Spurs now serious pretenders

WITH THIS result Tottenham Hotspur moved from championship outsiders to serious pretenders. History and the odds say that Harry Redknapp’s men may well fall away, and the manager’s mantra will remain that they have a chance and nothing else. But by winning this game in hand without Scott Parker, Ledley King or Sandro, Spurs sent a message to Manchester United and the leaders Manchester City, who they are only three points behind.

Tottenham will have the chance to close that gap to the blue billionaires when Roberto Mancini’s side welcome them on Sunday week, when the Londoners’ title credentials will come under scrutiny.

Clear tonight was the calibre of the goal that sealed this triumph: a 30-yard pile-driver from Benoit Assou-Ekotto after 63 minutes that arrowed from left to right to kill the visitors’ resistance and further reiterate the quality that Redknapp has assembled.

Everton nearly had the fillip of a perfect start when Younes Kaboul’s mistake in front of Brad Friedel allowed Louis Saha to send a shot skimming over the turf, but it went wide.

The error was soon mirrored at the opposite end. Tim Cahill lost possession and for a moment an opportunity glimmered for Luka Modric, but the chance was not realised.

This breathless start presaged a fast, slick and quick-witted offering, from Spurs in particular, that became the story of the first half. In a series of chances Emmanuel Adebayor might have taken his side into the break by more than the Lennon goal they led through at that juncture.

First, Rafael van der Vaart found the striker down the inside left channel but after he skipped forward the finish was scooped over.

Then, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov gave the ball away. Adebayor swapped passes with Gareth Bale and eventually a corner was forced. From the set piece, the ball came to Modric who played in Adebayor but his heavy touch allowed Howard to collect.

Not for the last time, Van der Vaart unloaded a sweeping cross-field pass to find Assou-Ekotto and when the Dutchman continued to make a run into the area he was unlucky to just miss the return in front of Howard. Adebayor then had his best chance. Kyle Walker had taken a tumble near halfway and when the match restarted Van der Vaart found a pass that sent Gareth Bale charging down the right. He made the correct decision to slide it across to Adebayor, but his flip over Friedel was clumsy and the ball ran out for a goal-kick.

Van der Vaart nearly proved more lethal from 25 yards. Walker passed into Modric and when he relayed the ball to Bale the Welshman allowed it to go and there was the Dutchman to let fly with a curling strike with his left foot that defeated Howard but landed on the roof of the net.

Ten minutes before half time Spurs finally had the advantage they deserved. Assou-Ekotto put up the high diagonal – Leighton Baines should have thumped it clear but his unfortunate air shot allowed Lennon, who had been quiet thus far, to cut inside the left-back and when he rolled the shot off his boot it went under Sylvain Distin to wrong-foot Howard.

Within minutes of the restart Bale had acres to sprint into, and when he smashed an effort at Howard the American did well to parry despite the ball being deflected.

Lennon then ghosted into the far post to head Assou-Ekotto’s delivery wide of Everton’s right post. However, aslumbering Tottenham allowed Landon Donovan to swing in a high cross to which Marouane Fellaini could jump freely and head a finish that should have been the equaliser rather than be directed too high.

Before kick-off Redknapp had said: “We just have to keep believing, and you never know what can happen. We can give ourselves a chance to have an amazing second half of the season.” That prospect started here.

GuardianService

TOTTENHAM: Friedel, Walker, Kaboul, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon (Pienaar 77), Livermore, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart, Adebayor (Pavlyuchenko 86). Subs not used: Cudicini, Defoe, Bassong, Kranjcar, Rose. Booked: Lennon.

EVERTON: Howard, Neville, Heitinga, Distin (Duffy 59), Baines, Donovan, Bilyaletdinov (Gueye 82), Cahill, Fellaini, Anichebe (Drenthe 68), Saha. Subs not used: Mucha, Stracqualursi, McFadden, Vellios. Booked: Donovan, Cahill, Fellaini.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).