Brilliant Everton display spoilt by dreadful finishing

Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Everton

Everton travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium looking to lift themselves back up after disappointment in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening with what would be a fifth successive win in the Premier League.

Vitalli Mykolenko is back in the starting line-up at the expense of Michael Keane but Abdoulaye Doucouré and Ashley Young are is still out injured, with Sean Dyche electing to persist with the lacklustre Calvert-Lewin upfront despite Beto scoring the equalizer on Tuesday. 

Gomes has been playing for the U21s but is on the bench. For the home side, Richarlison starts and he kicked things off, Kulusevski striking the fist shot but hitting it into the ground. 

Garner did brilliantly to rob Davies but Calvert-Lewin ran the wrong side of his marker and could not profit. Everton kept up the press, Branthwaite switching play to the left and McNeil winning the first corner. Mykolenko hit his shot into the ground too. 

Spurs farted around with the ball as they struggled to play out, Everton doing well to get the turnover but balls forward to Calvert-Lewin sailed over his head. 

McNeil did brilliantly after Son was floored, fairly said the ref, and set up Calvert-Lewin for a great run forward, a glorious chance to shoot with his left foot, should have surely seen at least a decent shot on goal but he completely messed it up and was dispossessed for a corner. It was a very lively game played at tempo and it was Spurs who put together a simple move with a couple of slick passes for Richarlison to score with ease at the near post. 

That completely deflated the tremendous energy and spirit Everton had shown in the first 9 minutes and they were rocking when Royal's clever cross should have been converted by Johnson but he screwed it over the bar, for a major let-off. 

Everton slugged forward but McNeil's strike from Onana's pass was poor, slicing well wide of the Spurs goal. Next was Mykolenko to overlap well and delivered a great cross for Calvert-Lewin with the entire goal to aim at but his header was just too close to Vicaro.

Calvert-Lewin then had a brilliant chance to volley a tremendous goal with Vicario well out of his area but the Everton centre-forward's effort was woefully off target. 

At the other end, and a Johnson shot from a corner was parried out poorly by Pickford and Son said "Thank you very much!" 2-0. 

Everton tried attacking again but Calvert-Lewin could not find a teammate with his poorly directed knock-down.  Gueye was at a stretch to tackle Richarlison and sent him tumbling, injuring himself, with the ref deciding it merited a rather harsh card before he was forced to gobble off, André Gomes replacing him for his first senior appearance of the season.  

Spurs set to cutting through the middle of Everton with slick one-touch passing and Onana's foul also saw a  yellow card, the free-kick delivered beyond Richarlison. Everton pushed up but couldn't threaten before a turnover saw another swarming horde of white slicing through the salmon shirts and getting a corner but at least that was cleared. 

Everton didn't seem to be man-marking as Richarlison was able to run through in acres of space but played the ball kindly to Tarkowski who could clear. 

Garner did a superb steal job again but Gomes could not find Calvert-Lewin and the ball was immediately back with Son as Spurs attacked yet again. Everton pushed forward again but McNeil expected the static Calvert-Lewin to run into space… and he didn't. 

Patterson made another great interception but Harrison's cross evaded everyone and Garner's shot from the cleared ball was not powerful enough to beat Vicario.

Everton had four players pressing right of the Spurs area but the Whites still evaded them to create another break, Richarlison and Tarkowski competing for a 50-50 ball, given Everton's way.

Everton still seemed to have time and space to get forward and put together a string of threatening attacks, Calvert-Lewin allowing a bouncing ball to come heavily off his chest and reachable for the advancing Vicario.

A great ball forward found McNeil and he ran forward looking for the moment to strike but he could only drive it at Vicario. 

Gomes then played in Calvert-Lewin who played his cross agonizingly behind Harrison, then Patterson crossed behind Gomes for Mykolenko to try and shoot but there was a second ball just sitting there, right in his path!

The ball then fell for Garner to have a shot, but it was just not strong enough to trouble Vicario. Patterson's crossed but just too high for Calvert-Lewin.

Patterson got wide again but Gomes's shot hit Mykolenko and screwed behind. 

At the other end, after Sarr(?) was caught accidentally by Onana. 

Harrison got behind the Spurs defence but he tried to place it with not enough power to beat Vicario. Everton went forward again but the ball in found Calvert-Lewin the wrong side of his marker again. 

Everton won a corner, Kulusevski hanging on desperately to Onana's shirt but the Everton player made nothing of it — and neither did the referee. 

What a crazy half of high-tempo football, both sides very open but only Spurs benefitting with Everton's numerous excellent chances created sufficient to be well ahead but all sadly spurned. 

Everton resorted to the long-ball hoof from the restart and Onana forced a turnover but could not create a chance from it. Porro was allowed to run wide and Everton had to defend resolutely. 

A long punt forward was caught and played out by Vicario but Gomes rescued it with a tackle on Royal and played in Calvert-Lewin who this time buried it with his right foot. But the VAR pointed out that neither the referee nor the linesman saw Gomes tread on Royal's foot as he won the ball and the goal was denied. 

Everton got another giveaway, this time from Dier, but they could not make anything of it. At the other end, Sarr smashed one at Pickford. Gomes got Calvert-Lewin moving down the left but again, no chance created. 

Patterson tried to pick out Calvert-Lewin with a good but he couldn't win the ball and Spurs attacked again. Patterson and Garner tried to attack down the right but they were stymied. 

Harrison found Garner who turned and fired, his shot slicing off the face of the far post as Richarlison was replaced by Hojbjerg. Everton pushed up but could not sustain the attack and Spurs broke once again, Sarr's shot blocked away. 

Going the other way and McNeil's efforts won a corner, Mykolenko's driven shot hitting Branthwaite. Everton were finding a lot of space but the creation of chances was not as effective as in the first half. Patterson did well to win another Everton corner, but the referee thought Branthwaite was too close the the keeper. 

Everton were still pressing as Vicario tried to play out and was almost embarrassed before Spurs were surging forward again but time was now running out surely for Everton to rescue anything from this game with 20 minutes left. 

Kulusevski brushed aside Patterson to fire a shot wide of Pickford but he pawed it behind at full stretch, a fine save, Gomes shown the yellow card for protesting. 

Goomes picked up a good ball from Mykolennko and drove forward but his shot was deflected into the side netting; however, no corner! Incredibly, Beto came on for Onana, with Calvert-Lewin still on the field. 

But Spurs surged forward again but were stalled, Danjuma could not find his way through, Spurs countered and Son over hit his pass. Braanthwaite stole the ball in midfield and Everton attacked again, winning a corner. It came around to Gomes and he lashed it home first time, a great finish. 

Patterson was shown a yellow card from coming in late and from behind. 

McNeil found Danjuma with a tremendous pass, Viirio pulling off  fantastic save. From the corner, Spurs were at sixes and sevens, Tarkowwski's header blocked and Beto denied by a desperate Vicario punch off his head.

Spurs tried to get forward nut were flagged offside, Kulusevski booked for kicking the ball away. Everton attacked again and won a corner that went over everyone, Son knocking McNeil over. But the Everton pressure was really good as the clock relentlessly ticked away. 

Everton still had to defend, before Gomes again found Danjuma but it dribbled out for a goal-kick with 6 minutes added on as Everton kept pushing Spurs back. Garner was fouled by Royal and Pickford put in a deep free-kick but Branthwaite could not find Calvert-Lewin. 

Son got forward but his cross was picked off and the ball immediately forward to Danjuma who drove forward to score the equalizer.... oh no he didn't — he fairly lashed it just over Vicario's goal.

Everton forward again and Danjumia running around the back surely would score but he hit the bar and out off Vicario's knee. Incredible finish buy Everton... except the finishing. But what a game! 

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario; Porro, Romero (46' Dier), Davies, Royal; Sarr (73' Lo Celso), Skipp; Johnson, Kulusevski  [Y:86'], Son; Richarlison (63' Hojbjerg). 

Subs: Forster, Dorrington, Phillips, Bryan, Donley, Veliz.

Everton: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gana [Y:23'] (24' Gomes [Y:76']), Onana [Y:26'], Garner, Harrison (66' Danjuma), McNeil, Calvert-Lewin (79' Beto).

Subs: Virginia, Lonergan, Keane, (79' Beto) Godfrey, Chermiti, Hunt.

 

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