Calvert-Lewin bullet gets new-look Blues off to a flyer

Everton beat Tottenham for the first time since 2012 with a hugely uplifting performance in North London to get the new season off to a terrific start.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin put his “Project Restart” goal drought behind him with a brilliant second-half header off a sumptuous Lucas Digne free-kick to hand the Blues all three points.

It was Everton's first victory over an established “big six” team in 41 attempts and their first on Spurs's home turf in almost a decade but it was no more than they deserved. Indeed, with Jose Mourinho's men held at bay for almost the entire second half, the margin should have been bigger but Richarlison will be kicking himself for squandering two very good chances.

Carlo Ancelotti handed debuts to all three of his new signings and the difference they made to what was a poor midfield last term was immediately obvious. The Toffees controlled the opening exchanges and should have gone ahead with a quarter of an hour gone.

Richarlison sprinted onto a loose pass by Ben Davies and rounded Hugo Lloris but made a mess of his finish when Calvert-Lewin was better placed in the middle.

Tottenham then went close when Son Hueng-Min whipped a dangerous ball into the six-yard box that just eluded Harry Kane' out-stretched boot and then when the South Korean's shot was headed out by Michael Keane, an Everton counter-attack with James Rodriguez choking a shot that the goalkeeper easily gathered.

James, who was pulling the strings delightfully for the visitors with calm and precision, went closer eight minutes before the break when his shot whistled past the post but it took superb saves by Jordan Pickford either side to keep things goalless at the break.

The England keeper pushed Dele Alli's drive over the bar as Spurs broke dangerously and then denied debutant Matt Doherty with his feet after Kane had cleverly dinked a return pass over the defence.

Everton started the second half with the same confident manner in which they had begun the first and after Richarlison had scuffed a decent chance, the Brazilian was fouled wide on the left giving Digne the chance to whip the ball in from the left. The Frenchman bent his set-piece behind the defence and Calvert-Lewin met it with a powerful header that gave Lloris no chance.

Richarlison could have doubled the lead but missed with similar right-foot shots that narrowly missed the far post and both Seamus Coleman and Calvert-Lewin tested the keeper with shots while Pickford preserved the lead at the other end with two important punches as Tottenham tried to make something happen from balls into the box.

Everton held out for the win in fairly comfortable fashion and handed Ancelotti a moral-boosting opening-day just weeks after he had witnessed one of the worst displays of his tenure so far in the same fixture.

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