Harry Kane’s supreme run of form continued as his double gave Tottenham a 3-2 victory over Everton at White Hart Lane, strengthening their grip on second place.
Spurs moved within seven points of Premier League leaders Chelsea – who play West Ham on Monday – courtesy of a goal in each half from the in-form England international.
Kane now has 19 league goals and leads the Golden Boot race outright having scored with a brilliant strike in a first half that also saw Victor Wanyama hit the post.
Everton were not at the races and Kane’s second – after a costly mistake from Morgan Schneiderlin – extended their advantage after the break, taking the England international’s 2017 record to 14 goals in 12 matches.
Romelu Lukaku got one back late on to become the club’s outright top scorer in Premier League history, but the hosts soon restored their two-goal cushion thanks to Dele Alli’s neat flick.
Spurs hold a four-point cushion over Liverpool and Manchester City after a club-record ninth straight Premier League win.
Everton, who netted a stoppage time consolation through substitute Enner Valencia, stay seventh in the standings and five points adrift of Manchester United above them after losing for the first time in 10 top-flight games.
After a quiet start to the match, unchanged Spurs took the lead in spectacular fashion through Kane.
With Everton in no obvious danger, Kane collected a pass from Ben Davies and promptly worked an opening for himself before unleashing a dipping 30-yard strike that beat Joel Robles.
14 – Harry Kane has scored 14 home league goals this season, the highest number ever recorded by a Spurs player in a single PL season. Own.— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 5, 2017
The striker almost got a second a few moments later, only to be denied by Joel from close range following some neat footwork and a clever exchange with Christian Eriksen, who lashed over from the rebound.
Eriksen squandered two more opportunities, dragging a shot wide from the edge of the area after being found by Kyle Walker before heading Davies’ cross just wide.
But it was Wanyama who came closest to striking again before the break, sending his deflected left-footed effort against the post from 25 yards as Spurs threatened to run riot.
Jan Vertonghen charged forward and forced a save from Joel early in the second half and Spurs quickly made it two, striking on 56 minutes.
Kane was the beneficiary of some dreadful Everton defending, sliding in a low finish after Dele Alli had capitalised on Schneiderlin and Ashley Williams making a hash of dealing with Joel’s ill-advised throw.
Everton brought on Kevin Mirallas and James McCarthy in a bid to change the match’s momentum, although Ross Barkley’s tame strike at Hugo Lloris was the first time the Spurs keeper was called into the action.
There was some hope for the visitors with nine minutes to go when Lukaku collected Mirallas’ pass and drilled a right-footed finish past Lloris.
But after Joel had to save bravely from Kane to deny him a hat-trick, it was Alli who put the result beyond doubt in the second minute of stoppage-time.
Substitute Harry Winks’ free-kick caught Everton’s defence flat-footed, with Alli’s deft touch giving him a 13th league goal of an impressive campaign.
And a crazy finish to the game saw Valencia latch on to Barkley’s free-kick to sweep in from six yards just 70 seconds later, but Spurs were not to be denied.
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