Match Report

It was one of those days where the final result felt rather immaterial; where a long-term injury to another important player, another largely disappointing performance, more infuriatingly poor refereeing and the damningly criminal injustice of VAR all combined to leave you with a sense of futility about 2019-20.

It’s difficult to believe that this Everton team is poor enough to go down but current form suggests that far from challenging for a place in the top six (where newly-promoted Sheffield United of all teams currently find themselves) the Blues are going to spend this season battling to keep themselves out of the bottom three. Today’s draw, salvaged deep into stoppage time by Cenk Tosun’s first goal of the season, represented just the fourth point Everton have collected from an available 21 under Marco Silva since they beat Wolves and there was little to suggest that they could or even deserved to get any more from what was a terrible game played out between two teams struggling for confidence.

The loss of Gomes to a fracture dislocation to his right ankle following a cynical, late challenge by Son Hueng-min will further deplete a central midfield that has been forced to do without Jean-Philippe Gbamin since late August and that will lose Fabian Delph in the short term as well after the former Manchester City man pulled up with a hamstring injury a couple of minutes before the end.

It’s especially annoying because Gomes, who battled through his first season in England short of full fitness, was just starting to settle back into a rhythm in Everton’s midfield after a month out with a rib injury and looked ready to kick on. Silva was no doubt relying on him to provide a source of leadership, assertiveness and increasing influence in the middle of the park now that he was fit again but the Portuguese international’s season is, in all likelihood, over.

Not that this improving Gomes had been able to single-handedly inspire Everton this afternoon against a Spurs side that hadn’t won away from home in the Premier League since January and yet looked on course to do just that following Alex Iwobi’s unfortunate error in the 63rd minute. Gomes’s absence could be used as a mitigating circumstance for the manager going forward but even with him in the side for 79 minutes this afternoon, the Blues were as flat and unthreatening as they have been for too much of this already wretched season.

And yet, because his team, fuelled by a burning sense of injustice at some mystifying VAR decisions and a desire to get something from the game for Gomes while also roared on by an increasingly raucous home crowd, rallied in the 12 minutes’ time added for stoppages against 10 men and grabbed an equaliser, it feels as though Silva will escape the scrutiny that a sixth defeat in seven games would have demanded.

Perhaps with the 6-2 mauling Everton suffered in this fixture last season, Silva deviated from the 4-2-3-1 formation he has relied upon so far and deployed a three-man midfield of Delph, Gomes and Tom Davies and a front three of Iwobi, Richarlison and Theo Walcott. The result was a less effective outing for Iwobi, who looks far more effective played centrally, while Walcott lapsed back into his familiarly unproductive form on the right.

In between, Richarlison toiled on the press, provided a source of direct running and, when he wasn’t flinging himself to the ground or writhing around in short-lived agony clutching various body parts, offered the most promising source of a goal in what was an awful first half of football.

The Brazilian was played down the channel beautifully by Gomes in the 25th minute but lacked the confidence to take his man on for pace and saw a premature shot blocked. Then, in the 32nd minute, after Gomes himself had headed a chance well over, Richarlison controlled Lucas Digne’s centre and shot on the swivel but his tame effort was straight down the throat of Paulo Gazzaniga.

Finally, he exhibited his strength against Davinson Sanchez to roll the defender but spooned his eventual shot from the angle into the Park End stand.

At the other end, despite the supposed threats posed by Son and Lucas Moura, playing instead of Harry Kane who was missing because of a virus, Spurs had shown almost no threat with Jordan Pickford really called upon just once to bat Serge Aurier’s swirling cross away to safety midway through the half.

The turgid fare bled into the first 15 minutes of the second half with only Tottenham’s Ben Davies going close when he stole in at the back post to meet a free-kick delivery but Delph got in the way before things ignited as the match ticked past the hour mark. Meanwhile, the game was paused for a VAR check after Son went down in the Everton area under the attentions of Yerry Mina but the appeals were waved away.

Then, after referee Martin Atkinson had ignored calls for a penalty when Sanchez felled Richarlison in the box — for some reason, no VAR check was carried out on this incident — a terrific pass by Iwobi found Digne who rolled a cut-back towards the penalty spot that was seized on by Richarlison but Gazzaniga denied him by clawing his shot out the air.

Two minutes later, however, Iwobi missed Delph in midfield with a short pass that went straight to Son and he played in Alli who took advantage of poor positioning by Mason Holgate to drill the ball past Pickford. The young defender, so impressive against Brighton last Saturday and in the cup match against Watford, had been preferred to Michael Keane today but did not cover himself in glory as the last man.

Silva responded five minutes later with his customarily reactive substitution by withdrawing Walcott in favour of Tosun while there was another ridiculously lengthy VAR review of what proved on the video replays to be a conclusive handball by Alli under FIFA’s new guidelines. The decision wasn’t given in Everton’s favour and an increasingly fractious affair on the pitch was being matched by increasing ire from the stands at abysmal officiating all the way around.

It was in that atmosphere and the context of a contest over which Atkinson was losing his authority that Silva was forced into another switch 11 minutes from the end of the regulation 90 by a horrific injury to Gomes. The Portuguese had escaped censure for an accidental elbow on Son but the South Korean elected to take matters into his own hands shortly afterwards.

Losing the ball in Everton’s half, he took an unsuccessful swipe at Iwobi and then chased down Gomes near the touchline, scything his opponent down without any intent to win it back. Gomes’s boot caught in the turf before he collided heavily with Aurier and it was immediately apparent the former Barcelona man had sustained an awful injury.

Quickly surrounded by horrified team-mates and then Everton’s medical staff while Son went to pieces once he had seen the extent of the damage he had caused to Gomes, the stricken player was eventually stretchered out of the far gate between the Bullens Road and Park End stands to be taken straight to hospital. Son, meanwhile, was initially booked before the colour of the card was changed by Atkinson to red.

With Gylfi Sigurdsson on for Gomes and Dominic Calvert-Lewin on for Davies (who was unfortunate to be taken off), Everton had the final six minutes plus 12 minutes of stoppage time to salvage something from the game and while Calvert-Lewin went close with a towering header to meet a Sigurdsson cross that he despatched narrowly over, it was Tosun who grabbed the goal with 97 minutes on the clock.

Yerry Mina delivered a cross to the left flank that Digne centred perfectly on the volley and Tosun stole in in front of Calvert-Lewin to power a header home.

For those few minutes at the end where a united sense of purpose had Goodison in full voice urging the players to get it forward in the hunt for an equaliser, there was a brief sense of the Everton that has been all too lacking this season. Ultimately, though, there was little satisfying about this result or performance.

For Silva, who is lurching from one match to the next looking to bolster his stock in the face of a horrible points return thus far, there wasn’t much to advance his case that he is the man to take this club forward and he will take his players to Southampton still under huge pressure. There hasn’t been any sense from the hierarchy so far that his position is under threat but defeat at St Mary’s could push them to the brink.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

Everton took on Spurs at Goodison Park in a lower-table clash, both sides confirming their poor form coming into this one. And it only got worse for Everton, gifting a goal to Spurs, then seeing Gomes go off with a broken ankle.

Team News: Mina came in for Keane; Sidibe, Davies and Walcott started; Calvert-Lewin and Kean were on the bench with Sigurdsson; Richarlison lead the line up-front. Again, no place in the squad for the widely maligned Morgan Schneiderlin.

For Spurs, Harry Kane, who likes scoring against Everton, has not travelled due to illness, but Son starts behind Moura as their leading threat, with Sissoko, who turned down the opportunity of a move to Goodison 3 years ago. Eric Dier is on their bench. Everton haven't beaten Spurs in nearly 7 years.

Everton kicked off after the customary remembrances, putting together a couple of unconvincing attacks. Spurs got possession but Moura was flagged offside. Pickford tries Route Obe to Walcott but the bounce eluded him.

Walcott had a great chance to run at Spurs' left flank and create something... but he didn't produce, as is his wont. Spurs looked confident but were vulnerable to Everton's high press.

It was pleasing to see Tom Davies always looking to break the play forward at pace but the Spurs defence looked well structured to prevent simple balls forward. Richarlison was fouled but Spurs nullified any penetration, the pace of the game suffering as both sides were stifling each other effectively.

Walcott had a brilliant chance for a cut-back off a Sidibe throw-in but drove it back from the byeline straight to a Spurs defender. Everton looked to play out unconvincingly from a goal-kick and were soon under pressure until Gomes stepped in on Ericksen.

Spurs upped the pace a tad, Son's shot getting blocked. Sidibe and Walcott were yielding a lot of space to Ben Davies down the Everton right. A better move from Walcott, Davies Iwobi and Digne broke down with the last pass, as the Blues struggled to get close to the Spurs area.

Spurs won a corner and started to apply some real pressure, Pickford lucky as he flapped at a cross, that it went to an Everton player. Gomes fed Ricjarlison well bu he took his shot when a defender was there to block it.

Richarlison went down, poleaxed by a slight touch to his head, but miraculously recovered when no foul was called. Digne was well-positioned to prevent a good ball reaching Son.

A much better move saw Walcott cross a bit too deep for Gomes, who headed lamely well over the bar. Walcott got called for, and then booked, for slipping his foot off the ball in a tackle, his studs just catching Alderweireld, and the hint of a red-card check from VAR, which would have been ridiculous. Ericksen fouled Richarlison, and he saw a yellow card too.

A great ball in to Richarlison, facing away from goal, he turned but mishit his shot at Gazzaniga. At the other end, a Spurs corner was defended well. Everton put together better movement, Digne winning Everton's first corner that came to nothing.

Mina cleared to Richarlison, who backed in to Sanchez, dropping and demanding the foul: not given... he is such a frustrating player! Both him and Gomes were on the floor in the next Everton attack, Gomes after running into a defender, Richarlison after committing the foul, per Mr Atkinson.

Digne could not get past Aurier but won the corner, delivered well, but cleared easily. From a Digne throw-in, Richarlison did a lot better but scooped his shot well over after making space for his effort. Davies is called, but he'd done nothing wrong in halting Dembele, w

An ultimately disappointing first half, with no memorable chances to speak of, came to an end with Richarlison again claiming but not getting another foul. Poor fayre overall.

A nervous moment after the break, when Mina rolled over and caught Son's foot with his body in the Everton penalty area... VAR deliberation was thankfully supportive of Atkinson's decision after Son had made a meal of it.

A great ball in by Ericksen from a set-piece came so close to Spurs scoring. At the other end, Richarlison turned into a defender and collapsed prostrate on the ground requiring extended treatment for minor facial contact.

Richarlison went down just inside the Spurs area as he tried to work around Sanchez. The ball across the area finally came to Richarlison nicely but his shot was just too close to Gazzaniga.

At least there was more action to interest the eye in this half, and finally the breakthrough, but not what Everton wanted, a dreadful loose pass backwards by Iwobi snapped up and Dele Alli drove the ball easily past Pickford. Just plain shocking.

A reckless challenge by Ndombele sent Sidibe spinning that saw him booked. Everton finally attacked with a little more conviction but no more success than previously as Tosun replaced Walcott.

VAR looked long and hard at a possible handball penalty call on Dele Alli, climbing for a high ball with Mina. Decision: No penalty, of course (This is Everton), despite clear and obvious illegal contact with the ball by the Spurs player. Incredibly, VAR did not have the definitive angle shown on TV! Go figure!!!

A crucial substitution by Silva: Sigurdsson about to come on... But before that, Son committed a horrible foul on Gomes, who broke his right ankle, the stretcher on immediately. Son in anguish, first appeared to be shown a yellow, Atkinson then changed it to a red. TV wouldn't show what happened, but he must've broken something, seemingly in the follow-through after Son had tripped him, his pace catching his right leg in the turf as Aurier came in hard from the side.

After a long long break, with Gomes finally stretchered off, Everton somehow resumed play, and a great cross to the far post was headed over by Calvert-Lewin.

But what a horrible game, a horrible example of VAR, a horrible injury to Gomes... a horrible advert for Premier League football. 12 minutes of added time under the circumstances a complete joke — the match should have been abandoned as an utter disgrace. And on Everton's Day of Remembrance too. What a travesty in every respect.

Everton got a gaol back in added time, a great cross-field ball from Mina crossed back in first time on the volley by Digne — brilliant — and Tosun there to head in strongly as Calvert-Lewin powered in over him.

Sanchez then got caught in possession and kicked out at Richarlison quite obviously as he was clean through on goal. Another VAR check, another utter travesty as No Red Card was the decision of the goons at VAR. It was all Everton in attack against the 10 men of Spurs, the Goodison crowd seething at the incomprehensible injustice of it all.

Finally, at 102+ minutes, Atkinson the incompetent blew the whistle to end this monstrosity of a game.

Scorers: Tosun (90+7'); Alli (63')

Everton: Pickford; Sidibé, Holgate, Mina, Digne; Gomes (84' Sigurdsson), Delph; Walcott (64' Tosun), Davies (83' Calvert-Lewin), Iwobi; Richarlison.
Subs not Used: Lössl, Keane, Coleman, Kean.

Tottenham Hotspur: Gazzaniga; Aurier (88' Foyth), Sánchez, Alderweireld, Davies; Sissoko (73' Lo Celso), Ndombele [Y:65']; Son [R:78'], Alli, Eriksen [Y:31']; Moura.
Subs not Used: Vorm, Dier, Sessegnon, Winks, Parrott.

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

Everton look to build on Tuesday's win over Watford in the Carabao Cup when they take on Spurs at Goodison Park this weekend.

The Blues booked their place in the last eight of that competition with a 2-0 win over the Hornets, one that helped them bounce back somewhat from the massive disappointment at Brighton in the Premier League last Saturday.

It also eased the pressure on the shoulders of Marco Silva but, having overseen six defeats in the opening 10 matches of the league season, the Portuguese will know that he still has little margin for error. And the visit of the side that inflicted his worst home defeat as Everton boss to date is not an easy assignment so he will be hoping that his charges gleaned enough confidence from their exploits on Tuesday to take into Sunday's clash with Spurs.

Silva could, however, be without arguably his most consistent performer in the form of Yerry Mina. The Colombian Mina appears to be touch-and-go after he was forced to withdraw from the Watford tie with a recurrence of the knee issue that he sustained in the closing stages of the last Premier League match at Goodison against West Ham a fortnight ago and sidelined him against Brighton.

He was brought back into the team to face the Hornets but had to come off just before half-time after feeling pain in his knee.

Silva says that while Mina trained with the first-team at Finch Farm this morning, no decision will be taken on his availability until after a fitness test tomorrow.

“He worked with the team this morning,” Silva said of Mina during his pre-match press conference. “Like I said after the (Watford) match, it was nothing serious what he has in his knee at this moment.

“We did the normal exams and it's nothing serious. It's just a question of having the support to deal with the pain he has at this moment and if he can do that he can train and possibly he can play as well.

“Today he did [train] in the morning and he did all the session. Let's see how he reacts tomorrow and we'll make a decision.”

Assuming Mina doesn't make it, Michael Keane and Mason Holgate will partner each other again as they did at the Amex Stadium last week and the presence of Holgate in particular, with his superior foot speed, could offer some protection against the tricky Son Heung-min.

The South Korean terrorised Everton and scored twice in this fixture last season and he has been on form again in recent weeks, picking up the man-of-the-match accolades in the Londoners' thrashing of Red Star Belgrade last week. Together with the free-scoring Harry Kane, who also grabbed two goals at Goodison in December last year, he could pose huge problems for Silva's men playing in front of what is usually a dynamic midfield assembled from the likes of Christian Eriksen, Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli, Moussa Sissoko and Giovani Lo Celso.

Those threats could prompt Silva to opt for three central midfielders instead of his usual 4-2—3-1 setup, with one of Tom Davies or the more defensively-minded Morgan Schneiderlin the potential beneficiary of such a decision. In attack, meanwhile, Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott have probably earned their places in the side in the wide positions and Richarlison would be deployed in a more central role.

Should Silva stick with what has been his preferred formation, Iwobi would likely occupy the No 10 role with Richarlison and Walcott on the flanks and Dominic Calvert-Lewin leading the line.

The only other area of doubt would be at right back where Djibril Sidibé performed impressively in the games against West Ham and Brighton while Seamus Coleman was less impressive in that position against Watford on Tuesday, making the case for the Frenchman to be reinstated this weekend.

Having boasted an impressive record on their travels in recent seasons under Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham have, surprisingly, not won away from home in the League since February January and their general failure to really get going this season will give Silva hope for an Everton victory on Sunday.

While the Toffees are normally just the team you want to play when you're wanting to rid yourself of an unwanted record, Spurs's situation also presents Silva with an opportunity to cause further problems for a somewhat wounded animal.

Kick-off: 4:30pm, Sunday 3 November, 2019
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Last Time: Everton 2 - 6 Tottenham Hotspur

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Sidibé, Keane, Holgate, Digne, Gomes, Delph, Iwobi, Walcott, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin

Lyndon Lloyd

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