Tottenham players rise to the occasion for Conte as Spurs thrash Everton
Camera directors at various stadiums usually have a way of zooming into the faces of managers whose teams are losing, as if to compound their misery. Last week, Antonio Conte found himself in a similar situation as he cut a frustrated figure on the touchline when his side was getting booted out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough.
However, the Italian manager swapped places with Frank Lampard on Monday evening. The Everton boss looked on haplessly as Spurs ripped his side apart on a cold night in North London.
What was supposed to be a close encounter soon became a one-sided affair as a dominant Tottenham side deservedly ran out as 5-0 winners.
I can't smile without you 💙 https://t.co/os0Y30H7Z2
Tottenham rout Toffees
Everton haven’t improved much in the Premier League following Frank Lampard’s arrival at the club. The Toffees suffered their third straight defeat in the league on Monday.
Whatever Lampard’s game plan was, it was thrown out of the window when Michael Keane put the ball into his own net after 14 minutes of intense pressure from Tottenham. From there, Conte’s side never looked back and went into the half-time break with a 3-0 lead following goals from Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane.
Instead of shutting up shop and managing the damage, Everton continued to play expansive football. They were punished as Sergio Reguillon and Kane scored in the second half to wrap up an emphatic result for the hosts.
Tottenham have scored 5+ goals in a Premier League game without conceding for the first time since December 2019 against Burnley (also 5-0).
That’s nine goals in their last two league games now for Spurs. 💪 https://t.co/0H3idsjJSO
Spurs players rise to the occasion
For several weeks, Conte has laid into his players for their lack of character and even questioned their quality after his side’s FA Cup exit a few days ago. However, the players finally stepped up and delivered for their manager.
Right from the blast of the referee’s whistle, Tottenham took the initiative and kept probing until they found a breakthrough. Conte said after the game, as quoted by Football 365.
“A good game. Also a good answer after the last defeat. It wasn’t an easy game because Everton are fighting. They have a really good squad with good players. Tonight, we played a really good game. We moved the ball very well. We attacked the space at the right time."
“I’m pleased for my players. The hard work we are doing is starting to pay. This team is improving a lot. We have a lot of space to continue to improve. It’s not enough. The players and I want to try to be competitive and to fight for position at the top of the table.”
Tottenham are out of every cup competition but they are still in contention for a top-four place. To qualify for the Champions League, though, the players will need to make such high-level performances a weekly thing.