Tottenham takes fifth place in Premier League with win over Everton
TOTTENHAM Hotspur got the upper hand on Everton with a 1-0 victory over their Champions League qualification rivals.
EMMANUEL Adebayor gave Tottenham’s Champions League pursuit a timely tonic on Sunday, clinching a barely-deserved 1-0 victory over Everton to dislodge the losers from fifth place in the Premier League.
By overcoming one of this season’s top-five teams for the first time despite being largely outplayed, Tottenham moved just three points behind fourth-place Liverpool.
Spurs scored from their only shot on target, with Adebayor controlling a free kick, taken swiftly and smartly by Kyle Walker, and going past Seamus Coleman and dispatching the ball into the net in the 65th minute.
“The ball was great, the control was not bad and I had one choice — to finish with my left foot,’’ Adebayor said.
Having collected just one point from its previous two matches, Tottenham’s season now appears to be back on track again as it moved nine points behind leader Chelsea.
For Everton, so impressive in its first season under Roberto Martinez, this was only the Merseyside team’s third league loss in four months. And the hardworking, well-drilled Toffees should have come away from White Hart Lane with at least a point.
“We have to hope football won’t be that harsh on us again,’’ Martinez said, with 13 games remaining.
Leon Osman had a trio of chances in the opening 10 minutes alone, with the best of them — a volley — turned wide by Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Overrunning the hosts in midfield, Everton was preventing Tottenham making an impact, and leaving them exposed on counter-attacks. Tim Howard was barely troubled in the Everton goal, with a free kick from Christian Eriksen that dipped over him onto the roof of the net providing a rare moment of danger.
But when Everton was presented with scoring opportunities, too often they were wasted. Winger Kevin Mirallas rampaged through the Tottenham defence and reached the edge of the area but then struck over rather than picking out one of his better-positioned teammates.
As half-time approached, Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood was becoming increasingly anxious, going from bellowing instructions to cursing misses. There was little change at the start of the second half, with Sherwood kicking bottles and accidentally sending spray across the technical area.
“I’m not pleased about how we are starting games,’’ Sherwood said. “It’s something we have to address and find out why.’’
What was missing from either team, since those early Osman chances, was a player to find a breakthrough amid their midfield sparring.
“I want them to play with risk,’’ Sherwood said. “It was a bit stodgy in there.’’
Then, out of nowhere, came Adebayor’s sixth goal in nine league games since being brought in from the cold by Sherwood after being sidelined by Andre Villas-Boas.
“It’s all about how he’s being managed,’’ Sherwood said somewhat mischievously.
And it was enough to clinch the three points for Tottenham, which had previously failed to beat top-four rivals Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool this season.
The Togolese striker settled an evenly balanced game with an adroitly taken strike in the 65th minute to take Tottenham above Everton and into fifth place in the battle for a top-four finish.
Tim Sherwood’s side now trail fourth-place Liverpool by three points, with Everton two points back in sixth and Manchester United five points further back ahead of their home game with Fulham later on Sunday.
Everton were boosted by the return from injury of goalscoring right-back Seamus Coleman and they made an enterprising start to the game at White Hart Lane, with Leon Osman to the fore.
The diminutive English midfielder had four sights of goal in the first eight minutes, curling a left-foot shot wide from just outside the area and then extending Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with a crisp half-volley.
Osman headed wide from the subsequent corner and then drove straight at Lloris from a Steven Naismith pass, while Kevin Mirallas fired over after a weaving run.
Spurs’ best chances of the first half saw Tim Howard save at Mousa Dembele’s feet after Sylvain Distin undercooked a back-pass, before an inviting Danny Rose cross narrowly eluded the sliding Adebayor.
Andros Townsend made his return for Spurs in the second half after missing nine games with a hamstring problem and minutes later the hosts went ahead.
Kyle Walker caught the Everton defence on their heels with a quickly taken free-kick and Adebayor did the rest, chesting the ball down and resisting the attentions of Coleman before drilling a low shot past Howard.
It was Tottenham’s first shot on target of the match, but it proved enough to secure victory despite Coleman having an injury-time penalty appeal turned down after tumbling over a challenge from Etienne Capoue.
Manchester United will look to close the 10-point gap separating them from Liverpool later on Sunday when they welcome bottom club Fulham to Old Trafford.
It will be United captain Nemanja Vidic’s first appearance since he announced that he will leave the club at the end of the season.
Fulham, managed by former United assistant coach Rene Meulensteen, are currently five points adrift of safety and were knocked out of the FA Cup by third-tier Sheffield United in midweek.