Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino backed Harry Kane to break more records after he scored twice in a comfortable home victory over Everton to become Spurs’ all-time Premier League goalscorer.

Kane twice netted from close range – converting passes from Son Heung-min and Eric Dier – to take his Premier League tally to 98, one more than Teddy Sheringham scored for the club.

The excellent Son opened the scoring at Wembley by finishing off Serge Aurier’s cross, and the South Korea international later hit a post as the hosts dominated.

Christian Eriksen smashed in a fourth from the edge of the penalty area late on after a fine backheel from Dele Alli.

When the game was goalless, Wayne Rooney thought he had put Everton ahead with a header but he was adjudged offside.

Tottenham, who are now unbeaten in six matches, remain fifth in the Premier League, but are level on points with Liverpool and 18 points behind leaders Manchester City.

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“Harry is such a talented player, so professional and I am very happy,” said Pochettino.

“He deserves all the credit and a lot of praise. In this way he will break all the records in the Premier League.”

• Allardyce condemns ‘unprofessional’ Everton
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Kane continues remarkable season

England striker Kane has now scored 20 times in the Premier League this season, three more than any other player, and has hit 28 club goals in 28 appearances in all competitions.

There was a touch of good fortune about his first, which put Tottenham 2-0 ahead, as he appeared to be in an offside position when he converted Son’s pass, but the goal was given.

That was his 97th Premier League goal – and his 98th came only 12 minutes later as he scuffed a shot into the net from Dier’s cross.

The 24-year-old is yet to win any trophies but has already secured his place in the club’s record books by overtaking Sheringham, whose goals came during two spells – from 1992-1997 and 2001-2003.

Kane’s goals have come in only 135 games, while Sheringham took 237.

But, while he now holds the club’s Premier League record, he has a long way to go to overtake Spurs’ all-time top goalscorer Jimmy Greaves, who netted 266 times in 379 matches, including 220 league goals.

Son also praised Kane as “one of the best strikers in the world”. “I’m a big fan of Harry,” he added in an interview with the BBC.

“I may be older than Harry but I am learning from him the whole time.”

Tottenham’s team goal

Everton on the slide

For Everton, this defeat continues a worrying run of form – they have failed to win any of their past six matches, including defeats in their past four games.

Manager Sam Allardyce handed a debut to Turkey striker Cenk Tosun after his £27m move from Besiktas, but the Toffees failed to register a single shot on target and Tosun was substituted after 62 minutes.

Having finished seventh and qualified for Europe last season, Everton had hopes of breaking into the top six in 2017-18, but a poor start under Ronald Koeman and a disastrous run under caretaker manager David Unsworth had left the club worrying about their Premier League future.

Allardyce took 10 points from his first four league matches in charge, but Everton have added just two more in their five matches since and are only seven points better off than 18th-placed Stoke.

Rooney thought he had headed Everton ahead in the first half after Tosun’s flick-on but it was ruled out, and their failure to create any more noteworthy chances shows just how much Allardyce has to do.

Allardyce, who has been linked with a move for Arsenal forward Theo Walcott, says he is still looking to strengthen his team during the January transfer window.

“We haven’t got a lot of pace in the side,” said Allardyce. “We got a new player on the pitch that’s never played in the Premier league.

“He’ll find out what it’s all about physically and mentally and hopefully his goalscoring ability will help us.”

Man of the match – Harry Kane (Tottenham)

Everton draw a blank – the stats

• This was Tottenham’s biggest margin of victory in a game against Everton since a 10-4 win in October 1958.
• The result was also Allardyce’s 19th Premier League defeat by four or more goals – the most of any manager in the competition.
• Son became only the second player to score in five consecutive home Premier League matches for Spurs, after Jermain Defoe in 2004.
• Alli has provided seven assists in his 22 Premier League games this season, matching his tally from 37 league games in 2016-17.
• Everton failed to record a shot on target for the fourth time in a Premier League match this season – no side has failed to do so in more games (Swansea also four).

‘We threw in the towel’ – what they said

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino told BBC Sport: “It was a massive performance. Fantastic. I am so pleased. Congratulations to our players because the effort was fantastic.

“The three points are important because the top four is so tough. The performance was very good, the players showed great character. I don’t think we conceded a shot on target.

“Son is doing fantastic in the last two or three months – his belief and confidence is amazing.”

Everton manager Sam Allardyce said: “I think the defining moment in the game was we thought the second goal was offside, probably the same with Wayne’s.

“When the second goal went in and if it was offside it was a killer, but that doesn’t allow us to throw the towel in and relinquish that defensive responsibility.

“Too many of our players decided not to defend any more when Tottenham had the ball. I’m hugely disappointed in the professionalism of my players. It’s out of order.

“Play your way back into the game and be professional about it. It shocked me. I haven’t seen it since I got here. I’ve got to cut it out, starting tomorrow.

“It’s down to hard work. Tottenham can beat anybody by a lot of goals but they should have had to work a lot harder than they did. We keep foregoing the clean sheet to try and get a result and not getting a result.

“We need to go back to basics.”

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What’s next?

Everton look to get back into form on Saturday, 20 January with a home game against 19th-placed West Brom (15:00 GMT). Tottenham are not in action again until Sunday, 21 January (16:00 GMT), when they play at Southampton in the Premier League

Live Text

Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur 4, Everton 0.

Second Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur 4, Everton 0.

Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Wayne Rooney (Everton).

Attempt blocked. Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Dele Alli.

Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Morgan Schneiderlin (Everton).

Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Erik Lamela replaces Christian Eriksen.

Offside, Everton. Phil Jagielka tries a through ball, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin is caught offside.

Attempt missed. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Moussa Sissoko.

Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Moussa Sissoko replaces Mousa Dembélé.

Goal! Tottenham Hotspur 4, Everton 0. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Dele Alli.

Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Mason Holgate.

Attempt blocked. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Victor Wanyama.

Foul by Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur).

Mason Holgate (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Attempt saved. Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Attempt saved. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Dele Alli.

Wayne Rooney (Everton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Wayne Rooney (Everton).

Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Victor Wanyama replaces Eric Dier.

Davinson Sánchez (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton).

Substitution, Everton. Morgan Schneiderlin replaces James McCarthy.

Foul by Serge Aurier (Tottenham Hotspur).

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Foul by James McCarthy (Everton).

Corner, Everton. Conceded by Davinson Sánchez.

Foul by Mousa Dembélé (Tottenham Hotspur).

Wayne Rooney (Everton) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Mousa Dembélé (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Jonjoe Kenny (Everton).

Substitution, Everton. Dominic Calvert-Lewin replaces Cenk Tosun.

Offside, Everton. Aaron Lennon tries a through ball, but Cenk Tosun is caught offside.

Goal! Tottenham Hotspur 3, Everton 0. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Eric Dier with a cross.

Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) hits the left post with a left footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Harry Kane.

Attempt blocked. Wayne Rooney (Everton) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

Substitution, Everton. Aaron Lennon replaces Yannick Bolasie.