Tottenham 3-2 Everton: Harry Kane scores twice as Spurs hold off Toffees

Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham beat Everton 3-2 in an entertaining Premier League encounter at White Hart Lane on Nissan Super Sunday.

Kane's brilliant 25-yard strike put Tottenham ahead after 20 minutes in a first-half they dominated, while Victor Wanyama also hit the post.

England international Kane scored his 19th goal of the season 11 minutes after the break, finishing low past Joel Robles after the hosts capitalised on some woeful Everton defending.

Romelu Lukaku halved the deficit with nine minutes remaining, finishing well after Jan Verthonghen's slip, but Dele Alli made it 3-1 with a neat flick after being found unmarked by Harry Winks in the second minute of stoppage time.

Enner Valencia immediately pulled one back for Everton during a frantic finish, but Spurs held on for their ninth straight Premier League victory at White Hart Lane.

The result means Spurs are seven points off leaders Chelsea, who go to West Ham on Monday Night Football, while Everton are seventh, five points off sixth.

Spurs were unchanged after their 4-0 win over Stoke last weekend, while Gareth Barry replaced Ademola Lookman for Everton following the 2-0 victory over Sunderland.

After a steady start, Spurs took the lead out of nothing through Kane, who fired superbly into the left corner past Robles from 25 yards after finding space.

Then came a flurry of Spurs chances; first Kane forced Robles into a fine block from close range after turning Seamus Coleman in the box, before Christian Eriksen poked an effort just wide after Mousa Dembele had slipped him through.

Spurs then hit the post through Wanyama's deflected effort as the ball fell to him kindly outside the area, but Everton made it to half-time without further damage.

Robles was equal to Dele Alli's placed header after the restart as chances continued to fall for Spurs, and again the Everton stopper had to be alert to Vertonghen's fierce effort after a mazy run moments later.

Everton shot themselves in the foot on 56 minutes to hand Kane a second after Robles put Morgan Schneiderlin under pressure with a throw out. The Frenchman lost out to Alli, who played Kane through on goal, and the England striker rolled it past Robles for 2-0.

Despite feeding off scraps for almost the entire game, with nine minutes remaining Lukaku capitalised on Verthonghen's slip to fire into the bottom corner with his right foot from 15 yards.

The goal means the 23-year-old is now clear as Everton's Premier League top goalscorer with 61 goals, ahead of Duncan Ferguson.

Kane nearly had the chance for his hat-trick just moments later, but Robles saved from close range as the striker attempted to lift the ball over him.

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Alli restored Spurs' two-goal cushion in stoppage time, flicking past Robles after Everton fell asleep at a quick Winks free-kick, and a minute later it was 3-2 as Valencia poked home from a Ross Barkley free-kick.

Spurs held on, and deserved all three points as they kept the pressure on at the top of the Premier League.

Player ratings

Tottenham: Lloris (6), Dier (6), Alderweireld (6), Vertonghen (7), Walker (6), Wanyama (6), Dembele (7), Davies (6), Eriksen (6), Alli (8), Kane (9).

Subs: Winks (6), Sissoko (NA), Janssen (NA).

Everton: Robles (4), Coleman (5), Ashley Williams (4), Funes Mori (5), Baines (5), Gueye (5), Schneiderlin (4), Barry (4), Barkley (5), Lukaku (6), Davies (4).

Subs: Mirallas (5), McCarthy (5), Valencia (6).

Man of the match: Harry Kane