Stubborn Blues rescue a point after Richarlison brace

Everton 2 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur

Everton play what will be only their second home game in the Premier League of 2024 when Tottenham Hotspur come to Goodison Park for the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.

Sean Dyche is still without the services of Onana and Doucore but Gana returns with Coleman on the subs bench. Danjuma, who started against Fulham, is not involved today.

For the visitors, former Everton favourite, Richarlison, makes his first appearance at Goodison Park since leaving Everton in the summer of 2022,

James Garner kicked off back to Pickford for the hoof forward. And there were lots of wayward aerial balls to follow without much form until Spurs got the ball down and tried to work their first attack, getting pushed back into their own half. But they came bag through Udogie down the left and his cross was casually fired home by who else – Richarlison, easily picked out with no-one marking him.   

Everton tried to respond and a good cross was delivered to Calvert-Lewin but he could only head over despite a prodigious leap. Much chase-ball followed as Spurs made the most of their possession, Maddison's shot deflected wide for a corner that Hojbjerg drove over. 

Everton won a corner but there was too much physical presence around Vicario, who punched it clear regardless. Pickford found Calvert-Lewin with a good drive down the right but Garner dummied the crossfield pass and then wanted a foul after running across his marker. 

But Everton did win a free-kick and that was worked to a corner but this time Michael Oliver was not allowing the three attackers around Vicario to prosper from that. Everton were at least trying to play up in their own haphazard fashion, winning another free-kick that McNeil delivered too deep. Crosses were played in but too easily cleared.

Gana found Mykolenko in space but McNeil's soft shot hit Harrison who had gone in front of him to the far post and was offside. 

Gana fed a lovely ball to Calvert-Lewin but he had advanced a foot offside and Van de Ven still won the encounter. Richarlison barely fouled Harrison for another Evrton free-kick which found Mykolenko but his cross was blocked away; however, the second phase yielded another corner with less pressure on Vicario and Calvert-Lewin unable to get it back on goal from beyond the far post. 

Everton kept plugging away but the crosses coming in were a big let-down, as Pickford almost got caught out trying to play the ball out.  Another cross from Young with no one on the end of it. But yet another Young cross at least won another corner. McNeil's excellent delivery this time was headed back by Tarkowski at the far post and in by Calvert-Lewin for a goal finally, from inside the 6-yard box, on his 200th appearance — only for it to later be awarded to Harrison! He still can't score! 

Gana went down in pain and needed treatment, scampering back on to immediately win the ball back and start an Everton attack. Everton were doing a decent job of pressing Spurs and denying them much space, but they still found it hard to take advantage, Harrison's cross not finding Calvert-Lewin despite good build-up work. 

In the next forward thrust, McNeil was fouled by Bentancur but the execution was not good enough, Branthwaite was eventually caught offside. But Spurs did come forward and Richarlison was set up again, this time from the edge of the area, beating Pickford all hands down. 

Ashley Young got annoyed with something but was not punished for fronting up to Romero then Van de Ven.  Gana cleverly stole the ball off Richarlison. Harrison then fed Calvert-Lewin on the run but he could not control the ball. 

Van de ven passed the ball straight to Gana who advanced and decide to shoot, deflected wide. The corner looked like it might go in but Godfrey's header was stopped on the line by Vacario and cleared before harrison could strike it.

But Everton kept up the pressure and another corner was won, Vacario getting to this one and batting it down where Braintwaite couldn't quite get to it before it too was cleared. 

A cross finally fell nicely for Mykolenko who smashed it goalward but Vacario saved as Garner was called for a clear push. And that brought to an end a half where Everton seemed to have dominated the play without really creating enough chances, while Richarlison had scored on both his forward forays. 

Everton won an early corner after the break but McNeil's delivery to the far post sailed over everyone and out of play. Calvert-Lewin was given a bouncing ball to run onto but it bounced off his head and behind him. Harrison tried but failed to lob Vacario.

Spurs advanced and Porro's goal-bound shot was well parried by Pickford. The Spurs corner was repelled, with Garner bear-hugging his opposite number. A great ball over the top set Harrison free but Van de Ven was back very quickly to put the ball behind for a corner that was cleared by Vacario.

At the other end, Maddison fed Werner who could not beat Pickford before the offside flag went up. Johnson tried to play in Werner but Godfrey got across him to scoop the ball behind for a Spurs corner that came to nothing. 

A headed clearance from Godfrey fell for Maddison to lash the ball goalward, well saved by Pickford. Everton surged forward, Godfrey appearing to win a corner off Van de Ven but the linesman thought otherwise, Godfrey booked for his protestations.  

A deep free-kick from Pickford would not fall for a Blues player and Spurs countered but to no effect. A Garner free-kick from the half-way line found Calvert-Lewin but he was too far out to trouble Vacario. Maddison almost got free but Godfrey was across well. The Spurs corner was effectively contained. 

Everton got forward but Godfrey's shot was weak, with Everton's pursuit of a second equalizer faltering as Spurs were handling the Everton press better in the second half.

Richarlison looked to have been set up by Kulesevski for his hat-trick but Pickford denied him. Coleman came on for Godfrey, who was struggling with a knock, the game going through a lull, Chermiti on for Young.

After a long dry spell, Coleman won Everton a corner, but Vacario now had the measure of McNeil's far post deliveries. Yet more subs destroyed any flow but a great ball from Dobbin should have been hammered home by Chermiti. It wasn't. 

Harrison was found by Gaana but the cross was away from Beto as Chermit tumbled under the slightest contact from Dargusin. Garner was booked for whatever he said to Michale Oliver in added time. Gana tried to feed Beto who was blocked off by Draguson. Dyche was then booked for his comments. 

A late Everton free-kick was delivered, Romero heading on to the far post where Branthwaite headed it in, with Vacario writhing in pain. The VAR looked for offside but could find none and the equalizer stood. 

Dobbin tackled Dragusin perfectly, winning the ball,  but was still shown a yellow card.

Everton: Pickford, Godfrey [Y:59'] (75' Coleman), Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Garner [Y:90+1'], Gana, Young (80' Chermiti), Harrison, McNeil (85' Dobbin [Y:90+6']), Calvert-Lewin (85' Beto). 

Subs: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Hunt, Metcalfe.

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Hojbjerg (89' Dragusin, Bentancur (64' Sarr), Johnson (64' Kulusevski), Maddison (86' Skipp), Werner (86' Gil Salvatierra), Richarlison.

Subs not Used:) Emerson, Forster, Davies, Scarlett.

Referee: Michael Oliver 

Attendance: 39,321

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