Tottenham kept their Champions League hopes burning brightly with a convincing 5-0 win over a thoroughly dismal Everton on Monday night.
Everton made a fast start but were two down by the 20-minute mark, with Ryan Sessegnon’s cross turned into his own net by Michael Keane before Son Heung-min ran in to quickly double Spurs’ lead.
Jordan Pickford continued to be busy throughout the first half, denying Son and Matt Doherty, but he had no chance when Harry Kane beat the offside trap to race through and smash in the third.
Frank Lampard would have hoped for a response after half-time but it only got worse - Sergio Reguilon scored 50 seconds after the restart and Kane volleyed in a second before the home side took their foot off the pedal.
Here are five things we learned during the game on Monday night.
Everton’s energetic and expensive intent
Too passive under Rafa Benitez, too reliant on the counter-attack - that was often the complaint from Everton fans unhappy at a failure to win or score frequently enough.
Well, they were certainly much more on the front foot here in the opening stages of the game - however, that intent wasn’t matched up with organisation. It was incredibly easy for the home team to pass their way out past Everton’s energetic press and exploit the huge gaps in their back line.
Down the left channel more than once and right through the centre any number of times, Spurs simply breezed through the blue shirts to rattle off chance after chance.
The first 10 minutes for the away side were fairly good in terms of winning the ball back high and showing real endeavour, but the problems arose when that first line couldn’t force a regain. Frank Lampard has to find a way to keep that intensity up without over-committing or leaving enormous spaces for fast-paced sides to break through.
As for their organisation against sustained Spurs possession, the less said the better.
Sessegnon’s inconsistency
Five Premier League starts in a row for 21-year-old Ryan Sessegnon, comfortably his best run in the team since joining Tottenham from Fulham in 2019.
It’s a big positive in that sense, and parts of his game were explosive and exciting - yet also on view were reasons he hasn’t yet fully established himself.
On the break, he was electric, bursting beyond Everton’s back line multiple times and setting up the first goal with a really aggressive run and cross - which came after he might have even opened the scoring himself, had Son not spurned the chance to pass.
But on the flip side of his performance, he lost out in dangerous areas more than once, was slow to react to danger in the opening stages and didn’t look quite aware enough at times, including when Hugo Lloris looked ready to release a quick throw to him and the wing-back wasn’t facing play for what was clearly a pre-planned outlet.
He was subbed at the break with a reported minor knock and with his replacement Reguilon immediately scoring, he faces a fight to keep racking up the minutes without even more improvement.
England’s No9s
Harry Kane was sensational for much of the game, both as a centre-forward leading the line and in the free-moving, roving role he loves to operate in, spraying passes the width of the pitch and setting Spurs on the counter.
His strength in holding off multiple defenders was impressive too, just like his close control in avoiding their challenges, while both finishes were unstoppable, unerring in accuracy and finished with the absolute conviction of a player in-form and high on confidence - just as Spurs need him to be.
At the other end of the pitch, Dominic Calvert-Lewin barely had a sniff.
He was subbed on 68 minutes after just 23 touches of the ball, just one shot of actual note - a couple of blocked ones too - and very little support or supply line to him as the Toffees failed to register a single effort on target.
In favour under Conte
Matt Doherty has forced his way into the team ahead of Emerson Royal and he had a huge say on the outcome of this game, setting up both of Kane’s goals with very different deliveries: The first was a sublime through pass from deep, the second a cross to the far post from wide.
He’s one beneficiary of Antonio Conte looking for the winning formula on a more regular basis, just as Ben Davies has been as the left-sided centre-back and Sessegnon on the flank.
Even more impressive in this game were the two January additions from Juventus, with Rodrigo Bentancur bossing the centre of the park and Dejan Kulusevski a constant threat with creative passing, clever movement and his trademark powerful running in possession.
Spurs know they have the individuals to win games on a regular basis, but doing it consistently is still the issue for them. Next up is key in the top-four race.
Top four, bottom three
Points on the board for Spurs in the Champions League race, but they stay seventh on goal difference, behind West Ham.
Man United are two points above them but Spurs have two more games in hand on both teams - and face the Red Devils at the weekend in a huge fixture.
Win that and they’ll really be in the running to be Arsenal’s main rival for fourth.
At the other end of the table, concerns are mounting for Lampard and Everton, who remain one point above the relegation zone and despite still having a game in hand over Burnley, have now won just twice in 19 Premier League games - the span of half a season.
It’s a dreadful run, they’ve lost three in a row without scoring and next up come Wolves, one of the league’s best defences this season, and Newcastle, the second most in-form side in the Premier League. So much to do and increasingly little time to do it in.
