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:

Our record away to Tottenham is:

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:

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:

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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