Ancelotti confident new-look Everton can shake up top six

London: Carlo Ancelotti said his belief that Everton will compete with the Premier League’s top six this season was justified after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s towering header earned their first win over Tottenham since 2012 with a 1-0 victory on Sunday.

Ancelotti has been heavily backed with the signings of James Rodriguez, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan, and the Toffees looked a much-improved side on the one that finished 12th last season as they were thoroughly deserving winners at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“We showed we can compete, which is the most important message, that we can compete if the spirit is good, if the attitude is good,” said Ancelotti.

“I said before the game our target was to fight for the European places. The first game was good, we have to see the second game and the third game, so we have to wait a little bit but I have a lot of confidence. I had (confidence) before this game and I have more confidence now, but we have to be focused.”

Spurs are also hoping for an upturn in Jose Mourinho’s first full season as boss, but the hosts looked short on ideas as they slipped to a damaging home defeat for their aspirations of mounting a challenge to get back into the top four this season.

“I didn’t like my team,” said Mourinho, who complained of the free-kick leading to Everton’s goal and his players’ lack of preparation time in a shortened pre-season.

Mourinho slams players after Spurs defeat: Mourinho accused some his players of laziness and bad fitness. “Against good teams like Everton if you let them play from the back they are comfortable with very good technical players. If you don’t press them you give them ammunition,” he said.

“We were lazy in our pressing. That is a consequence of bad fitness, bad pre-season. Some players didn’t even have a pre-season. Some players had a wrong state of mind. I don’t want to speak about it -- I’m not sure about it.” Tottenham have been the subject of a candid documentary chronicling Mourinho’s arrival at the club to replace former manager Mauricio Pochettino last November.

“I’m disappointed with my team. My message is inside (the dressing room),” Mourinho said. “I’m so happy no more (filming for the) Amazon (documentary) because these things can stay in between us.

“After their goal we were poor. We were not physically strong, there was no intensity. The team lacks physical condition.”

Mourinho added Spurs’ pre-season had been hit by positive coronavirus tests, but did not reveal the players involved. Everton looked the fitter and better prepared side with their new midfield trio helping to control possession, but it was on the counter-attack they wasted by far the best chance of the game. Mourinho said on Friday he hopes to add another striker before the end of the transfer window to add some support to Harry Kane, but any new arrival will need better service to work with as the England captain did not have an opportunity to get his side back on level terms.

Agence France-Presse