Staff Reporter.
Tottenham increased Everton’s growing relegation fears and maintained their own top-four aspirations as Frank Lampard’s side were outclassed and humiliated 5-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday.
On an embarrassing night for Lampard and his players, Spurs ran riot as Everton capitulated in a fashion that raises genuine doubts about their ability to maintain Premier League status.
Everton defender Michael Keane set the tone for the night by firing Ryan Sessegnon’s into his own net after 14 minutes while goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was at fault for Son Heung-min’s second three minutes later.
Matt Doherty set Harry Kane free to put the game out of sight eight minutes before half-time, while any slim hopes of an Everton revival were snuffed out when substitute Sergio Reguilon scored with his first touch at the far post seconds after the restart.
As Everton simply fell apart, Kane added the fifth after 55 minutes, meeting Doherty’s perfect cross with a crisp left-footed volley.
“The top four has to be our ambition,” Kane said afterward. “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.”
Kane is now just one goal short of Frank Lampard for fifth place on the Premier League top-scorers’ list. The now-Everton manager has far greater concerns, however, on the evidence of this showing.
Everton are just one point and one place above the relegation zone with a game in hand on Burnley below them.
Tottenham stay seventh, just three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal in the last of the Champions League qualifying spots.
Last month, following a 2-0 loss against Wolves, Spurs boss Antonio Conte insisted it was “impossible” for his side to finish in the top four but after Monday’s win said his “expectations have become higher”.
“A top-four race for sure and we want to be involved – we’re becoming stronger in many aspects,” added the Italian.
“We have to take the responsibility now. We have to fight to reach the best possible position and to fight for a place in the Champions League.
“For sure it won’t be easy. We need to have ambition and I think we can do this, I think we’re ready to do this.
“Since my arrival in Tottenham I didn’t know if it could be realistic but now after months of hard work I think the two [new] players [Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur] complete our squad.”
Everton have lost four of five league outings since Lampard was appointed to replace Rafa Benitez, leaving the Toffees just a point above the relegation zone.
Everton were last relegated from the top flight in 1951 and have had two last-day escapes in 1993-94 and 1997-98, but after this they should brace themselves for another cliffhanger this season.