance out of Antonio Conte’s side.

It took almost until the hour mark for Harry Kane to break the deadlock from the penalty spot having been tripped up by Jordan Pickford after the goalkeeper had spilled Matt Doherty’s shot. Pickford had just done so well to deny Kane on the half-volley, but immediately apologised to his defence for the error that finally tipped the game in the hosts’ favour.

Kane, on his 400th appearance for Spurs, takes his tally for the club to 258 – just eight shy of all-time leading goalscorer Jimmy Greaves. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg then doubled Spurs’ lead with a curling effort past Pickford.

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Everton, meanwhile, were left to rue failing to take their chances, Demarai Gray and Amadou Onana squandering two golden first-half opportunities as Lampard waved a pair of fingers in frustration.

Conte will not be entirely contented either, not least because Richarlison appeared to suffer a knock on his first appearance against his old employers. The Brazilian was replaced by Yves Bissouma, enforcing another switch to 3-5-2 again.

Spurs had tried to pass their way through but met resistance in Conor Coady and James Tarkowksi, both of whom did their England prospects no harm ahead of Gareth Southgate naming his squad to take to Qatar.

At the other end, though, Everton fizzled out in attack, not helped by the absence of the suspended Anthony Gordon.

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Player ratings

Tottenham

• Lloris 6.5
• Doherty 6
• Romero 7
• Dier 7
• Davies 6.5
• Perisic 6
• Bentancur 7.5
• Hojbjerg 6.5
• Richarlison 6
• Son 7
• Kane 7.5

Substitutes

• Skipp 6
• Sanchez 6
• Bissouma 7
• Spence 6
• Moura 6

Everton

• Pickford 6
• Coleman 6.5
• Tarkowski 7
• Coady 7.5
• Mykolenko 6
• Onana 6.5
• Gana 6
• Iwobi 6
• McNeil 5
• Gray 6
• Maupay 4

Substitutes

• Calvert-Lewin 5
• Rondon 4
• Garner 6

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