Everton's Home Run Ended By Cinical Tottenham

Everton’s unbeaten home run ground to a halt against a clinical Tottenham Hotspur team who became the first visitors to win at Goodison Park since West Ham United back in September.

Theo Walcott put Everton in front on 15 minutes but Tottenham led 3-1 at the break after goals from Son Heung-Min, Dele Alli and Harry Kane.

What was arguably the game’s pivotal moment arrived two minutes after Walcott’s opener.Dominic Calvert-Lewin sprang to arc his neck and head beyond Hugo Lloris from a Walcott cross only for the strike to be chalked off by referee Paul Tierney, punishing the Everton forward for placing his hands on the back of Davinson Sanchez as the pair duelled for the high ball.

Christian Eriksen blasted in Spurs’ fourth three minutes after half-time. And although Gylfi Sigurdsson’s goal on 51 minutes gave Everton a foothold back in the contest, Son’s second of the afternoon with 29 minutes remaining extinguished the Blues’ hopes of a comeback.

Kane scored his second and Spurs’ sixth on 74 minutes.

Spurs exerted a grip on the game with three goals inside 15 first-half minutes.

Everton were leading courtesy of Walcott’s polished close-range finish – and had seen a second ‘goal’ ruled out - when Son pounced to level.

Kane clipped a first-time ball round the corner from the middle of the park, sending Son on the chase. Amid confusion between the advancing Jordan Pickford and retreating Kurt Zouma, Korean Son nipped in. His first touch took him wide but the forward shot unerringly across goal and into the top corner.

Spurs turned the game on its head on 35 minutes. Moussa Sissoko swapped passes with Alli before releasing the energetic Son down the left. His initial effort was kept out by Pickford but Alli had continued his run and was first on the scene to stab home the rebound.

The visitors stretched their advantage three minutes before the break.

Zouma was perhaps unfortunate to be penalised for a challenge on Son 25 yards from goal.

Right-back Kieran Trippier struck the subsequent free-kick, directing his effort round the wall and against the base of Pickford’s left post.

Again the ball ran kindly for the away team, Kane this time the player perfectly stationed to guide his finish into an unattended net.

Tierney’s decision to rule out Calvert-Lewin’s header felt very significant at this juncture, the official deciding Calvert-Lewin had planted his hands in the back of Colombian centre-half Sanchez as the pair leapt to contest a cross from Walcott.

Everton created the game’s first opening. Sigurdsson’s incisive pass opened up Tottenham on the Blues’ right, enabling Walcott to serve up a delivery to the back post where Richarlison arrived to head across goal and wide.

Tottenham had a flurry of opportunities before Walcott’s 21st-minute breakthrough.

Kane chipped narrowly wide after skilfully cushioning a Trippier through ball and Pickford beat away a thumping effort from England international teammate Trippier after Son had danced down the left to cross – albeit the ball appeared to run out of play before the Spurs player cut it back into the box.

Walcott brilliantly blocked from Ben Davies – and then popped up at the other end to score.

Zouma intercepted Sanchez's clearance with a header downfield, the ball eventually coming to rest with Sigurdsson. He fed Calvert-Lewin on the left and his cut back was perfect, angled into Walcott’s run and weighted beautifully for the forward to convert low into the left corner.

Kane twice went close either side of Walcott’s goal, the striker sending a free-kick skipping past the upright and trying his luck with a dipping left-foot strike from distance which brushed the roof of the net on its way over.

Everton midfielder Andre Gomes thrashed a bouncing ball over from range with the score 2-1 – but Spurs soon had their third.

And three minutes after half-time it was four.

Kane galloped onto Tripper’s through ball to drive in a delivery which was headed out by Seamus Coleman  – but only as far as the influential Eriksen.

The Dane cut across the ball, sending it flashing low into the bottom right corner.

Everton’s response was instant – and from the top drawer.

There didn’t seem a huge amount on for Sigurdsson when he received a pass from Richarlison.

The Icelander had his back to goal and Sanchez and Eriksen either side of him but used his sleight of foot to escape the pair.

Sigurdsson meandered across the box, white shirts in pursuit but afraid to challenge, before hitting a low effort back across the startled Lloris for his seventh Premier League goal of the campaign.

Everton’s hopes of a revival were effectively killed off on 61 minutes. Erik Lamela, a half-time replacement for Alli, linked in midfield with Eriksen, then embarked on a run forward. His pass was directed into the path of Son, who took a couple of touches to steady himself before rolling his finish beyond Pickford.

Spurs' sixth goal started from ‘keeper Lloris who swiped the ball to Davies on the left. His first-time pass down the left found Son. He was equally perfunctory, crossing for Kane to dispatch his 11th top-flight goal this term.

Sigurdsson had another shot grabbed by Lloris low down to his left and Marco Silva introduced fresh blood into his attack in the shape of Bernard and Cenk Tosun.

Another substitute Morgan Schneiderlin, who had replaced the stricken Gomes on 53 minutes, had a stoppage-time piledriver blocked by Oliver Skipp. It was Tottenham's day and Everton must now turn their attention to the Boxing Day trip to Burnley.