Spurs' dominant heading ability under Thomas Frank sent Everton crashing down to reality at their new ground. Tottenham inflicted Everton's initial loss at their new home courtesy of a trio of headers, two from the excellent defender, to climb to third in the Premier League and continue their strong form on the road.
Set-Piece Dominance Secures Victory
A clear gap at the home ground is sharply different to the clinical effectiveness of the London club on their travels. Van de Ven scored from two corners before replacement Pape Matar Sarr banished any prospect of an Everton recovery with a further close-range header in the dying moments. Given the glaring absence of a quality striker in David Moyes’ squad, the chance of an Everton comeback was always remote despite the efforts of their creative players. It is now 13 points from a available 15 for Tottenham in away matches this season.
Match Key Moments
The contest was defined by set-pieces and Van de Ven’s commanding performance at both ends of the field. Everton equalled Tottenham for enterprising approach work but had no answer to the excellence of the visitors’ dead-ball crosses or their captain’s heading power. The boos that greeted the interval were aimed squarely at the match official, however.
Grealish almost started where he left off last time out at Hill Dickinson Stadium by putting his team the lead from in the box. Excellent Ndiaye raced past the full-back to create a chance for the striker but, after the unfortunate centre-forward failed to connect, Jack Grealish arrived at the back post and saw a goal-bound drive stopped on the line by Pedro Porro. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall blazed the rebound high and wide.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Xavi Simons both troubled the backline as an end-to-end game allowed the engine rooms to shine. But it was a central defender who took centre stage. From a the winger's corner swept loftedly to the back post, the Uruguayan directed the ball back across goal with his shoulder for the defender to nod in from a yard out.
It was the first goal Everton have let in from a set piece all season and Spurs’ first attempt on target. It became a second from a corner in added time when the visitors’ precision from set-plays punished Moyes’ team again. Porro was the provider, now from the left flank with a excellent, dangerous corner that demanded a finish. The defender provided it once the inswinging delivery flew over James Tarkowski and before the goalkeeper's hands could connect. The defender’s first-half double must have come from a combined distance of two yards out.
Debatable Call and Final Strike
Spurs’ second came during seven minutes of time added on mostly for the ruling to disallow a towering header by the defender shortly after Van de Ven’s opener. The Everton defender thought he had equalised from a well-taken set-piece, delivered by Dewsbury-Hall, and a headed effort that gave Guglielmo Vicario little hope in the Tottenham net. The home fans' joy were diluted when the video assistant referee instructed the referee to check the screen.
They were spoiled completely when the match official deemed that two attackers were both offside and interfering with Vicario. The pair were clearly in an offside position when O’Brien made contact but the degree to which they affected the goalkeeper was very questionable. Pawson’s on-field explanation was inaudible due to the boos that overwhelmed him.
Everton responded well to the blows, especially after the restart. The forward, who missed an inviting cross across the face of goal from the attacker in the opening period, almost atoned with an bicycle kick from the Senegal international’s cross. Vicario produced an superb stop to deny the striker. Spurs’ commitment to a clean sheet was exemplified by the midfielder throwing himself in the way of Idrissa Gueye’s volley late on. Richarlison could have extended the visitors’ lead when a lobbed pass caught out the defender and left him through on goal, but the England keeper made himself big to thwart the ex-Toffee.
Richarlison was key in Spurs’ final goal, though, directing a header from a further precise cross back across goal for Sarr to nod beyond the keeper.
