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LONDON. — Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte offered an upbeat assessment of his side’s chances of securing a top-four finish in the English Premier League football after his side thrashed Everton 5-0 to put themselves in the mix on Monday night.

Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham swept aside a woeful Everton side to claim their second big league win in succession after a 4-0 win at Leeds United.

They remain in seventh place but are level on 45 points with sixth-placed West Ham United and only two points behind fifth-placed Manchester United having played two games less than the two sides immediately above them.

Tottenham, who face Manchester United at the weekend, are three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

“A very important three points for the table,” Conte, who has suffered a mixed start to his Spurs reign since taking over from Nuno Espirito Santo in November, said.

“We will try to fight until the end for the best possible position in the table. A top-four race for sure and we want to be involved. I think we are becoming stronger in many aspects.

“We have to fight to reach the best possible position and to fight for a place in the Champions League. For sure it won’t be easy. We need to have ambition and I think we can do this, I think we are ready to do this.”

While Conte ruffled some feathers when he questioned Tottenham’s strategy in the transfer window, with first-team players including Dele Alli (to Everton) leaving, the addition of midfielders Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur has given Conte’s side more balance and control.

“Since my arrival in Tottenham I didn’t know if it could be realistic but now after four months of hard work I think the two players complete our squad,” Conte said.

“Now my expectations have become higher.”

He knows that consistency will be the key, however, and the United clash at Old Trafford has now become a huge game.

“We need to prepare for the game against United. I want an important answer in an important game to confirm what I think, that this team is improving. Now this is the past,” he said.

“It is important to confirm on Saturday what we showed, otherwise we start again to have up and down.

“A big challenge against an important team who are fighting for a place in the Champions League.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur striker Kane said he was delighted to go above Arsenal great Thierry Henry in the all-time English Premier League scoring list after netting his 176th goal in the competition in Monday’s 5-0 win over Everton.

After Michael Keane’s own goal began the rout in the 14th minute and Son Heung-min made it 2-0, Kane slotted in his first of the evening to make it 3-0 before adding another following Sergio Reguilon’s strike to surpass Henry.

The England international skipper, who climbed to sixth in the English Premier League scoring chart led by Alan Shearer (260), said keeping things simple had helped him in his career.

“It’s all about getting those chances, I’m always confident I’m going to hit the target,” Kane told Sky Sports. “I always try to keep the ball low. Hard work and practice, no secret.

“Thierry was one of the greatest strikers we have seen, so it’s nice to go above him in the scorers list and hopefully they keep coming.”

Kane has been in blistering form in recent weeks with five goals in his last four league matches.

He sits one goal behind current Everton boss and Chelsea great Frank Lampard (177) and has the chance to overtake former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero (184) and ex-Manchester United forward Andy Cole (187).

Shearer and Wayne Rooney (208) are the only players with more than 200 goals in the competition. Former Tottenham and United striker Teddy Sheringham said that Kane was the best No. 9 in the world. “He has been for the last four or five years, he’s proving it year in and year out,” said Sheringham, who scored 146 goals in the Premier League.

“It’s great to get there, but staying at the top and still convincing people he’s the best — that’s why he is the best.”— AFP