Harry Kane reaches club milestone as dominant Tottenham sink Everton

Harry Kane’s distaste for the month of August was soon forgotten once the Tottenham striker reached September, with his two goals at Goodison the highlight of an emphatic return to form for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Christian Eriksen was also on the mark as Spurs recorded a fourth successive away league win, a run dating back to last season and which has seen them score an astonishing 18 goals in that period.

Everton were booed off by their own supporters at the interval after a dominant end to a half which Tottenham grasped by the scruff of the neck in somewhat fortunate fashion through Kane’s 28th minute opener.

A harmless Kieran Trippier corner ended with the ball at Kane’s feet wide on the right of the Everton area and what appeared to be an attempted cross drifted over the head of Jordan Pickford into the corner of the net.

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It was Kane’s 100th goal for his club, and followed on from his two for England in Malta last week, and must rank as one of the more bizarre, even if he could claim he had spied the Everton keeper off his line.

The second goal, after 41 minutes, was just as unsatisfactory from Everton’s point of view as defender Cuco Martina failed to clear Dele Alli’s far-post cross and, after Pickford had denied Ben Davies, Eriksen steered the ball into an open goal.

With Alli and Kane, who shot agonisingly wide from the edge of the area, both also coming close in first-half injury-time, home supporters vented their frustration as their players left the field.

That anger would worsen just 47 seconds after the restart when Kane made it 3-0, ghosting in after yet more appalling marking to meet Davies’s hanging cross and volley in from the edge of the six-yard area.

In quick succession, Pickford saved well from goalscorer Eriksen and Kane as the home team dissolved into complete disarray.

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Moussa Sissoko should have done better when meeting yet another unopposed Trippier cross but could only misguide his header over and Alli sent a snapshot well off target as Spurs threatened to inflict total humiliation on the hosts.

Yet, strangely, the game had started relatively well for Everton. After creating so many headlines for the previous week due to his off-field behaviour, Wayne Rooney, predictably, looked relieved to be back doing what he does best, certainly in the early exchanges at Goodison.

Inside the opening minute, he was within inches of connecting with Gylfi Sigurdsson’s tantalising far-post cross and, a few minutes later, played a superb weighted pass as he worked a one-two with full-back Martina down the right.

The defender continued and found Spanish forward Sandro at the near post, whose first-time shot flew just wide.

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But, as the half progressed, it was the visitors who settled into their rhythm more impressively as they built the momentum that would lead to the spectacular, if unintentional, opening goal.

Superb control by Alli inside the home team’s area set up Eriksen for a shot which flew low and wide of the Everton goal.

And an enterprising sprint down the left by Davies ended with the full-back picking out the unmarked Sissoko whose shot was well blocked by defender Ashley Williams.

Sissoko, starting a league game for just the fourth time in the calendar year, was involved moments after the opening goal as Spurs added to the growing nervousness around Goodison by almost claiming a second goal.

Kane ran away down the right wing and crossed into the six-yard area for Sissoko whose clever back-heel was blocked by Pickford as the referee’s assistant judged him, in any case, offside.

That did not ease Evertonians’ anxiety and frustrations and Sandro had a shot well blocked by Trippier as their players sought to lift the mood, a task that proved impossible once Spurs scored a second and effectively killed off the contest.