Liverpool, April 17: Harry Kane scored twice, including a second-half equalizer, before limping off with an ankle injury in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw at Everton in the Premier League as both teams stayed on the fringe of the race for Champions League qualification.
The England captain’s latest injury comes ahead of Tottenham playing Manchester City in the English League Cup final on April 25 – the only shot at a trophy this season for Jose Mourinho’s team.
Kane rolled his right ankle under the weight of a tumbling Richarlison at a corner in second-half stoppage time at Goodison Park.
Earlier, Kane moved onto a league-high 21 goals for the season, two more than Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, with his clinically taken equalizer in the 68th minute after a defensive mix-up.
Kane had given Tottenham the lead in the 27th, only for a double from Gylfi Sigurdsson — the first coming from the penalty spot following a foul by Sergio Reguilon on James Rodriguez — to put Everton ahead.
Sigurdsson’s goals came in the 31st and 62nd minutes. Tottenham stayed in seventh place, and is now five points behind fourth-place West Ham having played one game more. Everton is a point further back in eighth.
After a drab start, the game burst into life with two goals in four minutes. Spurs took the lead with their first foray into Everton’s box as Kane was clinical.
Everton defender Michael Keane could only glance on a cross from the left by Tanguy Ndombele into the path of Kane, who controlled and fired left-footed into the bottom corner.
Mourinho’s team let another advantage slip thanks to a quick response from the hosts. Reguilon was adjudged to have shoved Rodriguez as the Colombian shaped to shoot, with the referee immediately pointing to the spot even though replays suggested Rodriguez kicked the ground and contact was minimal. Sigurdsson made no mistake from the spot, sending Lloris the wrong way.
Tottenham started well after half time, but it was Everton which moved in front, cutting Spurs open by working the ball out to Seamus Coleman, who pulled it back to Sigurdsson to direct a well-taken first-time finish into the far corner with his left foot.
Just six minutes later, Kane lashed home in style from 10 meters out. Kane almost completed his hat trick minutes later but a header clipped the outside of the post.
Substitute Joe Willock’s 82nd-minute header helped Newcastle United climb to 15th as they beat 10-man West Ham United 3-2 at St James’ Park.
Newcastle led on 36 minutes when Allan Saint-Maximin’s shot was turned into his own net by Issa Diop.
West Ham also had Craig Dawson sent off for a second yellow card after a foul in the build-up to the goal.
Newcastle doubled their lead before half-time when Lukasz Fabianski dropped Matt Ritchie’s corner and Joelinton converted.
West Ham pulled themselves level after the break with two quickfire goals. Diop headed in before Jesse Lingard converted a penalty with 10 minutes remaining.
Willock came off the bench to win it with his first touch to lift Newcastle to 35 points, nine clear of the bottom three. (AP)
