Everton 0 – 3 Tottenham Hotspur
A disastrous game for Everton who gave up not one but two goals to straight-forward corners that Van de Ven converted for Tottenham Hotspur, while O’Brien’s brilliant headed goal from an Everton corner was called back by VAR.
Jack Grealish returned, displacing Charly Alcaraz the only change, with Röhl on the bench, but now with only one goalie. Branthwaite and Patterson out injured.
For Spurs, Richarlison and new striker Tel are on the bench.
First Half
Spurs kicked off. Everton soon got some nice possession, Ndiaye dribbling, Grealish pushing up, feeding Mykolenko ahead of him(?). Another fantastic dribble in by Ndiaye beating Spence, a great pullback to Beto who messes it up but Grealish behind him could hammer it goalward, but defended away by Porro. Dewsbury-Hall then blazed the rebound over the bar.
At the other end, Bentancur? drove in and needed stalling. Pedro Porro trod on Grealish’s foot. Kudos then Simmons needed to be blocked from getting a shot off, Keane doing well.
Grealish tried to release Mykolenko again, but they wrked it over to the other side, Ndiaye trying to break the block. Dewsbury-Hall looked to slip one through to Mykolenko with Beto pulling into the middle but the ball didn’t find him. Some really good lively build-up play by Everton, with Ndiaye and Grealish doing things a little differently.
But then Grealish overdid it, stalling too long before playing it blind to Mykolenko who wasn’t quite behind him. Geuye intercepted a Spurs pass brilliantly but Beto had run offside.
Tarkowski strained his back giving up a corner that Kudus whipped to the back-post, where Bentancur leaped highest to shoulder the ball back across to Van de Ven who made no mistake a yard out, Pickford baulked slightly on the crowded line but outfoxed by the delivery.
An O’Brien long thorw as played around untiil Garner smashed one, going wide, but palmed behind. The corner was brilliant, O’Brien, heading it so powerfully, Vicario got a hand to it but surely a goal. However, Ndiaye was very close to him and goalside, also Grealish, so giving VAR something to chew on… and chew they did, and spat it out. No goal.
A mazy dribble from Ndiaye won a deep free-kick, Dewsbury-Hall playing it in poorly. A long ball to Beto easily lost. Another long ball saw Ndiaye fouled by Danso but not given.
Danso took an age to deliver a long throw that Pickford had to push behind. Another brilliant delivery by Kudos but Pickford punched it away, however, SPurs got another corner, but not before some hadnbbags between Piickford, Van de Ven and Grealsih running in to give the Spurs player a good shove., before the corner was cleared.
Beto got behind the Spurs defence but could not control the bouncing ball nevermind centre for the waiting Garner?
A faster move down the right saw Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall win a corner but Spurs handled this one better. A brilliant cross in by Ndiaye was deflected just in front of Beto but across the Spurs goal and out. The corner came to nought.
Grealish worked hard to play in Beto who went backwards all the way to the half-way line! Just bizarre play. Mykolenko won a corner and Ndiaye was brilliant, rescuing the lost ball, dribbling back, beating his man and crossing it low.
With 7 minutes added, Gana fouled Danso?, the free-kick going behind off the wall for a Spurs corner. Porro’s delivery was good, Bentacur heading behind.
Johnson’s drive in was stopped at the expense of another Spurs corner, defended behind for another corner from the other side. An Porro’s delivery was brilliant, Van de Ven pushing Pickford off him and getting the final touch. Why wasn’t that classed as impeding the goalkeeper?
Second Half
No changes from Moyes at the restart, which eventually saw Ndiaye scampering down the right wing again, but he then executed a bizarre rugby drop goal that sailed over the bar. Everton got forward again through Ndiaye and the ball pinged around in the Spurs area, Dewsbury-Hall seemingly fouled and Ndiaye’s flick going agonizingly wide.
Everton tried to build again but slowly, although Grealsih did cut inside evading his three markers. Grealsih beat three defenders bit Garner’s cross was straight to Vicario. Dewsbury-Hall saw the ball stolen easily by Porro.
Everton worked it around again and again, Ndiaye crossed for Beto to execute a remarkable bicycle kick that hits Vicario’s arm. Incredibly unlucky.
Everton’s movement slowed to less than walking place, with Spurs’ defence set. When they counter, Garner was in hard on Kudus, yellow card dangerous free-kick. Kudus clipped the top of the wall for another Spurs corner…. Kudus over everyone. Que changes by Thomas Frank.
Everton had pretty much run out of ideas at this point. A bouncing ball beats Tarkowski and Richarlison looks to score against Everton yet again but Pickford was out for the full body block.
Changes finally by Moyes at 66 minutes. And Everton get forward but Mykolenko fails to shoot. However, they win a free-kick and Tarkowski wants a penalty for Johnson holding him. Ndiaye plays it back across to Grealish and his layoff is belted wide by Garner, who demands a corner. Nope.
Bentacncur halts Grealish cynically and he wants a card for the Spurs player but of course gets one himself. Good work between Ndiaye and Grealish sees a shot from Ndiaye that Vicario somehow gets down two despite two deflections.
Gana is completely taken out by Kudus — an obvious penalty — called “a normal coming together”! Tarkowski’s header in comes back to Ndiaye but his shot is blocked away by Paulinha. Everton are clearly getting nothing from this game.
Barry’s shot is deflected over for a corner. Dewsbury-Hall put in a great cross but Rohl headed over from a great position. Everton had dominated play in the second half but had nothing to show from it.
SOme magic from Grealish who beat four men and Vicario punching clear. Everton continued to work at it without really breaking the Spurs defence. Another corner delivered well by Garner but headed clear.
Good play by Barry forced a corner off Danso, another great delivery forn Garner but only Spurs players underneath it. A free-kick right of the Spurs area easily punched clear. Rohl denying Richarlison’s counter as Alcaraz replaced Gana with less than 5 minutes left.
Spurs made a rare foray forward and Sarr got behind the Everton defence but was flagged offside. Spurs then gave an object lesson in how easy it can be to score a simple goal, Richarlison heading a cross back for Sarr to nod past Pickford. Shocking in its simplicity.
Five more pointless minutes played out. A sad first loss at Hill Dickinson.
Everton: Pickford, O’Brien (66′ Röhl), Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Gueye (86′ Alcaraz), Garner [Y:58′], Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish [Y:60′], Beto (66′ Barry).
Subs: Travers, Coleman, Aznou, Iroegbunam, Dibling, McNeil.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Danso, Palhinha, Xavi Simmons (61′ Bergvall), Kudus, (78′ Sarr), Johnson, Pedro Porro, Spence, Bentancur, Van de Ven, Kolo Muani (61′ Richarlison).
Subs: Kinsky, Tel, Gray, Odobert, Scarlett, Byfield.