Match Summary
Add Alan Stubbs to the injury list with a back injury as it all starts to go slightly sideways for Everton and David Moyes, suspensions and injuries suddenly accounting for three key absences from his solid 4-1-4-1 formation. Yobo starts back in defence.
Wright starts his first game since September 2003, but at least Osman is on the bench after his knee injury has presumably improved.
For Spurs, no Jermaine Defoe, who was out with a knee injury.
A very slow start to the game saw little action beyond an early scare when Kanute nearly got on the end off one. Gravesen delivered a good free-kick but Robinson reached above Cahill as Everton finally pressed after 15 minutes.
Wright then advanced to pick up a forward ball from Keane but Marney nipped through the Everton defence to chip the ball neatly over him and into the net.
A nice ball from Hibbert saw a fabulous chance for Kilbane but Naybet deflected his shot out for a corner. But Spurs scored their second as Ziegler picked up a ball from a throw-in, when he turned and shot under Wright's body to score with ease under Richard Wright's body. Oh deary me; two poor goals given away inside the half-hour as Everton were getting slaughtered. To underline the gulf developing between the teams, Keane then chipped easily over Wright on to the crossbar.
McFadden was perhaps one of the worst culprits, and Moyes changed things a little, pushing him forward to play more alongside Bent. But it was Tim Cahill who got one back just before half-time, with Bent heading on to him, his first-time shot was well taken into the bottom corner.
After a roasting from David Moyes in the dressing room, Everton started the second half with more intent, Hibbert crossing well for Kilbane. But Keane and Yobo tussled in the Everton area, Spurs claiming a penalty; not given. Keane then seemed to be pulled back by Weir but Everton got away with that as well. Living dangerously...?
Edman should really have scored from an excellent Ziegler ball but Wright got a vital touch to keep the ball out. Mendes scored a screamer to put Spurs 3-1 up, an unstoppable shot into the top left-hand corner.
Keane then scored the fourth after being set up easily by Marney as the Everton defence went AWOL. It's all gone pear-shaped. Moyes's late move was to change all three subs as Ziegler almost scored a fifth. Kanuté almost scored the fifth but Wright saved well with his legs. Kanuté then skipped around Weir, drawing an illegal challenge from Weir right on the edge of the area as Everton reeled under the cosh. King nearly scored the fifth from a corner, the ball flying just an inch over the bar.
Marney finally scored their fifth as he waltzed through the Everton midfield, the defence backing off, while he unleashed a superb long-distance curler that rocketed into the Everton net. Poor Richard Wright: he hasn't stood a chance on any of these goals.
It looked like number six for Keane with a lovely chip, but that went over the bar. But a true consolation goal came from guess who: Jamie McFadden! He finally scored his first Everton goal, a very well-taken strike across the goal and inside the far pos on a good pass from Cahill, but virtually meaningless.
Successive defeats for the first time this season have come exactly at the wrong time for Everton, who retain fourth after Manchester United surged past them earlier in the week. Was it too good to last?
Well, No — in retrospect. While many say Everton played poorly, I think this was one of those games where a couple of critical moments made the difference:
Outfield, I thought we actually tried to play a LOT of good football. There was very little of the yarddog stuff I so hated under Walter Smith. Moyes is getting us to play football, mostly on the ground. But the 4-5-1 game is highly suspect in that it is *so* reliant on defence and so limited in attack. With someone like Beattie, this will surely have to change...
Michael Kenrick
Tottenham 3-0 Everton
Match Preview
Is there an Evertonian alive who doesn't hate this fixture? Let's face it, we haven't won at White Hart Lane since 1985 and it seems that, no matter how well we play there, we can never win. Add that to the fact that Spurs always seem to do well against us and you have a recipe for one of our least favourite games on the calendar.
This season, the trip to London N17 comes on the back of a bitterly disappointing visit to The Valley on Tuesday and at a time when the rigours of the Premiership season are finally starting to catch up with David Moyes's comparatively small squad. With the Blues having dropped out of the top three for the first time since mid-September and the media vultures circling, Tottenham away couldn't have come at a worse time.
Moyes will be mindful, however, that — even under the improved stewardship of Martin Jol — Spurs are an erratic and unpredictable bunch, as evidenced by the 1-1 home draw with Crystal Palace earlier in the week. They also find it hard to overcome well organised defences, although they managed it at Goodison Park earlier in the season when they somehow walked away with all three points despite being comprehensively outplayed.
Nigel Martyn faces a lengthy layoff with a calf strain while Leon Osman (knee) and Steve Watson (stomach) will have fitness tests before this one after missing out on the defeat at Charlton. Duncan Ferguson is, of course, ruled out through suspension following his reckless red-card offence and that will open the door to the substitute's bench to either Kevin Campbell or Nick Chadwick.
For Spurs, Simon Davies is still sidelined through injury and both Stephen Kelly and Thimothee Atouba are also ruled out. Noureddine Naybet returns to the starting line-up at the expense of Anthony Gardner.
It's going to become a familiar theme for the next few weeks, but this is another crucial fixture for Everton's Champions League aspirations. With Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United all having hit their stride, and Middlesbrough and Liverpool gaining ground behind us, the margin for further error is preciously small.
Whether Moyes alters his preferred formation in response to the fact that teams are starting to stifle his side's strategy by packing the midfield might become a key issue over the next few games. But, with injuries becoming a problem, his options will be limited.
In view of recent results on this ground, I think most Blues would settle for a draw but a victory would do untold good to morale and really set us up for the home game against Portsmouth on Monday.
Lyndon Lloyd
Matchday Stats
This will be the 148th meeting between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in all competitions, and the 72nd at Tottenham. This match will be the 26th meeting in the Premier League and the 13th at White Hart Lane.
Everton's full record against Tottenham is:
P
W
D
L
F
A
Premier League
25
2
10
13
40
Division One
108
33
35
155
167
Division Two
1
0
4
3
FA Cup
5
15
14
Screen Sport SC
TOTALS:
147
49
45
53
202
225
Our record away to Tottenham is:
12
8
26
54
16
67
107
Divison Two
71
21
36
86
142
The last match between the sides was on 2 October this year when Tottenham inflicted Everton’s second defeat of the season at Goodison Park with a 1-0 victory.
There have been 6 Everton hat-tricks against Tottenham, with the last being Tony Cottee's in a 3-1 victory on 5 October 1991. Jimmy Harris' hat-trick on 11 October 1958, at White Hart Lane, was the second instance in Everton history of a player scoring a hat-trick and still being on the losing side, as Everton recorded their biggest defeat, in terms of goals conceded, as they went down 10-4.
The most common victory for Everton is 1-0 which has happened 16 times in Everton's 49 victories. Spurs' most common victory is 2-1 which has happened 13 times in Tottenham's 53 victories. The most common draw between the teams is 1-1, which has occurred 23 times in the 45 draws between the sides.
Everton's record for 1 January is:
6
9
42
17
66
62
50
20
76
74
This is the fifth time the sides have met on this day, with the last meeting, in 1966, ending in a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane. The Everton goals on that day were scored by Fred Pickering and Derek Temple. The last match on this day was in 2003 when goals from Steve Watson and Tomasz Radzinski secured a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park against Manchester City.
Ted Magner was born on this day in 1891 in Newcastle. Signed from Gainsborough Trinity in December 1910, Ted made just 9 appearances for Everton whilst scoring 3 goals, including a goal on his debut against Preston North End in January 1911. Just over a year later in January 1912, Ted was sold to St Mirren.
Jasper Kerr was also born on this day in 1903 in Burnbank, Scotland. Signed from Bathgate in August 1924, Jasper made 21 appearances and scored a solitary goal for Everton before being sold to Preston North End in March 1927.
Milestones that can be reached in this game:
·
Steve Flanagan
Feckin' Washout!
It was 10 years on yesterday since I first saw Everton play; 10 years. 4-1 against Ipswich to us, what a game, I was only 5. 40 games without a loss....
Then I have to endure the worst performance by Everton I have ever seen: Tottenham were not good. We were shite, absolutely awful. Pistone had a shocker. It was my first Everton game since the 2-1 win over West Brom two seasons ago and I wish I had chosen another game to go to.
Up at 07:45, picked up by a mate at 08:27. Arrive at Exeter train station at god knows when. The trip up was fun, jokes passed, etc. We got there and it was a long trip around London on the tube (the highlight being me ticket not working so I just crawled underneath the barricade and painfully caught my back on it).
Got to my seat at 14:50 after bevvies were downed and pints were spilt at a 'local' pub about a mile away from White Hart Lane. My seat was very nice, tucked away in the lower tier with me older brother. Then the game started, why did it have to????? Tottenham for 40 minutes looked the part and we looked part of Division 1. They deserved to be 2-0 in front, should have been 3 and their pressure warranted a fourth.
Then Tim Cahill saved us with a well-taken goal to inject some much needed confidence into the troops; unfortunately, it was half-time and it died down. So when we came back out it was the same tone as the first half, Everton playing crap and Tottenham not playing bad. Then it was 3 then 4! And then a bloody fifth, fans departing in their droves and me building up an everlasting hatred with those idiots that are Tottenham fans.
HURRAH! James McFadden gets an 87th minute consolation, better than 5-1 but still Hibbo could've made it 5-2 minutes earlier after an unorthodox pass from Kilbane.
The remaining Everton fans were singing their hearts out (me and company included) and we silenced the Spurs fans for the rest of the game, then we made a hasty exit back to the train.
Overall a poor performance from Everton — we are too tired in my opinion and face an ominous task against Portsmouth on Tuesday.
I am off to watch MotD, if you yourselves do watch it then I advise you to look out for the parka-sporting 15-year-old maniac answering the Tottenham chants of "Champions league? Ya 'avin a laugh" with "At least we are fourth, you wankerrrrrrrrs!!!"
Thank you and good night.
Dave Moore
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