LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur stayed in the race for the English Premier League top four after a 5-0 hammering of the Everton side that is in grave relegation danger after Monday.

Spurs have been inconsistent in recent weeks but showed their best as, after Michael Keane’s own goal put them ahead early on, they ran riot. Harry Kane scored twice while Son Heung-min and Sergio Reguilon also netted.

It was another Kane masterclass, with his second goal a particular highlight, and he took his tally to 14 goals in 15 games against Everton.

This was as bad a performance as the Toffees have put in this season and there has been no bounce under Frank Lampard, with a fourth loss in five league games since he took over.

There is little doubt that they are involved in a relegation dogfight as they are just a point above 18th-placed Burnley, though they do have a game in hand.

Spurs equalled their best ever Premier League win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and will have real belief that they can gate-crash the Champions League qualification places.

“A lot of us want to be playing in the Champions League”, said Kane “We haven’t played in it now for a couple of years but it’s where we think the club should be.”

Antonio Conte’s men, although still in seventh, are three points behind Arsenal and firmly in the race ahead of a crunch visit to Manchester United next week.

The problem is you never know what you are going to get with Spurs in recent weeks as they followed a win at Manchester City with embarrassing defeats at Burnley and Middlesbrough.

But it was clear from early on that this was going to be a good night as they took early control of the game.

They went ahead in the 14th minute as Ryan Sessegnon was set free down the left and his cross was put through his own net by Keane, who scored a second own goal in three appearances at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Three minutes later, Kane found Dejan Kulusevski, who played in Son. The South Korean was grateful to see a weak shot squirm in through goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s body.

Matt Doherty played an exquisite first-time pass to Kane, who raced through on goal and finished clinically past his England team-mate Pickford in the 37th for 3-0.

The break did not stop Spurs momentum. Just 41 seconds into the second half it was 4-0.

Son passed to Kulusevski and the Swede bagged a second assist by cutting back to Reguilon, who scored with his first touch having come on at halftime.

Spurs were not showing mercy, and moments after Eric Dier headed against the crossbar, Kane made it five with the goal of the night.

It was a great ball over the top by Doherty to pick out Kane, who found the bottom corner with a superb first-time volley.

The forward’s two goals on Monday moved him above Thierry Henry in the all-time list of Premier League goalscorers. He now has 176 goals — with fourth-placed Sergio Aguero’s tally of 184 firmly in his sights.

FOREST ADVANCE IN FA CUP

Nottingham Forest will host Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals after coming from behind to beat Championship rivals Huddersfield Town 2-1 at the City Ground on Monday.

Having had a Sam Surridge effort controversially ruled out for offside, Forest fell behind moments later when Tom Lees netted with a 13th minute header.

Surridge grabbed Forest’s equaliser in the 29th minute and Ryan Yates completed the comeback for Steve Cooper’s men when he headed home eight minutes later.

Forest, victorious against Arsenal and Leicester City in the previous two rounds, advanced to the last eight of the FA Cup for the first time in 26 years and a first meeting since 1999 with Liverpool, which will visit a week on Sunday.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2022