Match Report

Everton lost for the second weekend in succession, falling to a “big six” team again in fairly meek fashion after Tottenham took control of this game in North London in the second half.

The Blues squandered two excellent chances in the first half but failed to register a single effort on goal in the second and, in the end, just didn’t have enough in the final third to deserve a share of the spoils.

A controversial penalty award following an error by Jordan Pickford allowed Harry Kane to put Spurs ahead just before the hour mark and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg doubled the hosts’ lead late on to kill the game.

With Anthony Gordon suspended, Dwight McNeil was drafted back into the starting XI but it was Demarai Gray who should have put Everton ahead when he did well to latch on to a brilliant ball over the top and wriggle away from Rodrigo Bentancur but having advanced on Hugo Lloris’s goal, he blazed well over the crossbar.

Then, Amadou Onana seized on a mistake in the Spurs midfield by intercepting the ball in the centre circle and galloped through the defence but he could only scoop a left-footed shot narrowly over from 12 yards out.

Pickford made an excellent stop from Kane early in the second half, the England keeper beating away a volley from his international team-mate before Son Heung-Min missed with the rebound.

But when Pickford made a mess of a tame shot from Matt Doherty, Kane went to seize on the loose ball and went down as the keeper tried to recover and referee Paul Tierney pointed to the spot.

With almost nothing by way of VAR review despite some doubt over the extent of the contact from Pickford, the decision held and Kane hammered the spot-kick home.

In the closing stages, as Everton failed to create anything even after the introduction off the bench of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Bentancur crossed from the right to pick Hojbjerg out in acres of space in the middle and, after cutting the ball back onto his right-foot, he side-footed a deflected shot past Pickford’s despairing dive and into the top corner from just inside the box.

So the Toffees drop from 11th to 14th place and now sit just two points above the bottom three as they head for another tough assignment at Newcastle on Wednesday evening, with Frank Lampard needing to find some solution to his team’s worrying dearth of attacking threat.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

Two glorious chances squandered, then the softest of penalties for Kane not even reviewed by the VAR before Tarkowski treats Højbjerg for cramp and he goes on to score the killer goal for Spurs. Unbelievable. 

Anthony Gordon is suspended after picking up 5 yellow cards in 8 games, while Yerry Mina is sidelined for yet another match, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still not deemed fit enough to start, Lampard going with the limited potency of McNeil, Gray and Maupay to start upfront.

The home side kicked off and Richarlison collapsed under first contact, a free-kick awarded, of course. Spurs worked it around until Richarlison gave up possession but McNeil then repaid the favour. Perisic’s first venture forward was thwarted. Kane as next to be blocked by Tarkowski. Son got in a great cross that found Kane was headed behind for the first corner.

Gana took down Son and, from the free kick, Richarlison has a free header well over the bar. Everton looked increasingly ragged as the pressure increased, Son wanting a penalty as Son got sandwiched, then Tarkowski fouled Richarlison, setting up Son to smack one into the wall. 

Everton absorbed the early pressure without getting far beyond the half-way line. Maupay given a ridiculous early yellow when Dier felt a flailing arm on his cheek. Romero wasn’t booked for tripping Gray, despite Pickford and Coleman having a word with Paul Tierney.

Onana got to run in the left channel but was too naive to evade the tackle or draw a foul. But at least Everton were now playing up the field after weathering the early storm. It was competitive in midfield with Everton looking to play some football, and stringing some passes together, but not getting close to the Spurs area. 

Davies was quick to feed Kane for a snapshot that Tark blocked over and away. Spurs pressed hard but Gray got free down the right and advanced on Lloris only to lash his shot miles over as the ball bobbled. Højbjerg similarly skied a shot at the other end. 

Gana accelerated and Romero fouled him in a forward position, Gray taking the free-kick and Coleman trying to power one through the crowd, blocked over for a corner. McNeil drove it almost too far and Tarkowski could not direct his header on target. 

At the other end, Kane beat three Gana but not Pickford, then Davies fired wide.  Another spell of Spurs pressure ended with Pickford taking control. Everton tried to build an attack but soon it was coming back at them as Richarlison needed stopping, Everton then playing out well from the back. 

Gray was caught by Bentacur, who finally got a yellow, much to the annoyance of the Spurs players. A brilliant tackle by Onana stopped Bentacur in his tracks. Everton were shutting things down well in midfield but Coady was fouled (not given) and Richarlison had a shot that Tark blocked behind for a corner. Pickford punched out Son’s corner but the ball came back and Everton were under pressure until Perisic went down clutching his head after a great clash with Coleman’s shoulder.  

Onana had a fantastic chance but his shot flew over the Spurs bar. McNeil fouled Doherty (yellow card) and Onana had to head Son’s dead ball behind under tremendous pressure. Another wicked Son corner needed some deep deep defending. 

A late chance was created by Kane for Richarlison to whack the ball over with close attention from Coady. Thus ended a lively and relatively even first half in which Everton should really have scored not one but two goals from guilt-edged chances… but of course the goal-shy Blues failed to convert those fantastic opportunities to take the lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

No changes at the break, and Tarkowski was called upon to tackle Son well on the run. Then McNeil had to head a crosss behind for an early second-half corner, taken short, that Højbjerg then ballooned wide and long. Everton struggled to play forward, however, and were under pressure at the back again. 

Richarlison was shot in the leg by a sniper and needed lots of treatment before hobbling off, Bissouma taking his place. Spurs then had their best chances so fr, a tremendous volley by Kane straight at Pickford, then Son lashing it over. Gana then made a poor tackle on Højbjerg and got a  yellow card. 

Everton came under more pressure Son not getting enough power on his header to beat Pickford from close range as the atmosphere ramped up another notch. More relentless Spurs pressure and Everton finally crumpled, Pickford spilling a shot and Kane forcing a penalty off him. Seemingly no VAR check, as Kane lashes it in, the Everton players seething. 

Everton looked to contain their anger and direct it to laying the ball properly. But Spurs could now sit back and lap it up. Onana won a good press as the Blues continued to probe but failed to make any real progress — 65 minutes gone… where the fuck is Calvert-Lewin?  Why does it take Lampard so long to make changes???

Son got past Gana but was then stopped. Finally the changes came on 67 minutes but Spurs did their best to take control. Kane got another glorious chance that Pickford batted away but they could not get out of their half. 

McNeil tried to pick out Calvert-Lewin with a decent cross but it was too high. Gary was disposed easily and Kane off on a run, Tarkowski in with a brilliant tackle to block his shot. But Everton were cowering back in their own half, almost inviting Spurs to attack so they could hopefully counter. 

Everton won a free-kick but they were so slow to take it, Gray finally putting a decent cross but too far from goal and well away from Calvert-Lewin. Gray again tried to cross but the path was blocked. Gary and Bentacur fought for the ball, Spurs getting the free-kick but Everton winning back and playing it up toward Calvert-Lewin, Garner put in a fantastic cross but Lloris watched it all the way.  

Mykolenko stuck out a lazy leg that gave away a very dangerous free-kick but it was easily defended. Spurs continued to slow things down as much as they could unless a chance opened up, Tarkowski bizarrely treating Højbjerg for cramp!!! Then of course, he said Thank you very much and fired in a second goal for Spurs. Un-fucking-believable. Everton that. What the fuck was Tarkowski doing???

Everton thought about attacking a bit more as the game was lost, McNeil to Calvert-Lewin but there was no real chance of scoring. With 5 minutes of added time, Tarkowski again had to make an incredible challenge to deny Perisic.  

A slew of subs for Spurs to kill the game in added time. Another last-ditch sliding tackle from Tarkowski. More desperate defending ended with another ridiculous Everton defeat into the books. 

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Doherty (90+3’ Spence), Højbjerg, Son, Richarlison (52’ Bissouma), Kane (90+3’ Moura), Perisic, Dier, Romero (87’ Sanchez), Bentancur [Y:37’] (90+3’ Skipp), S Davies.

Subs not Used:  Forster, Gil, Sessegnon, Lenket.

Everton: Pickford, Coleman (67’ Garner), Tarkowski, Coady, Mykolenko [Y:82’], Gana [Y:54’] (81’ Rondon), Onana, Iwobi, McNeil, Gray, Maupay [Y:12’] (67’ Calvert-Lewin).

Subs not Used: Begovic, Keane, Doucoure, T Davies, Vinagre, Welch.

Referee: Paul Tierney
VAR: Stuart Attwell

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

Everton travel to the Capital for the second time this season when they take on high-flying Tottenham hoping to get back on track after Sunday's defeat to Manchester United.

The Blues take on Antonio Conte's third-place outfit having seen their own six-match unbeaten run in the Premier League come to an end when they lost 2-1 to the Red Devils under the Goodison lights.

It was a reality check for Frank Lampard's side but one that the manager hopes he and his players can learn from as they look to build towards mid-table stability and respectability during his first full season in charge.

“The Premier League will always throw up difficulties,”  he said during his press conference at Finch Farm today. “People probably make us underdogs in these next two games. Let's enjoy it and see what we can do.

“We read a lot of opinions at the start of the season that we were going down and I was first to be sacked. There's nothing better than proving people wrong.”

Lampard won't be able to call on Yerry Mina this weekend, however. The Colombian had hoped to be available this weekend but has, in the words of manager Frank Lampard, had a setback in his recovery from the injury that has sidelined him since August in the form of a calf complaint.

Mason Holgate's comeback is also on hold as he won't be available either as he works his way back from a knee injury, though he is thought to be close. Anthony Gordon, meanwhile, is suspended after picking up five bookings in just nine games but Abdoulaye Doucouré is back after missing last weekend's match due to a personal issue.

And it looks unlikely that Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be ready to start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the manager indicating that he is still being eased back to full fitness.

“We're in a process with Dominic,” Lampard explained. “He's not taking part in every part of training in terms of where we would want to push to him to get him completely match fit so we'll just have to see over the next days and weeks how to get him up to that optimum level.”

Lampard said, however, that he hopes to have Nathan Patterson back in “two to three weeks while it looks as though Ben Godfrey will have to wait until after the World Cup before is completely healed from a leg fracture sustained on the opening day against Chelsea.

This late Saturday kick-off sees Everton come up against Richarlison for the first time since he left Goodison for North London over the summer in a deal worth an initial £55m.

The Brazilian has been starting more regularly for Spurs in recent weeks and would be a good bet to be in Conte's line-up for what will no doubt be an emotional moment for him and some of his former team-mates. Dejan Kulusevski will missing, however, because of injury.

Everton will need to keep their minds on the job this weekend, though, concentrate on tightening things back up in defence, finding ways of hurting what is a talented Spurs side at the other end and avoiding the kind of tactical naivete that saw them thrashed 5-0 in this fixture last season.

Kick-off: 5:30pm, Saturday 15 October 2022
Referee: Paul Tierney
VAR: Stuart Attwell
Last Time: Tottenham 5 - 0  Everton

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Gueye, Onana, Iwobi, McNeil, Gray, Maupay

Lyndon Lloyd

^* Unfortunately, we cannot control other sites' content policies and therefore cannot guarantee that links to external reports will remain active.