Match Report Everton continued their horrendous start to the season with a 4-0 drubbing at Tottenham as Sean Dyche’s injury problems were compounded by mistakes at the back and almost non-existent threat up front. With Ashley Young suspended and all three of Seamus Coleman, Nathan Patterson and James Garner ruled out, 19-year Roman Dixon was pitched into his senior debut and emerged as one of the few positives on another chastening afternoon for the Blues. They couldn’t deal with Spurs’ early energy, fell behind before a quarter of an hour had elapsed and were effectively dead and buried by half-time at 2-0 down following a howler from Jordan Pickford in a game that threatened at times to be an echo of April's 6-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrøm, withheld from the starting XI again by the manager, came off the bench in the second half to offer some brief hope before the hosts pressed home their clear superiority in the closing stages to double their lead. Though rated as doubtful before the game having not trained in the week because of a minor hamstring complaint, James Tarkowski started alongside Michael Keane with Jake O’Brien once again an unused substitute while Dixon deputised for Young at right-back. Tim Iroegbunam partnered Idrissa Gueye in central midfield but the pair could not win the battle in that part of the pitch with Tottenham a yard quicker in thought and deed in all areas while Dominic Calvert-Lewin toiled fruitlessly up front with precious little service. Spurs could have been 2-0 up inside 10 minutes but Pickford parried a shot from Christian Romero in the third minute and was there again to push away a deflected effort from Son Hueng-Min in the sixth. What resistance Everton had put up broke not long afterwards, however, as Dejan Kulusevski twisted and turned Vitalii Mykolenko in knots inside the box before laying the ball off to the unmarked Yves Bissouma who thundered it in off the underside of the crossbar from 18 yards out. The visitors, playing not in blue but in this season’s black away kit, could have levelled just three minutes later but, having temporarily switched flanks with Dwight McNeil, Jack Harrison’s composure deserted him. The winger arrived at the back post to meet McNeil’s deep cross from the right but sliced a weak volley wide. Eight minutes later, it was 2-0. An Everton throw-in near the halfway line went backwards rather than forwards, with Tarkowski passing back to Pickford who unwisely took a touch to open up the angle for a left-footed clearance but was easily caught by Son who robbed him of the ball and slotted into the empty net. The Blues had a couple of half-openings before the interval, first when McNeil tried to pick out Calvert-Lewin in the centre with an early cross but the striker couldn’t get sufficient purchase on his header and then when McNeil’s shot from the angle was blocked behind and Abdoulaye Doucouré tried to bundle the ball home from a corner but James Maddison cleared it from out of his own goalmouth. Spurs, who had gone close in first-half stoppage time when Pedro Porro curled a left-foot shot narrowly over the angle of crossbar and post, almost gifted Everton a way back into the contest 12 minutes into the second period after Ndiaye and Lindstrøm had been introduced. McNeil intercepted a pass deep in the hosts’ half, slalomed his way into the area and knocked it into the path of Lindstrøm but the Dane’s crisp shot was pushed away by Vicario. Despite the increased threat from Dyche’s side, Tottenham remained the stronger of the two teams and after Maddison had drilled a direct free-kick wide of goal, they increased their lead with 20 minutes left. Maddison whipped in a corner and with Pickford rooted to his line, Romero rose between Keane and Tarkowski to power a header in off the bar. Dyche then threw Beto on for Calvert-Lewin but it was 4-0 shortly afterwards. Micky van der Ven seized on McNeil’s attempt to thread the needle on the edge of Tottenham’s area and surged straight down the middle of the pitch before teeing up Son. The South Korean was clinical, drawing Pickford towards him and then drilling the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs. Another hugely promising youngster in the form of 17-year-old Harrison Armstrong came on for his first-team debut and created an awkward moment for Romero in front of his goal with a strong cross from the right but there would be no consolation goal on the day for Everton who have lost their first two games of the season by an aggregate of 7-0. Dyche spoke again afterwards of his players needing to eliminate mistakes that are gifting teams crucial goals and bemoaned the lack of killer instinct in forward areas but his team looks woefully short on confidence and ideas, all the while grappling with injuries to key players and a shortage of strength in central midfield. The League Cup tie against Doncaster on Tuesday provides an opportunity to generate some optimism while also giving the likes of Lindstrøm, Ndiaye and O’Brien a chance to impress but the home clash with Bournemouth next weekend has taken on additional importance in terms of both performance and the result with Everton bottom of the early Premier League table. Lyndon Lloyd top Matchday Updates Everton’s first away game of the 2024-25 season is a difficult one at Tottenham Hotspur with the Blues injury crisis thankfully not getting any worse and rookie Roman Dixon getting his debut at right-back. The injury list still includes Jarrad Branthwaite, James Garner, Seamus Coleman, Youssef Chermiti and Nathan Patterson, with the one-match suspension of Ashley Young for last week's red card infringement adding to the selection challenge for this game against a pretty strong Spurs side. Young is replaced by Roman Dixon for his premier League debut who starts in the problematic right-back slot, with the rest of the starting line-up showing no other changes from the naive line-up that began well against Brighton before the rot set in. But James Tarkowski, who was said to be a major doubt for this game, starts as captain, while Richarlison for Spurs is not 100% fit but was on the bench. Spurs kicked off but held off a little and lost the ball briefly to McNeil who passed poorly behind Calvert-Lewin. Spurs then attacked with pace down their left and crossed in by Maddison with danger, winning a corner that Everton failed to clear. The ball fell to Romero who fired straight at Pickford. Son pressed Pickford and very nearly embarrassed him. Spurs attacked again, winning another corner that came out to Son. His shot took a wicked deflection that required a full-length save by Pickford as Everton rocked under the early onslaught. Everton finally got the ball in midfield and almost broke down the right with Dixon pressing high. Then a nice move by Iroegbunam who was quickly closed down when he broke through the Spurs back line. A ball over the top found Maddison onside but Pickford was out quickly to block him. Maddison crossed well despite Dixon trying to block him but the header flew wide. But Spurs pressure won another corner, defended clear. More pressure saw Kulusevski torment the Everton defence before laying it back for Bissouma to smash it into the top corner off the bottom of the bar. A goal down but Calvert-Lewin should have done better when his first touch let him down and no chance materialized. McNeil crossed very well to the far post where Harrison should have done a lot better, missing the target. It was very competitive in the midfield, too much so for Calvert-Lewin who had the ball stolen off him. Calvert-Lewin intercepted the ball high up but McNeil took it bizarrely half-way back to Pickford. Gana then passed the ball behind Mykolenko and out of play. Iroegbunam brilliantly fed Calvert-Lewin but the centre-forward had run offside. Dixon produced a superb tackle to stop Odobert passing him. Odobert won the next contest on points, getting a corner, which Maddison drove high over everyone. Son again tormented Pickford who took a terrible touch on a backpass and gifted the second goal to a rampant Son. Shocking from Pickford. The game tempo slowed from the frenetic opening pace that had blown Everton away, with Spurs holding midfield possession and Everton failing to advance on the rare occasion that they saw the ball. Calvert-Lewin had a Son-like chance to embarrass Vicario but it didn't come off. Keane released McNeil who put in a cross onto Calvert-Lewin's head but it cannoned off a defender. A clearance hit Mykolenko and spun behind for another Spurs corner but Kulusevski's cross was headed high over the bar. Dixon did well to stop Odobert and turn the pay, Van de Ven falling awkwardly after fouling McNeil, the Everton free-kick coming to nought. Gana was fouled for another Everton free-kick, floated in by McNeil, winning a soft corner off Romero. McNeil's excellent corner looked to be headed in at the far post but it was headed away before winning a second and then a third corner, this one causing absolute chaos but Everton unable to score after Doucoure's goalbound shot was blocked on the line. At the other end, a Spurs corner was cleared but a long ball from Bissouma won another corner off Mykolenko that Porro curled just beyond the far angle as the whistle went for the half-time break. Everton tried to drive through from the restart but the ball was easily taken off Calvert-Lewin's feet. Dixon gave away the first corner of the second half but Gana was in quickly to clear. Doucoure tried to release Mykolenko but his pass was too far ahead. Maddison could have easily beaten Pickford but his touch wasn't enough to get the ball past the Everton keeper. Johnson was released in acres of space down the left but Mykolenko did well to close him down, the corner being cleared. Dyche decided it was time to risk the Premier League inexperienced new boys, Lindstrøm and Ndiaye on for Harrison and Doucouree. And Jesper Lindstrøm's first touch was a fabulous snapshot to test Vicarrio. At the other end, Odogie was again stopped by Dixon. Everton were having a lot more of the ball but still struggled to get close again, Ndiaye getting in a good cross that Vicario plucked out of the air before it could reach Calvert-Lewin. Son drew a foul in the dee after Maddison was blocked from shooting. Maddison shot wide from a very dangerous location. Everton had more forward possession but the key passes were going astray. Dixon and Trakowski had to thwart Son for another Spurs corner, Maddison swung it in to the centre of goal where any keeper but Pickford would be out to claim it. But no, Pickford backed to his line, and Porro had no problem climbing high enough to nod it home. Poor again from Pickford. Everton were working the ball forward nicely until McNeil's pass was intercepted and Van de Ven ran the length of the field unopposed to play in Son who nutmegged Pickford for Spurs' 4th. Ndiaye did well to win the ball on occasion but there was no support for him and he could do nothing with it as the game petered out in grim defeat for Dyche's "hard to beat" side. Harrison Armstrong was given a taste late on as a sub for Gana in the 5 minutes of added time. Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie (72' Spence), Kulusevski (67' Sarr), Bissouma (72' Gray), Maddison (78' Bergvall), Johnson, Son, Odobert (57' Richarlison). Subs not Used: Forster, Dragusin, Werner, Davies. Everton: Pickford, Dixon, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Gana (90' Armstrong), Iroegbunam, Doucoure (57' Ndiaye), McNeil, Harrison (57' Lindstrøm), Calvert-Lewin (72' Beto). Subs not Used: Virginia, Holgate, O'Brien, Maupay, Metcalfe. Michael Kenrick top Match Preview As they look to immediately atone for last weekend’s debacle against Brighton, Everton’s first away game of 2024-25 is a difficult one at Tottenham Hotspur where the Blues won just once in 16 years. Hopes that Sean Dyche’s side could get off to a flying start were wrecked during that 3-0 reverse in the season opener and the manager’s selection problems have only worsened since the new campaign kicked off. Ashley Young, Everton’s only fit right-back, is suspended having been shown a red card against the Seagulls and now James Tarkowski, whose pre-season was disrupted by a muscle injury, is a significant doubt for the trip to North London with a recurrence of the complaint. Virtually ever-present during his first two seasons at Goodison Park, if he fails a late fitness test having not trained so far this week, the usually-dependable centre-half will be a huge miss given that, by Dyche’s admission in his pre-match press conference, Jarrad Branthwaite is still some way of making his return from hernia surgery. All three of James Garner, Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson were already confirmed absentees leaving the team desperately short on both first-choice and auxiliary defenders for what was already a difficult assignment. “We're down to 14 recognised first-team players at the minute, so that's not perfect, but the challenge is right in front of us, as always,” said Dyche who may well need to turn to new boy Jake O’Brien in the middle and Mason Holgate as emergency full-back. Spurs will be hoping to qualify for the Champions League this season after falling away last term and eventually being edged out by Aston Villa. Though Ange Postecoglu will be without the suspended Yves Bossouma and the injured Rodrigo Bentancur while Pedro Porro is doubtful, he has a superior and deeper squad from which to draw. That, coupled with home field advantage will make Spurs massive favourites. Of key interest to Everton fans will be whether or not either the two new attacking signings, Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrøm will be in the starting XI or whether Dyche will once again fall back on his trusted core unit of Abdoulaye Doucouré, Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison playing behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Ndiaye came on in the second half against Brighton but struggled to make an impact in a team playing with only 10 men while Lindstrøm was left out entirely before getting 90 valuable minutes playing for the U21s in midweek. Kick-off: 3pm, Saturday 24 August 2024Referee: Anthony TaylorVAR: Andy MadleyLast Time: Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Everton Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Holgate, Keane, O’Brien, Mykolenko, Gueye, Iroegbunam, Harrison, McNeil, Doucouré, Calvert-Lewin Lyndon Lloyd top * Unfortunately, we cannot control other sites' content policies and therefore cannot guarantee that links to external reports will remain active.