Tottenham exploded with five goals in their dominant win over Everton, with Harry Kane grabbing a brace in the 5-0 victory.
It was Tottenham’s second clean sheet in their last 11 top flight matches. The attacking trio were in fine form and set the tone from the off. Conte will be elated with the result, which moves Spurs to within three points of Arsenal in fourth place.
It was just the tonic Tottenham supporters were in search of after crashing out of the FA Cup last week. Here are the player ratings in the drubbing of Everton.
Defence
Hugo Lloris 7/10
Hugo Lloris finally got a night off. Well he played, but Everton barely got a sniff and didn’t register a shot on target. Hard to rate the Frenchman on the night, but he can’t be penalized for not being tested. A clean sheet is an important achievement, as it’s only his second in the last 11 matches.
Cristian Romero 7/10
A prototypical Romero evening, highlighted by an outrageously full-blooded slide tackle on Richarlison early in the first half. He saw yellow for the mistimed tackle but also set the tone. He was assured in possession and never looked troubled.
Eric Dier 8/10
Eric Dier enjoyed another strong outing. He had one tackle, three clearances and two blocked shots and was the side’s standout defensive performer.
Ben Davies 7/10
Like his two centre back colleagues, Ben Davies was solid if not brilliant. He had a tackle, an interception and four clearances to round out a strong outing.
Midfield
Matt Doherty 9/10
The Irishman enjoyed his best performance in a Tottenham shirt. He was an influential part in two of the first three goals, assisting Harry Kane’s breakaway goal with a wonderful through ball. He also set the wheels in motion on Spurs’ second with a smart pass to Kane, eventually finished by Sonny. He also assisted on Kane’s second in the 55th minute, giving the Irishman two assists on the night. Although he was helped on by Everton’s woeful defence, he had a couple of good scoring chances himself and looked like a player reborn.
Pierre Hojbjerg 8/10
The Dane was back to his best against Everton. He made a couple of poor passes but made up for it with his tireless work rate and an unrelenting ability to put the Toffees under duress. Hojbjerg completed 95 percent of his passes, an incredibly high rate of success, even for a central midfielder.
Rodrigo Bentancur 8/10
Bentancur is outstanding on the ball, offering a calming presence in possession. Like Hojbjerg, he completed over 90 percent of his passes (92) and played simple, yet effective football. He is a solid signing and has already shown Spurs supporters the high level they can expect of him, especially at home.
Ryan Sessegnon 7/10
Ryan Sessegnon has proven his worth to Antonio Conte, who has started the Englishman in five straight Premier League matches. Ryan put in a telling cross for Tottenham’s first goal and was impressive prior to being withdrawn after he took a knock before halftime. He only got one cross in, but it was an effective one that led to a Keane own goal. Hopefully his injury isn’t serious.
Forwards and Subs
Harry Kane 9/10
Harry Kane was unstoppable against the Toffees. He put pressure on Michael Keane on Spurs’ first and scored the team’s third and fifth goals. He was also influential on Sergio Reguilon’s strike just after the interval. Outstanding display from Spurs’ talisman, who has scored five goals in his last four top flight encounters.
Son Heung-min 8/10
Sonny, who was just about as good as Kane, was slightly wasteful in front of goal, the only knock on his performance. He scored one but should have bagged at least two. Though that might be slightly harsh, as Son was the focal point of most dangerous Tottenham attacks.
Dejan Kulusevski 8/10
Kulu also got in on the assist act, matching Doherty’s two assists on the night. The Swede assisted on Sonny’s first half goal with a smart through pass and Reguilon’s goal just after the break, seeing the Spaniard with a ball somewhat slow-moving seeing-eye pass at the back post. He is adapting brilliantly to life in England and has cemented his spot as Tottenham’s first choice right winger.
Sergio Reguilon 7/10
Sergio impacted proceedings immediately and scored just a minute into the second half. Thanks to Tottenham’s dominance, he wasn’t put under much pressure after entering the fray.