Conte: ‘fans make us proud’

Premier League

TOTTENHAM 2 (Kane 59 pen, Hojbjerg 86)
EVERTON 0

MOVE over Son and Kane – there’s a new match-winning partnership at Spurs.

The late kick off against Everton this evening (Saturday) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – soon to be named the Google Arena, according to rumours – saw Antonio Conte’s team maintain their 100 per cent home record courtesy a second half Harry Kane penalty and then a late clincher by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

So often the combination of Kane and strike partner Heung-Min Son make the difference, but this victory was fuelled by the sweat of Conte’s midfield engine room – Hojbjerg and his wing man, Rodrigo Bentancur.

While Kane scored for the seventh consecutive game, and Hojbjerg added to his impressive early season marksmanship, Uruguayan Bentancur showed a tigerish streak welded to a composure that made everything he did look simple and easy.

The midfielder approached his opponents like a puzzle to be solved by applying common sense. He won duels, created space, moved fluently with and without the ball, looked dangerous going forward and did not stop working. He may not be a flair player, but he is very effective in what was was a man of the match performance.

Speaking after the game, manager Conte said: “Honestly, I’m really happy because I have seen a lot of positive things. From the start until the end, I have seen my players with the right focus, the right concentration, the right desire to understand the importance of getting three points and to win against a difficult opponent like Everton.”

This win, which moves Spurs level on points with Manchester City, was so comfortable. Hugo Lloris might as well have ordered a burger, chips and a drink – and then gone back for pudding, so little he had to do.

Everton had two decent chances all afternoon, created by Tottenham errors, but fluffed them both. The first, on 22 minutes, saw Demarai Gray break past Bentancur and get into the box. As Eric Dier thundered across to block and Lloris came out to smother, Gray was forced into a wild shot that flew over.

Before the half was out, Amadou Onana nipped into space after Cristian Romero and Hojbjerg got into a muddle. Such was Everton’s deep-lying tactics Onana found himself as the only blue shirt forward, so had no option but to keep going and take on the shot – which he whacked high and wide.

Despite the pressure applied for Tottenham’s front three of Son, Kane and Richarlison, who took it in turns to find angles to get shots off, Everton defended resolutely, and Jordan Pickford commanded his box. Frank Lampard’s side had only conceded nine goals before today, and while they had nothing to offer in terms of attacking, they manned the barricades and frustrated the home side for spells.

But Conte’s charges did not run out of patience. A calf injury to Richarlison on 52 minutes saw Yves Bissouma take up a role in the middle of the park and Bentancur push a little further forward, behind Kane and Son. It felt a better fit, with space for the Tottenham wing-backs to exploit and in Bentancur an astute string-puller linking the midfield with the attack.

With the hour mark approaching, a move from deep saw fast progress made down the left. A cross field ball by Ben Davies was met cleanly by the on coming Matt Doherty. Pickford stopped his low drive, but couldn’t gather. Kane pounced, Pickford took him out and the striker made no mistake from the resulting penalty.

Everton failed to respond. The introduction of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Salomon Rondon did little to change the balance of the game, and with Spurs untroubled at the back, they could commit themselves to a high pressing and fast tempo’d finish.

Pickford, standing firm behind an increasingly ragged defence, did well to get a knee to a Kane effort on 70, and also had to be alive to a Son header. But there was little the goalkeeper could do to stop Hojbjerg’s game-sealer on 86.

Kane scrapped for possession in his own half, and held on until Bentancur made up ground and overlapped. Receiving the ball, Bentancur picked out Hojbjerg, who hit a curling effort that deflected past Pickford.

So often it’s the Son and Kane show. This evening, Rodrigo and Pierre-Emile stepped out of the supporting chorus, and their duet took centre stage.

Praising the home supporters after the final whistle, Conte added: “I’m really happy for our fans. When you play and have an unbelievable atmosphere and they sing our names and make us proud about it, they give us a lot of push to give more and more for this club.”

Tottenham: Lloris, Romero (Sanchez, 86), Dier, Davies, Doherty (Spence, 90+3), Hojbjerg, Bentancur (Skipp, 90+3), Perisic, Richarlison (Bissouma, 51), Son, Kane (Moura 90+3)
Substitutes not used: Forster, Gil, Sessegnon, Lenglet

Everton: Pickford, Coleman (Garner, 66), Tarkowski, Coady. Mykolenko, McNeil, Gueye (Rondon, 80), Onana, Gray, Iwobi, Maupay (Calvert-Lewin 66)
Substitutes not used: Begovic, Keane, Doucoure, Davies, Vinagre, Welch