Tottenham are gaining momentum under Conte as confidence grows

The 2-0 win over Everton maintained Spurs’ 100 per cent record at home and moved them within a point of league leaders Arsenal and level with Manchester City.

Conte’s side have been steadily turning their home ground into a fortress and continue to find a way to overcome difficult opposition following last week’s 1-0 win over Brighton and midweek Champions League victory over Frankfurt.

Given the ruthlessness of the schedule, Spurs deserve huge credit for their impressive response to the turnaround at Arsenal two weeks ago, and a committed performance suggests they are coming to a boil at the right time, with seven games still to play before the winter break. pause.

Next up is a trip to Manchester United on Wednesday, which could have an impact on the race for the top four or even the title.

Harry Kane’s penalty on the hour mark and Pierre-Emile Hodgberg’s late deflected effort earned a deserved victory over the Caramels, ensuring the England captain quickly banished the memory of his midweek miss against Frankfurt, with the Dane continuing to contribute impressively in the last third.

The game was actually a great illustration of why this season has been more difficult for Conte’s side than the second half of last season, when they bounced back from February and beat Arsenal to fourth with an impressive run of results.

Lampard’s side were so naive in the 5-0 defeat here in March when they tried to press Spurs’ front three and played a high defensive line, but the Toffees boss had clearly learned from his mistakes.

Everton adopted the polar opposite setup here, putting men behind the ball and challenging Spurs to break them down, all the while looking for quick counters.

Conte’s Spurs struggled to break down opponents who denied them space in the final third and the visitors’ approach was perfect for the first 50 minutes.

Better finishes from Demarai Gray and Amadou Onana, who both skied one-on-one with Hugo Lloris, would have seen the Caramels go in front at the interval, while Spurs were restricted to half-chances.

Richarlison headed in Ivan Perisic’s cross in the first few minutes and also sent the ball over the top to Kane before the latter saw an effort deflected wide.

The game eventually turned to injury, which proved crucial on the night, but was the only major drawback for Conte.

Richarlison withdrew after 52 minutes clutching his left calf and while Lucas Moura remained to warm up, the head coach called on Yves Bissouma and switched to a 3-5-2.

Spurs were enjoying even more control with an extra man in midfield and within seven minutes Jordan Pickford spilled Matt Doherty’s shot at the feet of Kane and caught his international team-mate with his head.

Kane made no mistake, scoring nine goals in ten League games, continuing his excellent form.

Richarlison’s injury is a blow for Conte, especially with Dejan Kuluszewski’s prognosis uncertain, but it could prove a real blessing on Wednesday if it forces the manager to play an extra midfielder at Old Trafford. Spurs generally looked more assured with another body in the middle.

They certainly did here and Everton hardly threatened in a 1-0 defeat, even after the introduction of Dominic Calvert-Lewin for the last 25 minutes.

Indeed, Spurs always looked more likely to score and they held on for another hard-fought win when Rodrigo Bentancourt, man of the match, crossed for Hoiberg to curl home the win.

Spurs are in good form, although as they prepare for United, Conte will be aware of their last away trip to a Big Six opponent, a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal, which remains the only blemish on their league season so far.