Spurs devour Toffees to show hunger for title tilt

BENOIT ASSOU-EKOTTO was the unlikely hero as Tottenham brushed Everton aside to move level with Manchester United in second place in the Premier League, just three points behind leaders Manchester City.

The Cameroon left-back set up Aaron Lennon’s opening goal with a crossfield past that Glenn Hoddle would have been proud of, and then hit the second goal with a sensational strike from 35 yards.

A delighted Harry Redknapp said: “It was a good performance. You never get an easy game with Everton but I was really pleased with the way we played.

“I never look any further than Wolves on Saturday. I know we’re level with United and three points behind Man City but all I will think about driving home is Wolves on Saturday.

“We’re playing with a smile on our faces. I’ve been saying all along it’s not impossible to win the title but it’s very, very hard. But we’re in there, we’ve got a chance.”

If this was a test of Tottenham’s true title credentials, they passed with flying colours, not only for the way they saw off a dogged Everton side, but also for the fact that some of their fringe players stepped up to play important roles.

Jake Livermore made light of the absence of Scott Parker with a dominant display in the centre of midfield, allowing the likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale to show their sublime skills going forward.

All the talk beforehand was whether Tottenham could get the victory that would take them closer to the summit, and perhaps the expectation led to nerves on the pitch.

Although they enjoyed plenty of early possession, they found it hard to create clear-cut chances or test Everton keeper Tim Howard, who must have been delighted and surprised that Emmanuel Adebayor was off his game.

The big Togolese striker could have had a hat-trick in the first half alone, but left his shooting boots at home. In the 12th minute he sent a shot skywards, then his poor first touch from Luka Modric’s pass let Howard gather the ball at his feet.

Midway through the half he did the same, taking a heavy touch to go past Howard but running the ball out of play, and then when Bale’s flick set him up in front of goal, Adebayor stabbed his shot wide of the far post.

It was the unlikely figure of Lennon who made the breakthrough, aided and assisted by a magnificent crossfield pass from Assou-Ekotto and a howler from Leighton Baines.

There appeared to be little danger when Assou-Ekotto hit the ball 80 yards from left to right, but Baines, with Lennon waiting for the slightest slip, failed to cut out the ball. It allowed Lennon to dance into the Everton penalty area, draw Sylvain Distin and tuck a simple left-footed shot past the stranded Howard.

Everton’s best chances had come mostly on the break. Landon Donovan and Louis Saha both shot wide in the opening half, and Diniyar Bilyletdinov scooped a volley high over the bar.

Their cause was not helped when Distin limped off injured early in the second half. But no defence could have done much to stop Assou Ekotto’s rocket in the 63rd minute. Having looked left and then right, with no obvious pass on, he decided to go for it himself, and almost with a shrug hit the ball as sweetly as you could imagine. It flew into the far corner of goal, taking a touch off Tim Cahill that must have singed the Aussie’s backside.

Tottenham’s fans roared their delight, and the players mobbed Assou-Ekotto, whose only previous goal was against Liverpool on the opening weekend of the 2009/10 season.

From that point on, Spurs were in cruise control, and as Everton’s defence got stretched, so did Bale’s legs. The Welshman started to go on his characteristic lung-busting runs, shooting just over the bar and then setting up Adebayor for another chance that went to waste.

There was a late flurry of attacking activity from Everton substitute Royston Drenthe, but with Michael Dawson back in Premier League action after almost five months out with an Achilles’ tendon injury, Spurs were as solid in defence as they were flamboyant in attack. Another hurdle has been overcome on an unlikely title tilt.

TOTTENHAM (4-4-1-1): Friedel 7; Walker 7, Dawson 8, Kaboul 7, Assou-Ekotto 9; Lennon 7, Livermore 8, Modric 9, Bale 8; Van der Vaart 7 Adebayor 6. Subs for Tottenham: Pienaar for Lennon 78, Pavlyuchenko for Adebayor 86.

EVERTON (4-4-2): Howard 7; Neville 7, Heitinga 6, Distin 7, Baines 6; Donovan 6, Fellaini 7, Cahill 6, Bilyaletdinov 5; Anichebe 6, Saha 6. Subs for Everton: Duffy for Distin 59, Drenthe for Anichebe 68, Gueye for Bilyaletdinov 82.

Ref: M Atkinson.