Interim boss Cristian Stellini says Tottenham Hotspur didn’t control game well against 10-man Everton

LIVERPOOL – Up by both a goal and a player, Tottenham Hotspur should never have allowed an equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Everton on Monday, interim manager Cristian Stellini said.

“The approach of the game was good... The only problem?” Stellini said. “When you find the way to score, and you are leading the game 1-0, you have one extra player, you have to be much more lucid in the way you keep the ball.”

The draw against a team who are battling to avoid relegation was a disappointment for Stellini in Spurs’ first match since manager Antonio Conte was sacked.

Conte was sacked last week following his furious reaction to a 3-3 draw with Southampton in the Premier League – after which he lambasted his players and criticised the club’s culture.

Harry Kane scored a penalty in the 68th minute after Michael Keane brought down Cristian Romero in the box.

Keane made up for his blunder in emphatic fashion with a blistering goal in injury time, sending Spurs home with just a point in their race for a top-four finish.

Said Keane: “You won’t believe but I do hit the ball like that every now and again in training. To see one come off is amazing. After giving away the penalty to make up for it, I am buzzing.”

His manager Sean Dyche added: “(Keane) has been in fine form. He’s been training with clarity and showed his quality. The whole stadium thought we would get a winner. I know I did.

“It is another step in the right direction... The mentality is going from strength to strength.”

Everton climbed to 15th with 27 points, one point above the relegation zone. Four of the teams below them, however, have played one game less.

Tottenham are fourth in the standings with 50 points from 29 games. Newcastle United and Manchester United also have 50 points, but have played two fewer games.

Said Stellini: “After the red card, we had the chance to control the game better than we did. And you have to do it with the ball, because you have one extra player and you have to lead the game. But sometimes we were rushed and frantic, we have to improve in this aspect.”

Fans at Goodison Park chanted that Kane was a “cheater” after his scuffle with Abdoulaye Doucoure led to the midfielder’s red card in the 58th minute. Kane had grabbed the shirt of the Mali international, who reacted by swatting the England captain in the face. Kane then collapsed to the ground in apparent agony.

“The fan (reaction) is normal. They are unhappy but, in my opinion, it was a clear red card. It happens sometimes, it’s normal,” Stellini said.

However, former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports: “If I’d done that on a pitch, I’d be embarrassed.

“If I watched my own son, who is a player, yes, it might help his team win... but when we get back in the car, I’d just say... ‘Don’t ever do that again on a football pitch’.” REUTERS