​Everton host Tottenham at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the very first time and the fixture comes at a time of discouragement for both teams.

​The Toffees fought hard against Manchester City, but lost their way in the second half and were unable to contain the ferocious Erling Haaland.

​Spurs also suffered defeat in the Premier League last time out, as Aston Villa scored two goals from two shots on target to inflict another home reverse on Thomas Frank’s team.

​Despite this, both clubs have delivered some strong performances this season and there is quality to be found in both squads.

​Ahead of the weekend clash, I’ve picked a combined XI from the two squads, based on this season’s form and featuring only available players:

​Jordan Pickford

No goalkeeper prevented more goals in the Premier League last season than Jordan Pickford. Guglielmo Vicario led that metric this season until last weekend, and now the Italian remains in the top three, while Pickford is ninth.

​Yet while many Tottenham supporters have called for Vicario to be dropped, Pickford is delighting Everton fans with his displays. In fact, certain pundits have shamelessly called for the England shot-stopper to join a ‘bigger club’.

​Pickford provides a composed presence between the sticks, while Vicario is often on edge and tends to panic at set pieces. He did have an outstanding midweek performance in the Champions League, but the Everton keeper’s distribution is far superior and he is less prone to mistakes.

​Both players are very good at making close-range saves, but Pickford is the more complete keeper overall.

​Pedro Porro

On his day, Pedro Porro is an outstanding right-back who attacks just as well as he defends. The Spaniard has registered 13 Premier League assists over the past two seasons and is one of the best crossers of the ball in English football.

​Porro’s performances this season have not met his usual standard. His defending has looked a little shaky and there have been moments when he has been dispossessed in dangerous areas.

​However, Porro is still one of the league’s strongest players in his position, and he has a wider range of abilities than Jake O’Brien.

​Michael Keane

James Tarkowski averages more blocks per 90 minutes than any player in the Premier League, except for his teammate Tim Iroegbunam and Sunderland’s Daniel Bollard. As well as this, the only Spurs or Everton defender to have made more tackles per 90 minutes is Cristian Romero, who is unavailable for selection on Sunday.

​Despite this, Tarkowski’s displays this season have not met his usual high standards, and it is Michael Keane who has received plaudits for his performances.

​It remains to be seen what role Keane will play when Jarrad Branthwaite eventually returns, or if Everton add a centre-back to their squad in January. However, the 32-year-old has been playing well this season and makes the combined team based on his current form.

​Micky van de Ven

The defensive partnership between Romero and Micky van de Ven is one of the best in the Premier League, and Spurs suffered immensely when both were injured last season.

​It was van de Ven who made a superb goalline clearance which saw Tottenham lift a trophy for the first time in 17 years, and he has even captained the side in recent weeks.

​The Dutchman is solid at the back, and his blistering pace proved useful when Ange Postecoglou was in charge, due to his high line, which often left Spurs vulnerable at the back.

Djed Spence

Djed Spence has not always been first-choice at Tottenham, but he is being relied on while Destiny Udogie struggles with injuries.

​The full-back is a good defender and is particularly skilled at defending one-on-one situations. He often makes inverted runs forward and joins the attack whenever he can.

​One area where Spence could improve is creating more chances. His Premier League goal contribution record last season was identical to Vitalii Mykolenko’s, a player who is not known for his attacking qualities.

​However, the player who recently made his senior England debut has a stronger overall game than Everton’s current first-choice left-back.

​Joao Palhinha

Bayern Munich may not have been able to utilise Joao Palhinha's skillset, but the Portuguese midfielder has been a strong performer at Tottenham. He has won more ground duels than all but two other players in the Premier League and has three goals in all competitions, including a bicycle kick.

​Spurs have lacked creativity when Palhinha has been paired with Rodrigo Bentancur, but the 30-year-old has thrived with more attacking-minded players in front of him.

​Everton have two good midfielders in James Garner and veteran star Idrissa Gueye, but Palhinha has been on another level since his return to London.

​Mohammed Kudus

Tottenham’s summer signing from West Ham would need to move into the midfield to make this combined team function, but it is a role he could probably fulfil. The 25-year-old is brilliant on the ball, using his pace and strength to ward off defenders.

​Kudus is an all-round contributor for Spurs and has won the same number of ground duels as Palhinha, despite playing on the right wing. On top of this, he already has a goal and four assists in the Premier League this season.

​If there is one player Everton need to keep on a tight leash this Sunday, it is Kudus. He has been Tottenham’s biggest attacking threat by some distance since his arrival.

​Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Everton did well without Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall against Crystal Palace before the international break. However, the midfielder definitely improves his side, and he has already shown glimpses of what he is capable of since making the move to Merseyside.

​The 27-year-old played well when he was actually on the pitch last season, but his opportunities at Chelsea were limited. Right now, Dewsbury-Hall is already a regular starter at Everton, and he could go on to do great things this season.

​Spurs have a good attacking midfield option too in Pape Matar Sarr, but he appears to have fallen out of favour with Thomas Frank. There is also Xavi Simons, who is likely considered the club’s best option in that position on paper. Despite this, the Netherlands international has struggled to get going at his new team.

​Iliman Ndiaye

Everton’s top scorer in the Premier League last season is already leading the way in the 2025/26 campaign. Iliman Ndiaye has already netted three goals in eight appearances, which is a third of his previous tally.

​The Senegalese winger is more than just a goal threat. In fact, he lands in the top seven per cent for key passes completed in the league this season.

​Ndiaye made his way onto the scoresheet when Everton defeated Spurs at Goodison Park in January and he will aim to do the same at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Richarlison

The centre forward position is one where both Everton and Tottenham have lacked strong options. For the Toffees, Beto has been poor in front of goal, while Thierno Barry is still waiting for his first goal for the club.

​Spurs have been without Dominic Solanke, and Randal Kolo Muani has not yet started a game. Mathys Tel looks a long way off the finished product, and that leaves them with Richarlison.

​The former Everton fan favourite got off to a dream start, scoring a goal of the season contender against Burnley. However, his form has dipped, and it would not be surprising to see Solanke given another chance when he returns from injury. This does not change the fact that Richarlison is the best available striker Spurs possess at this point in time.

​Jack Grealish

Tottenham were actually linked with Jack Grealish over the summer, but in the end, he made the loan move to Everton. Since then, he has been phenomenal, gathering a goal and four assists in seven Premier League appearances.

​Grealish has been the main creator at Everton, producing moments of magic on the left wing. Interestingly, he is exactly what Spurs need right now, and they could live to regret not signing him when he returns to David Moyes’ starting lineup on Sunday.

​The way the Scotsman has brought Grealish back to life this season has been terrific to see. He is no longer constrained to a rigid role, but has been given the freedom to do what he does best.

Reader Comments (4)

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Dave Abrahams
1 Posted 24/10/2025 at 17:08:40
The writer says Grealish has been phenomenal this season—— has he really?

He then says he’s no longer restrained to a rigid role but has been given the freedom to do what he does best—— then why is he glued to the left wing line instead of moving to different areas of the field.

Mike Gaynes
2 Posted 24/10/2025 at 17:21:21
Dave, here is Jack's view:

“I love it when managers say, ‘Get the ball, go and do what you want.' That's exactly what David Moyes tells me.”

Does that make it sound like he's glued somewhere?

Sounds more like he stays on the left because that's where he likes operating.

Steve Brown
3 Posted 24/10/2025 at 17:38:59
Mike, the manager obviously wants the team to have width.

In most games this season, Ndiaye has stayed wide right and Grealish wide left. When they receive the ball, they then do seem to have the freedom to play what is in front of them.

The issue is, as many posters have pointed out, both players like to come inside rather than take the full-back on down the flank. Probably as neither player is that pacey.

If we had fast, overlapping full-backs then it would work well. In the absence of that, we might want to consider different patterns of play between Grealish - KDH - Ndiaye.

Dave Abrahams
4 Posted 24/10/2025 at 19:23:04
Mike (2) Well you see every game — isn’t he glued to the line?
If he likes operating stuck to the wing I suggest he isn’t doing enough, don’t you think he could do a lot more?

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