Match Report

Everton recovered from going a man down and conceding a second-half penalty to claim a precious point at the death against Tottenham thanks to a brilliant 90th-minute strike from Michael Keane.

The defender atoned for his mistake that had gifted Spurs the lead by rifling home brilliantly from 25 yards just a couple of minutes after the numbers had been evened up at 10 men apiece following Lucas Moura’s dismissal for an ugly, shin-high tackle on the Blues' No 5.

Everton had battled for every ball and were hoping to press home a victory in the second half but the game looked to have slipped from their grasp in the space of 10 minutes after Abdoulaye Doucouré was sent off for striking Harry Kane in the face in a 58th-minute altercation near the dugouts.

But Sean Dyche’s men refused to lie down and after Hugo Lloris had tipped Idrissa Gueye’s terrific effort over the bar, they were rewarded when Keane grabbed his moment of retribution as the contest was about to move into stoppage time.

Once more, Dyche named an unchanged line-up and with the Goodison faithful playing their part with another intimidating atmosphere under the lights, the Blues set their stall out with a high-energy pressing game and moments of attacking intensity that almost yielded an opener inside the first half.

Demarai Gray curled just wide after lovely work by Alex Iwobi, Keane chested the ball down following a low free-kick and hammered a crisp volley that cleared the bar in the 10th minute and Ben Godfrey saw a snapshot off Amadou Onana’s smart back-heel deflect wide off Eric Dier in the 24th.

Doucouré spurned the best chance of the lot, though, when Alex Iwobi picked him out unmarked in the middle with a cross from the right but the Mali international headed well over.

Tottenham had been finding success hitting the channels and switching the ball to the flanks trying to find Ivan Perisic and Pedro Porro in space and the latter forced Jordan Pickford into emergency action with an out-stretched foot as he flashed a dangerous ball across the six-yard box in only the fifth minute.

Four minutes later, Iwobi was dispossessed on the halfway line and though James Tarkowski cleaned out Oliver Skipp with a crunching tackle on the edge of his penalty area, the fell to Kane off Seamus Coleman and no doubt thought he had scored only for Keane to block his effort as it was heading past Pickford into the net.

Kane missed with a header in uncharacteristic fashion with a quarter of an hour gone, Perisic finding him with another pin-point cross from the left before, late in the half, Lloris made a routine stop from Onana’s low drive and Pickford denied Son Hueng-Min superbly but the offside flag rendered his save moot.

What was arguably Everton’s best opening of the match to that point came two minutes after the restart when Onana intercepted Dier’s attempt to play out for the back and Gueye found himself with an option to his left and right. Instead, the Senegal international opted to go it alone and skied a dreadful effort into the Gwladys Street.

Onana’s attempt to place a shot from the edge of the box from Demarai Gray’s lay-off was also foiled by the goalkeeper but any momentum that the Toffees were trying to build was destroyed in the 58th minute.

Kane and Doucouré kicked out at each other by the touchline, followed by flailing arms, with the Everton man’s hand catching the England striker in the face, prompting him to collapse to the turf and referee David Coote to brandish an unavoidable red card.

Despite Iwobi having a chance that he lashed disappointingly wide a few minutes later, the visitors began to take advantage of the extra man with more probing moves into the Everton box, one of which saw the ball teased to the back post where Perisic nodded it back into the path of Cristian Romero.

The oblivious Keane went to stab the ball clear, tripping the Argentine leaving Coote with no choice but to award a spot-kick that Kane customarily despatched into the bottom corner to maintain a scoring record of almost a goal a game against Everton.

Roared on by a crowd that refused to give up, Everton kept fighting, however, and Gray tested Lloris with a decent shot from the angle before Gueye drove one that was sneaking under the crossbar until the Frenchman batted it over his bar for a corner. Keane muscled his way to meet the set-piece at the back post but couldn’t get enough power on it to force it home.

Dyche then moved to freshen up a side that had run itself ragged for the cause by withdrawing Gray in favour of Ellis Simms and Vitalii Mykolenko for Coleman in the 76th minute,  and then swapped Tom Davies and James Garner for Onana and Gueye in the 83rd.

Everton were given a late fillip when Moura was given his marching orders to even up the personnel in the 88th minute and then, shaking off the pain from the Brazilian's tackle, Keane strode forward in the final minute of normal time and unloaded an Exocet missile that Lloris could only watch fly inside his left-hand post to make it 1-1.

Both sides had shots crucially deflected wide of goal in stoppage time, one from Tarkowski and one from Dejan Kulusevski but it finished all square with the Toffees once again feeling more buoyant than their London opponents thanks to a late leveller.

The point moves Everton out of the bottom three again and back into the 15h-place berth they had occupied coming into the weekend with another stern test ahead at Old Trafford this coming weekend.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

Doucoure's petulance at handbags with Kane, a Keane mistake to give away a penalty that Kane hammered past Pickford, but then sublime redemption for the Everton centre-half, a fantastic strike that beat Lloris all hands down. Goodison at its pulsating best!

Once again, Sean Dyche sticks with the same starting XI, no surprises on the bench... and no Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Spurs kicked off but Everton showed good desire from the off to compete for contested ball. Iwobi moved forward and found Gray whose curling shot drifted just over the angle. 

At the other end, though it was worrying to see Porro get behind the lines as Deir set him up with a probing angled ball and it needed a foot from Pickford to halt the danger, and it was all Spurs for a few minutes. 

Everton got forward but Doucoure gave the ball away in an advanced position and Spurs surged back up field, the Blues all at sixes and sevens, the ball falling favourably for Kane to steer a shot wide of Pickford but Keane was there to block it away. From a free-kick at the other end, Keane tried a bright swivel shot that flew over. 

Son was getting a good roasting from the Everton fans who enjoyed a fumble that saw him lose the ball for a goal kick. But Spurs were winning too many of the poor passes and Everton struggled to get forward. 

A good cross in from the Spurs left from Peresic was meat and drink for Kane but he headed wide – what an ominous warning though. Iwobi did well to get forward but his cross was straight to a Spurs defender. 

Gray could not beat his man but Son seemed to ride a foul only to concede an Everton throw-in. Pickford was put under pressure to clear and his next clearance went into touch. Another wicked Spurs ball was destined for Porro at the back post but Dwight McNeil made a miraculous interception at the expense of a Spurs corner that was cleared. 

Everton threatened from a free-kick, causing some chaos in the Spurs rearguard, then a clever Onana backheel saw Godfrey's goalbound shot deflected behind for a corner, and a decent spell ensued, spoilt by Iwobi not staying alert.

Romero kicked Gray's ankles, setting up a chance for McNeil to cross deep. Iwobi set up Doucoure for a free header but it was behind him and difficult to keep down. 

Everton were then required to defend and did so well but couldn't keep hold of it going forward. Still, they had successfully taken the sting out of Spurs' play. 

Onana made a great interception only to then give the ball away immediately. Iwobi again moved forward but Everton could not structure the final ball to create a chance, as Spurs' wide men kept causing concern. Onana tried a long-distance daisy cutter but caught the turf a little.

Peresic and Tarkowski both went down after strong tackles, and it was the Everton player who needed most attention after lunging in with Dier. 

McNeil put in a great cross but there was no blue shirt on the end of it. Kulusevski got forward and played in Son but Pickford saved it well with his leg before the offside flag went up. Tarkowski fouled Kane to stop him from turning with the ball as Everton kept up the work rate without the required quality.

The teams played out 3 minutes of added time, with Kane getting plenty of attention, but he still got a cross away that drifted well off target to end a highly competitive half with Everton playing above themselves but creating very few chances. 

Demarai Gray with the restart and the Blues on the front foot, looking to get forward until Gana fluffed it. He got the ball back off Deir and then did his usual party trick, a most ridiculous shot that skied over the bar. Why does he do this every game!

That allowed Spurs to attack and win a corner, that was well defended with Porro firing well over.  Everton did well to apply pressure all around the Spurs area until Onna again fired in a low shot that Lloris saved.  Iwobi should have done better in the follow-up but gave the ball away.

Still, Everton were holding their own and showing they could possibly create the telling chance that would set this match alight. More Blues pressure until McNeil's cross was wayward. Porro stole the ball off Onana and got a clip around the ear for his trouble. Doucoure did very well to force a corner out of nothing. 

McNeil swung it in well but the Blues lost the ball and Spurs looked to break. Then a moment of sheer utter madness as Kane reacted to Doucoure's challenge after Kane had fouled Gray, a loose hand in the face and Kane went down as if shot and lay poleaxed until the ref showed Doucoure a very very stupid red card, Goodison livid at Kane's obvious playacting. 

Iwobi did well to battle his way forward, Lenglet getting a yellow card but Iwobi making a right mess of it, blasting the chance well high and wide.  But it was now prolonged rearguard action with 10 men for the Bles, waiting for chances to break. 

But a nothing ball going away from goal caught out Keane who was slow to see Peresic on his blind side and Keane caught his ankle rather than the ball for an obvious penalty. Pickford did his best to mess with Kane who clinically sent him the wrong way from the spot with a fierce drive in via the side setting.

Gray drew a foul from Lenglet and swung in a ball that lacked any guile and was easily defended, while Dyche stalled on making any changes that might rescue a point. Everton were given hope with an effective high press as Spurs faffed about at the back but it eventually went forward for Porro to hit the outside of the side netting. 

The press worked better, Gray setting up Gana for a better shot that Lloris palmed over.  Keane headed the corner down but Lloris saved it, with Dyche now making changes with a quarter of the match left. 

Everton kept playing forward when they could but were just as wasteful as ever, a loping Godfrey cross not causing Lloris any bother despite Onana running in.

Mykolenko had a great chance to cross but wasted it. Sanchez fouled Garner, setting up another golden opportunity, Garner himself putting the ball behind with a little too much pace. 

Moura caught Keane very late, and hard onto his ankle, a straight red card, levelling up the numbers, if not the score, with only a few minutes left. Ad from nothing, with 6 minutes of added time just starting,  an amazing strike from Michael Keane, a fantastic moment of redemption, Lloris does not even move. What an absolutely fantastic strike!

Everton looked for the winner, Tarkowsji firing goalwards but Deir blocking it away at close range. Lloris then cleared the ball at Davies but it spun away from goal as Goodison went crazy for the winner in a fantastic atmosphere. 

Spurs came forward, Kulusevski winning a very late corner, Simms, clearing for the lasyt play of another absorbing relegatoion battle

Everton: Pickford, Coleman (76' Mykolenko), Keane, Tarkowski, Godfrey, Gana (84' Garner), Doucoure [R:58'] Onana (84' Davies), Iwobi, McNeil, Gray (76' Simms).

Subs: Begovic, Holgate, Mina,Maupay,, Coady.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Skipp, Højbjerg, Son (82' Moura [R:88']), Kane [Y:60'], Perisic, Dier, Romero [Y;79'], Kulusevski, Porro, Lenglet [Y:64'].

Subs: Forster, Austin, Sanchez, Danjuma, Tanganga, Sarr, Devine, Mundle.

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

With the first international break of 2023 out the way, Everton return to Premier League action on Monday under the lights at Goodison Park when they entertain Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs travel for their first match since Antonio Conte left the club following his astonishing outburst after a 3-3 draw at Southampton where he criticised his players and the culture at the club for their collective failure to achieve success in recent years.

In Conte’s place will be Cristian Stellini who has remained at Tottenham with the brief of overseeing the North Londoners’ push for a Top 4 place between now and the end of the season.

The Italian, who deputised for his compatriot earlier this year when Conte was recovering from surgery, insists that Spurs are not a club in crisis ahead of their trip to Merseyside but, while the change in manager could have an impact on the players, it’s impossible to know what frame of mind they will be in when they emerge from the tunnel into what is likely to be a fevered atmosphere inside the Grand Old Lady.

With a siege mentality intensified by the Premier League’s decision to refer their club to an independent commission because of alleged breaches of financial rules, Evertonians are expected to pack Goodison determined to roar their team on to what would be another massive home win if Everton can achieve it.

Depending on how results go over the weekend prior to the Blues kicking off the last match of the week, Sean Dyche’s side could move up to 12th place with a victory but any positive result they can achieve would be important in what is currently the tightest relegation scrap of the Premier League era.

It looks very likely that Everton will, once again, have to plan to be without Dominic Calvert-Lewin following the news that the striker has still not rejoined full first-team training. Dyche is content with Calvert-Lewin’s progress as Everton's absent goal-poacher works towards fitness as his comments in his pre-match press conference on Thursday would suggest that the 26-year-old won’t be involved.

And while he probably won’t start, it provides another opportunity for Ellis Simms to step into the breach like he did so emphatically at Stamford Bridge last time out, coming off the bench to score a superb equaliser against Chelsea.

Dyche is expected to name an unchanged team, with Demarai Gray leading the line, but he will be boosted by the knowledge that he has a potential impact sub in the ranks if he needs to either change the game or increase the Blues’ firepower in the second half.

For their part, Tottenham have a number of injury concerns, among them former Everton favourite, Richarlison, who is set to miss out on a return to Goodison because of injury.

Defenders Ben Davies and Ryan Sessegnon are also ruled out along with Emerson Royal, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur but Ivan Perisic and Hugo Lloris could be fit after all despite being rated doubtful earlier this week.

Even with those missing players, Spurs have plenty of talent in their ranks, with strike duo Harry Kane and Son Hueng-Min both boasting decent scoring records in this fixture, while Arnaut Danjuma will, no doubt, be itching to show what Everton missed out on when he abruptly ditched them during the transfer window despite having agreed a loan switch to Goodison from Villarreal.

Under Dyche, however, the Toffees have already ended two of the longest unbeaten runs in the League this season by beating leaders Arsenal and surprise package Brentford, so they will arrive with the belief that they can beat Tottenham at home in the Premier League for the first time in 11 years.

Kick-off: 8 pm, Monday 3 April 2023
Referee: David Coote
VAR: Michael Oliver
Last Time: Everton 0 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Tarkowski, Godfrey, Gueye, Onana, Iwobi, Doucouré, McNeil, Gray

Lyndon Lloyd

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