Antonio Conte has praised “world-class” striker Harry Kane following Tottenham Hotspur’s 5-0 thumping of Everton.
Tottenham Hotspur’s 5-0 rout over Everton on Monday was a vital result in the context of the top four race. The three points helped the north London giants keep up with rivals West Ham United, Manchester United and Arsenal in the race for the Champions League spot.
As the scoreline suggested, it was a majestic display from Tottenham, who were dominant throughout the ninety minutes and picked the weak Everton defence apart. One of the most impressive performers in the massive win was striker Harry Kane, who scored twice to climb up to sixth place in the all-time goalscorer charts in the Premier League, overtaking the legendary Thierry Henry.
Speaking to the media after the game, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte was quick to lavish praise on Kane, admiring the talisman’s brilliance while simultaneously calling for a bit more consistency in his game.
“We are talking about a world-class striker. But at the same time I tell you after Manchester City he scored twice and Harry didn’t score against Burnley. At Leeds he scored again and he didn’t score against Middlesbrough,” said Conte, as quoted by football.london.
Harry Kane’s game by numbers vs. Everton:
53 touches
5 duels won
4 shots
3 touches in opp. box
2 shots on target
2 goals
1 big chance createdNow the sixth highest goalscorer in PL history. ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/88bGLzJDEO
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 7, 2022
The Italian went on to insist that his focus remains on the upcoming matches and guide his team out of an inconsistent run of form. Conte had earlier questioned the mentality of the Spurs team in light of their topsy-turvy display in both league and cup.
“Tonight he scored and my expectation is to see on Saturday a great game, not only for Harry but for all the team. It’s right to celebrate but at the same time we have to be focused and from tomorrow we have to start to think Saturday it will be a crucial game for us and I repeat, it’s right to celebrate the players that they are doing fantastic things. But at the same time I want my players to celebrate but don’t lose the focus, don’t lose our target,” said the Tottenham manager.
“We have 12 games to play and they have to be finals for us. I repeat, now I put this target to my team that we have to try stay until the end very close to the top team and to try and do something important. I repeat, to finish in the top four for us it would be we won the Champions League or Premier League this season,” he added.
Harry Kane has scored ten goals in 25 league matches this season. While it may seem slow for a player of his calibre, the English international has netted five of them in the last four encounters and will be looking to further extend his tally when Tottenham take on Manchester United on the weekend.
