No final day favours from Moyes after another pathetic showing

Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Everton

Everton are the visitors at Tottenham Hotspur for the final fixture of the 2025-26 Premier League season, with a massive threat of possible relegation hanging over the hosts.

But that only comes about if Everton deny them a result today by winning... and West Ham Utd beat Leeds Utd at the London Stadium a few miles away in Stratford. 

The chances of an Everton win seem slim if you look at the dreadful record Everton have against Spurs in London, having lost the last four encounters, scoring just one goal while conceding 12!!!

You have to go back to the dim and distant days of the unfairly maligned Carlo Ancelotti, who got Dominic Calvert-Lewin firing on target from close range, his goal winning that soulless encounter behind closed doors during the Covid Pandemic back in September 2020.

Before that, you have to go back almost 20 years to 30 November 2008, when Everton last won at Spurs... under David Moyes! 

And coming back to more recent times, The Toffees need to avenge a horrible 3-0 home defeat to Spurs back in October, when the problem was defending corners properly to stop Van de Ven from scoring. 

But will David Moyes even go there if an Everton win could mean relegating his old club, West Ham? Far easier and less stressful to oversee another spineless performance to go along with the last six that have seen Everton slip down the Premier League table and drop out of the European places.

Which path will Moyes choose??? 

Team News

The real Team News is that David Moyes makes one change, dropping Beto for Barry, and putting out what he clearly believes is his strongest team for this season finale, with Idrissa Gana Gueye still out injured, joining Jack Grealish and Jarrad Branthwaite on the sidelines. 

For the home side, former Everton favourite RIcharlison -- who seems to love scoring against Everton -- is in the starting line-up.

First Half

James Ganer kicked off for a Dewsbury-Hall upa nad under that came back but Ndiaye drove forward and won an early corner. But it was played short and ultimately cleared. 

Spurs came forward, Iroegbunam strong and then Ndiaye too strong, giving up a dangerous free-kick, headed behind by Tarkowski. Their corner was cleared and Ndiaye beat the ball off Tel, but Dewsbury-Hall fouled Udogie. That set up a very positive Spurs attack, firmly defended by Everton for a throw. That eventually fell to Gallagher who fired into the side netting. 

Mykolenko was easily dispossessed, and Spurs tried to work another attack. Rohl cut it out but Barry gifted the ball back to the home side and they pressed forward again, winning another corner. It fell to Danso who smashed it well wide.

An Everton free-kick from midfield would have been good if Ndiaye had properly anticipated the short-side through-ball. O'Brien was called and carded for holding back Tel. From the free-kick, Palhinha at the far post could only spoon it high over the bar. 

Another Spurs attack had to be thwarted until the ball bounced up and hit Spence's hand. This time it was Rohl who meekly gave up the ball back to Spurs. O'Brien clumsily trod on Tel's foot.

Rohl got a little strong on  Palhinha for another Spurs free-kick. Somehow, Rohl was fouled by Van de Ven who ran into him and went down, rolling around in agony.  Contact looked minimal and he miraculously recovered. 

Garner's free-kick was glanced behind by Tarkowski. At least it was a rare touch in the Spurs area!

Spence got Mykolenko far too easily and Pickford had to parry the ball high and away, until it went behind for an Everton goal-kick and a drinks break.

From a Mykolenko throw, Everton looked to get into the Spurs area but the ball was softly given away again, Tel kindly playing it into touch. Rohl won the ball back but Barry couldn't hold it up and Richarlison was fouled by Iroegbunam. 

Spurs were not attacking with quite the same energy and Dewsbury-Hall was able to steal it off Spence, who fouled him. Everton built something approaching a proper attack until Dewsbury-Hall's shit was blocked, but Ndiaye went on a mazy dribble and looked to feed Barry, whp watched it out for a corner. 

A brilliant Dewsbury-Hall delivery but the Everon heads missed it and it was easily cleared. Everton looked to be doing better but Dewsbury-Hall didn't see Porro and Spurs surged forward, Palhinha winning a corner. Danso got a free header but it hit an Everton defender, and Pickford gathered the bouncing ball. 

Dewsbury-Hall tried to play in Barry but he was on another planet and Spurs picked it up again, but built even more slowly, Ndiaye winning it back and somehow losing it. O'Brien was caught by Richarlison cutting across him. 

Garnewr was next to have the ball shamefully whipped off his toes. Spurs attacked with zest this time, Tel lining up a curler that Tarkowski did well to block. A Spurs long throw, by Danso, was worked around until Rohl pushed Gallagher over, for another dangerous free-kick wide left. 

Pickford punched away Porro's delivery. Dewsbury-Hall went down with a head knock that was ignored as Richarlison won a corner. Palhinha's header hit the post and it came straight back to him. The ball was driven goalward but cleared off the line by Barry. However, it had crossed the line... just, and the Spurs fans went crazy. 

Tarkowski was floored in the Spurs area by Bentancur but VAR said that was fine. Into 4 minutes of added time and Spurs were buoyant, Everton in need of a half-time regroup.  Mykolenko was fouled by Spence after a throw-in. 

It looked like it would be a classic Moyes 0-0 half... until it wasn't; Everton losing again at the break, and Spurs looking to avoid relegation.

Second Half

After a 6-minute delay for linesman tech issues, Spurs restarted the game. Mykolenko fouled Spence. Spence and Mykolenko fougt in  the corner, and

Spurrs came back and Spence shot at Pickford, who saved it poorly, shovelling it just behind. The corner maintained the pressure with Porro's shot deflected behind for another corner. 

It was nervy at the back, but Everton eventually cleared, Dewsbury-Hall fouled by Van de Ven. Everton tried to swing the ball in but it came to nothing.  Barry and Rohl committed fouls, and Everton could not keep hold of the ball. 

Bentancur took out Garner but Everton played pass the parcel without going anywhere except back to Pickford.  Mykolenko tried to release Barry but failed, and Garner went in strongly on Palhinha. Then Iroegbunam was called for another foul. 

Udogie was allowed to advance but Gallagher was blocked. Still Everton finding it hard going forward but Garner was fouled. Nothing came of the free-kick and Spurs advanced instead, requring sold defence. 

Cometh the hour, Moyes maketh, the changes: George and Armstrong on. An Everton corner was headed away.  Garner tossed it back in but Spurs still got forward. 

Dewsbury-Hall forced a turnover but Iroegbunam was dispossessed. Tel fouled Garner down the wing, Pickford punting it upfield. George showed great verve, Dewsbury-Hallwinning a corner. Armstrong could not beat Spence with his cross back in. 

Everton could not do anything meaningful and Ndiaye lost the ball easily. They tried playing it out from the back until Ndiaye took on one too many. 

Tel almost ran through but Iroegbunam stopped him. and Everton tried to get it forward, Dewsbury-Hall pinging it through to Barry, but he could not keep hold of it. Time for another drinks break, and changes for Spurs, with little sign of Everton scoring. 

Iroegbunam battled with Gallagher, Spurs getting the corner, Kolo Muani firing over. Everton tried to advance but could not hold the ball. They did slightly better until Barry lost it for a Spurs throw. But Everton were just too naive to keep the ball.

Iroegbunam fouled Bentancur and Everton kept losing the ball. Sarr dribbled in and went down but there was no contact and Michael Oliver signalled and Everton free-kick and a yellow card for the Spurs simulator. Everton had still not had a shot on goal in 80 minutes.   

Dewsbury-Hall tried to get George free down the left but Porro was too clever for him, as Moyes made a tripple change, including Coleman. 

A really nice Everton move into the are saw George try to play it to Beto rather than taking a shot. What a chance, and what a goal that would have been!

From a free-kick, George won a corner, headed clear by Danso. Recycled by Garner, an excellent cross, headed away by Van de Ven.  Everton tried to attack again but Tarkowski was called for a flailing arm as the minutes ticked away.  

With West Ham winning comfortably, Moyes was given 9 minutes of added time to turn this shitshow around and rescue his old club. But of course that was never going to happen... was it?

A head injury to Sarr meant even more minutes added on. A Garner free-kick was headed on and just over the bar by Keane -- the closest Everton had come to scoring. 

It was frantic now as Everton finally were trying to play front-foot football... but it was far too little, far too late. Colemenam, a super ball in, Alcaraz a leaping header but off target. 

Alcaraz needed four Spurs players to stop him advancing as the atmosphere became febrile, but Everton were never going to score. Although George with a fantastic play deserved a goal, thwarted by a fantastic save from Kinsky.

Everton came back again, anoher ross in, another header just over the bar, the Spurs fans needlessly nervy as still Everton had not and could not score. It had been all Everton, Ndiaye swingoing in a creat cross headed behind for a corner. That was taken quickly but it was never going to happen and SPurs were finally safe.

In truth, they were safe from the first moments of yet another pathetic display by Everton, with West Ham, who had put their trust in Moyes getting his charges to do them a favour, relegated to the Championship. 

Tottenham Hotspur: Kinsky, Spence, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie (90' Dragusin), Palhinha [Y:87'], Gallagher, Bentancur, Porro, Richarlison, Tel.

Subs: Vicario, Bissouma, Maddison, Gray, Bergvall, Solanke, Sarr, Kolo Muani.

Everton: Pickford, O'Brien [Y:12'] (62' Armstrong), Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Iroegbunam (84' Coleman), Garner, Röhl (62' George), Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Barry (84' Beto).

Subs: Travers, McNeil, Dibling, (84' Alcaraz) Aznou.

 

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