Everton vs. Tottenham Hotspur – Football Match Report – December 23, 2018

Tottenham moved to within two points of second place Manchester City after coming from behind to earn a 6-2 victory at Everton.

The build-up to this clash was dominated by talk of Manchester United’s interest in Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino following the decision to part ways with Jose Mourinho. However, he showed he was fully focused on the job at hand as his side put in a breathtaking performance which brought them back in the title picture.

Rivals Manchester City and Chelsea suffered shock home defeats on Saturday, and Tottenham took full advantage.

However, despite creating the majority of the early chances, they found themselves a goal down inside 21 minutes when former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott side-footed Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s pull-back past Hugo Lloris.

Everton could have been 2-0 up two minutes later when Calvert-Lewin headed in Walcott’s cross but was adjudged to have pushed Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez in the back.

And that decision would prove pivotal as Son Heung-Min profited from a mix-up between Jordan Pickford and Kurt Zouma to equalise just moments later. The Everton duo ran into each other and the ball fell to the South Korea international, who finished superbly from a tight angle.

Dele Alli then made it 2-1 to the visitors 10 minutes before half-time as Pickford could only palm Harry Kane’s effort into the ex-MK Dons man’s path.

And Kane got in on the act with the fourth goal coming on 42 minutes. Kieran Trippier’s free kick hit the post and came to the England captain, who coolly tapped home into an empty net.

There was a flash point just before the interval when Pickford caught Alli following a coming together, which forced the Tottenham midfielder to be replaced by Erik Lamela at half-time.

But the change did nothing to alter Tottenham’s momentum as they made it 4-1 three minutes into the second half after Christian Eriksen expertly drilled the ball into the bottom corner from Seamus Coleman’s poor clearance.

The goal failed to kill the home side off as Gylfi Sigurdsson reduced the deficit against his former side almost immediately — powering an effort past Lloris, who could have done better. However, that proved a false dawn as Son killed off any hope of comeback with a fifth just past the hour mark.

Lamela’s through ball found its way to Spurs’ No. 7 who was borderline offside and kept his composure to place the ball past Pickford.

And Tottenham still weren’t done as Kane finished off a superb move to get his second of the day as he fired past Pickford 16 minutes from time.

While Spurs remain third, this defeat sees Everton stay in 11th place, but only on goals scored, as they are now level with 12th place West Ham on a -2 goal difference.