Everton boss Sean Dyche wary of Tottenham response

Everton boss Sean Dyche expects Tottenham to come out firing with more than just Harry Kane when they visit Goodison Park on Monday.

Spurs have endured a turbulent couple of weeks since their last game with manager Antonio Conte leaving the club and managing director of football Fabio Paratici having his ban in Italy extended worldwide.

Dyche still sees them as a formidable side and in Kane they boast the player who has just become England’s all-time record goalscorer.

Harry Kane celebrates setting England’s goalscoring record (Adam Davy/PA)

“Congratulations to him,” said Dyche. “I’m lucky enough to know a little bit and what a fantastic fellow he is, an all-round professional.

“Of course he is a threat, he has been season after season and even when he gets questioned he certainly shuts the question down pretty quickly with what he does.

“But he’ll be aware it’s not just about him. They’ve got good players there in general.

“I know there’s a bit of noise out there and varying things going on, it seems, but at the end of the day, they’ve still got a good group of players there and we’ve got to be ready for that.”

Scoring goals has been one of relegation-threatened Everton’s biggest problems this season.

With main forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin enduring an injury-hit campaign, the Toffees have netted just 22 times in 28 Premier League games.

Everton have been short of goals without Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Isaac Parkin/PA)

None of their rivals at the bottom end of the table have scored fewer but, after scoring five in their current unbeaten run of three games, Dyche has seen reasons for optimism.

The former Burnley manager, who succeeded Frank Lampard in January, said: “The stats have improved since I’ve been here on some of the markers that you want – getting bodies in the box, getting better quality going into the box, getting better quality of chances and, of course, different scorers.

“It’s a responsibility for the whole team to score goals, to be productive from different areas of the pitch.

“I’ve always said effective football is what I want from the team and we’re showing good signs of that.”

Everton are two points above the bottom three ahead of this weekend’s round of fixtures.

Calvert-Lewin, who has made just 12 appearances this season, is still out having not yet returned to full training following the thigh injury he sustained last month.