Agony As Spurs Grab Late Equaliser

Going behind as early as 33 seconds could have killed their spirit at the outset of this crucial clash at White Hart Lane but David Moyes's side showed their renowned resilience to turn the game on its head and came very close to throwing the Champions League race wide open.

Lyndon Lloyd 07/04/2013 15comments  |  Jump to last

Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 2 Everton

The victory would have been massive... and Everton came so close to achieving it. Unfortunately, with just three minutes of the 90 to go, everything came together for Tottenham and the Blues' valiant defence of a 2-1 lead handed to the by more individual brilliance from Kevin Mirallas slipped crucially to allow Gylfi Sigurdsson to score an agonising equaliser.

Coming into the first of four vital away games against rivals for European qualification, Everton knew that they would have to play out of their skins and earn some unlikely victories against some of the best teams in the country. Going behind as early as 33 seconds could have killed their spirit at the outset of this crucial clash at White Hart Lane but David Moyes's side showed their renowned resilience to turn the game on its head and came very close to throwing the Champions League race wide open.

It really was the worst possible start, though. Moyes's changed side, one featuring John Heitinga deployed as the disruptive pitbull deployed in front of the back four and a surprise start for Ross Barkley, had barely had time to settle before Jan Vertongen swung in wicked cross from the left, one of those almost-impossible-to-defend balls behind the back four, and Emanuel Adebayor acrobatically half-volleyed it through Tim Howard's legs from close range.

Just what Gareth Bale-less Spurs needed and it presented the very real danger that the Blues could get beaten comprehensively if they didn't steady the ship quickly. Though Andre Villas-Boas's side clearly had their tails up, it didn't translate into an anything approaching an onslaught. Indeed, without the creative outlet of Bale and Aaron Lennon and the movement up front of Jermaine Defoe, Spurs lapsed into a surprisingly one-dimensional, route-one approach that, unfortunately, Everton were only too happy to return in kind for much of the first half.

There was precious outlet from defence for the likes of Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka which saw the ball launched forward in the direction of Victor Anichebe who, thankfully, was putting in a beast of a performance leading the forward line without the help of Nikica Jelavic who dropped back to the bench.

It was a superb ground pass by Leon Osman, though, that sent Barkley to the by-line in the 14th minute and when Matt Dawson put the youngster's cross behind, it set up the corner from which Everton would equalise. Leighton Baines swung the kick to the back post, Jagielka met it with and his downward header bounced between Hugo Lloris's legs and into the net. 1-1, early calamity erased, game on.

The restoration of parity did little to change the caginess shown by the two teams, though, and the fact that Kyle Walker's long-range shot that flashed wide Howard's left-hand post following a surging run was the only other moment of note for the rest of the first half spoke for itself.

The second half was an altogether more open affair, particularly as the Blues started on the front foot and, after Seamus Coleman was denied a stonewall free kick just outside the Spurs box, Darron Gibson fizzed a low shot a foot wide.

And Moyes, seeing that Tottenham were largely being contained, made an attacking change with 51 minutes gone by removing Barkley in favour of Jelavic. Though it was a surprise to see him start, the 19 year-old had earned his chance to impress but he was largely ineffective and struggled to make an impact on either flank.

The change was the right one and although it had no direct impact, Everton went ahead a minute later through the explosive Mirallas. The Belgian had been almost invisible for 52 minutes before he picked the ball up on the right flank and just surged towards the opposition area on the same kind of jinking run that ripped Stoke apart last weekend. With two defenders left reeling in his wake, he picked spot and swept the ball into the far corner to make it 2-1.

Tottenham responded immediately and were it not for a superb, reflex stop by Howard, Dembele would have had the home side level a minute later. The Belgian international found space 20 yards out and when his low shot deflected off Heitinga, Howard turned the ball onto the crossbar with his right hand.

In the main, though, Villas-Boas' men found the thick Blue line of Everton's amassed defensive ranks hard to penetrate. Heitinga in particular was particularly effective at hunting the ball down and disrupting the opposition's attempted flow, Baines and Osman was keeping Walker quiet down the right flank and Clint Dempsey was getting almost no change out of Jagielka and Distin.

Walker's piledriver from 30 yards that Howard parried away too safety just past the hour mark was as much trouble as Tottenham caused for half an hour after the Blues took the lead — a lead that might have been doubled had Anichebe not gone for glory and lashed his shot wide rather than laying a square ball off to Jelavic who was open in front of goal — but, predictably, their pressure escalated as the game moved into the final 10 minutes.

Nevertheless, despite sloppy fouls by Gibson and Mirallas in dangerous areas that provided set-piece chances for Spurs, subsequently wasted, Everton looked comfortable in defence of their advantage until Walker left for Baines for dead and advanced with time and space to pick a square cross to Adebayor 10 yards out. Time slowed down as the striker's side-foot effort beat Howard, cannoned off the face of the post but fell straight to Sigurdsson and, sadly, the Icelandic midfielder couldn't miss despite Coleman's desperate attempted block.

A veritable kick to the groin for an Everton side who had defended so well but who are having to count the cost of not being able to see a game out, although it was always going to be a tall order given the effort expended in protecting the lead against what were still strong opponents. Fatigue clearly played its part as the Blues were caught uncharacteristically short on numbers in the area for Sigurdsson's goal but Spurs' equaliser took the tally of points Moyes's side have lost from winning positions this season to 21.

And yet, were it not for Lloris, Anichebe might have snatched all three points for Everton shortly after the restart. A constant menace to Tottenham's back line all afternoon, the striker out-paced and out-muscled Dawson as he sped onto a through-ball in the 89th minute but the goalkeeper came off his line to close down the angle and prevent the goal with his legs. That would have set the seal on a terrific outing for Everton but it was not to be.

It's fair to say that most Evertonians would have taken a draw before kick off but having done so well to turn the game on its head and come so close to seeing out what would have been the Blues' first double of the season, once again a late equaliser by the opposition feels like it delivered defeat.

Given how little Spurs troubled Howard over the 90 minutes, it was maddening that Everton's defence buckled on one of the rare occasions when they did manage to penetrate our area but while it's tempting to criticise the team for failing to hold onto that precious lead, it should be acknowledged this was always going to be a difficult game to win.

As has been noted on many occasions this season, it is the points dropped against the likes of Norwich, Newcastle and Fulham that have really kept the Blues from fulfilling their dream this season. It's a dream that is still not yet out of the question despite the favourable results for Chelsea and Arsenal this weekend but the order remains a very tall one. Nothing to be done, though, but give it our best shot in the games to come.

Man of the Match: Victor Anichebe

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