Everton hosted Tottenham in a premier league clash at Goodison Park, a match which ended in a 2-2 draw. The hosts continued their drawing streak after securing two 0-0 ties to start the New Year. The result saw the Toffees leave the relegation zone only for a few hours and finish the matchweek one point from safety. Here is what we learned.
Everton Level Late with Tottenham in Premier League Clash
🔵😳 EVERTON SNATCH A POINT LATE ON VS TOTTENHAM! ⚖️ pic.twitter.com/ql8fcXMOjl
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) February 3, 2024
Set Pieces Still Key
It’s no secret that manager Sean Dyche sets his teams up to score from set pieces. This season alone Everton have scored 50% of their goals in the league from deadball situations. From the get-go, it was clear that the tactic was to crowd Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario on corners. This highlighted a weakness within the Italian’s game where he was unable to deal with crosses deep into the six-yard box.
After four corners the Toffees finally scored one after Dwight McNeil’s cross went to the back post where James Tarkowski centered to Dominic Calvert-Lewin who thought he had scored his first goal in 17 games. The goal was later awarded to Jack Harrison, who has now scored two in his last three games.
The trend continued as Everton racked up nine corners in the game but none looked as threatening in the second half. It wasn’t until the 94th minute that James Garner’s free-kick was knocked on by Spurs centre-half Cristian Romero for a Jarrad Branthwaite equaliser at the far post. The former Carlisle United centre-back scored his first Premier League goal at Goodison Park.
Jordan Pickford Shines Again
Despite conceding the two goals Jordan Pickford put in another great shift following his man-of-the-match performance against Fulham on Tuesday. The former Sunderland keeper ended up with four crucial saves to keep the Toffees in the game.
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Pickford has claimed two consecutive Player of the Season awards, a streak which looks to continue. A Premier League high eight clean sheets also has him as the front-runner for the golden glove, something no Evertonian has won since the award was first handed out in 2005.
Idrissa Gueye Changes the Game
After returning from AFCON after Senegal was knocked out in the Round of 16, it was unclear if Gueye would be available for this fixture. But the inclusion of the centre midfielder in the starting lineup ended up being crucial in Everton getting a result.
The former PSG player was back at his best, pressing high and creating turnovers, never letting the Tottenham midfield to truly settle. His game style complemented the more technically astute James Garner allowing his side to compete all around the park.
