Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Kane made the difference as Tottenham claimed a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday evening.
Second-half goals from Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg sealed an important three points for Tottenham against Everton. The win takes Spurs up to third in the league table, just one point adrift of league leaders Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Everton will be thoroughly disappointed with their performance here, and the defeat leaves them 14th in the league table.
Spurs did well to dominate the contest right from the start, and the Londoners will feel that they could have added more goals to their tally. Meanwhile, they were excellent defensively as well, and Everton barely had a chance to trouble Hugo Lloris in goal.
The Toffees barely scraped the relegation battle last season, and they will have to improve a lot in order to escape a similar fate this time around. As for Tottenham, they will be hoping to climb to the top of the table in the coming weeks and continue their impressive start to the season. Here at The Hard Tackle, we look at how the Tottenham players performed on the night.
+3. pic.twitter.com/fFF7o4l7Zz
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 15, 2022
Hugo Lloris: 7/10
The Frenchman barely had to make a save against Everton. Tottenham were solid at the back and most of the opposition attack was snuffed out early on. Lloris did well with his catching and distribution throughout the game.
Cristian Romero: 9/10
The Argentine international was the best defender on the pitch and managed to shut out the Everton attack with effortless ease. He was dominant at the back and won most of his tackles and duels.
🇦🇷 Cristian Romero among Tottenham players against Everton:
✅ 1st in clearances [2]
✅ 1st in duels won [6]
✅ 1st in aerial duels won [4]
✅ 2nd in recoveries [6]
✅ 2nd in touches [855]
✅ 3rd in passes completed [65] pic.twitter.com/jUtnAZStYt— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) October 15, 2022
Eric Dier: 8/10
The English defender supported his defensive partners really well and was flawless at the back. Dier helped his side build from the back with impressive distribution as well.
Ben Davies: 8/10
Usually a left-back, Davies started on the left of a back three. He was aware defensively and positionally impeccable as the Everton attackers struggled to get past him.
Matt Doherty: 8/10
The experienced right-back was handed a start here, and he did not disappoint. He looked solid defensively in the first half but could have done more going forward. However, he improved as the game went on and created a number of chances for his side in the second half.
Doherty dealt well with the wide attackers and played a part in winning the penalty that was converted by Harry Kane.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 9/10
The Danish international has been an exceptional player for Tottenham since arriving from Southampton, and he put in another top-class performance on the night.
Hojbjerg did well to win the ball back and recycle possession for his side. He did not allow Everton to gain any sort of rhythm in the middle of the park. Furthermore, he chipped in with a late goal on the 86th minute as well.
🚨Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s last five games at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium:
⚽️ 🆚 Fulham
🅰️ 🆚 Olympique de Marseille
🅰️ 🆚 Leicester City
🅰️ 🆚 Eintracht Frankfurt
⚽️ 🆚 Everton⚽️ = 2️⃣
🎯 = 3️⃣🔥 On Flames!#THFC | #COYS | #TOTEVEpic.twitter.com/zSVhgofxoT
— Last Word On Spurs (@LastWordOnSpurs) October 15, 2022
Rodrigo Bentancur: 8/10
The Uruguayan international supported his midfield partner well and kept play ticking with accurate and crisp passing. He managed to set up the goal for Hojbjerg as well. Bentancur showed great defensive discipline throughout the game.
Ivan Perisic: 7/10
The Croat worked hard throughout the game and created a few chances for the likes of Richarlison and Harry Kane. He linked up well with Son Heung-min as well.
Richarlison: 5/10
Richarlison did not have the best outing for Tottenham here. The Brazilian international had an opportunity to get on the scoresheet but mistimed his header. He had to come off with an injury in the second half.
Harry Kane: 8/10
Kane continued his impressive start to the season with another goal here. He has now scored nine goals in 10 league games. The England captain caused all sorts of problems for Everton and could have scored more goals had it not been for Jordan Pickford’s heroics.
Kane played a role in the second goal of the game as well. Overall, it was an eventful 400th Tottenham outing for Kane.
🚨Spurs striker Harry Kane (258) is 9 goals away from surpassing Jimmy Greaves (266) and becoming the all-time leading scorer in Tottenham Hotspur’s history.
🔐 NERVES OF STEEL!
📺 [Via @SkySportsPL]#THFC | #COYS | #TOTEVEpic.twitter.com/rZBXfUJ59i
— Last Word On Spurs (@LastWordOnSpurs) October 15, 2022
Son Heung-min: 7/10
Although he did not score on the night, the South Korean attacker troubled the Everton defenders with his flair, link-up play and movement. Son stretched the opposition’s defence and pulled them out of position, which, in turn, benefitted his teammates. He could have scored from a Perisic cross but did not time his header properly. Overall, an impressive performance.
SUBSTITUTES
Yves Bissouma: 7/10
Was brought on to add defensive steel to the midfield and help close out the game. The former Brighton ace did just that and kept winning the ball back for his side. He created the breakaway that led to Harry Kane’s goal in the end.
Davinson Sanchez: N/A
Came on too late to make any meaningful impact.
Lucas Moura: N/A
Came on too late to make any meaningful impact.
Djed Spence: N/A
A rare appearance for the youngster in added time. Played way too little to warrant a rating.
Oliver Skipp: N/A
Came on in the dying moments of the game.
