Spurs striker Harry Kane - 'Thankfully, we kept knocking.'

Kane celebrated his 400th Tottenham appearance with the opening goal from the penalty spot as Antonio Conte's Lilywhites thrashed Everton to close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Goalscorers Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg after Spurs win over Everton [Sky Sports Screen Shot]

England captain Harry Kane said Tottenham Hotspur “had to be patient” and wait for “the spaces” to open up in order to secure a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday evening.

The North London club beat Frank Lampard’s Toffees at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in what was Antonio Conte’s 50th match in charge as boss.

• Spurs boss Antonio Conte - 'I liked our attitude.'

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Kane broke the deadlock in the 59th minute from the penalty spot after being tripped in the six-yard box by England team-mate Jordan Pickford, who found it difficult to hold on to Matt Doherty's long-range shot.

And in the 86th minute, midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg increased the lead as his effort deflected off Alex Iwobi into the net.

The win lifts Spurs level on points with second-placed Manchester City, who play Liverpool on Sunday and are only a point behind north London rivals and table-toppers Arsenal.

Kane - 'Thankfully, we kept knocking.'

Speaking to Sky Sports, Kane, who has found the net in five successive league games, said: "We had to be patient. The spaces opened up as they got tired; thankfully we kept knocking on the door and got a couple of chances. It was a really good win.

When asked about the incident with England team-mate Jordan Pickford, the 29-year-old replied: "He made a couple of good saves and I snuck the penalty past him. Happy to get on the scoresheet again; it has been a tough week with loads of games. We've got to recover well and get ready for Wednesday.

• Spurs boss Conte: 'Winning mentality for the whole club.'

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"Whenever you miss a penalty the next one is the most important one. I've practiced so many against Jordan and I feel like I'm coming up against a lot of English keepers this season. It was nice to get that one, it was really important."

Tottenham (W7, D2, L1) have now registered 23 points from their opening 10 Premier League games this season, and they'll be hoping to continue their form when they visit Old Trafford on Wednesday to play Manchester United.

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