Royal Blue Mersey

A whirlwind first half set the stage for Everton’s first win of David Moyes’ return to the club, with the Blues prevailing in the end 3-2 over struggling Tottenham Hotspur. The opening stanza was littered with chances for both sides, but it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin who broke his 16-game goal drought with a well-taken first, wriggling in between the Spurs defence to wrong-foot Antonin Kinsky who was excellent to keep the scoreline manageable for the visitors.

The Blues were running free in their back-three formation with Jesper Lindstrøm in particular doing the hard running and featuring prominently both on attack and in defence. However, it was Iliman Ndiaye on the other wing who ran at Spurs to get them backpedalling furiously before he cut back and hammered home the Blues’ second goal. There was even a third in time added on in the first half as James Tarkowski’s header back across goal was flicked on by Calvert-Lewin and the ball ricocheted home off defender Archie Gray.

Everton attempted to take the game away from the visitors but tired legs finally started showing with a quarter of an hour to play. Dejan Kulusevski was the first beneficiary as Jordan Pickford raced off his line to quell James Madison. Suddenly the hitherto-comfortable Blues started looking nervy and Spurs piled men forward. They duly got another goal in time added on when fan-favourite Richarlison slid in behind the daydreaming late substitute Michael Keane to make it 3-2.

Fortunately for the Blues that was all there was time for because mentally they seemed to be reliving the hellscapes of earlier this season when they let AFC Bournemouth come back from two-down to win, and then similarly gave up another two-goal lead at Aston Villa too.

Speaking after the game, manager David Moyes could afford to be jovial.

“I’m just really pleased we could give everybody something to shout about. They nearly weren’t going home [happy]! I think our first half performance was excellent & the aim was to get a fourth goal... it ended up being a really good victory for us.

“Overall I’m really pleased with the three points. The whole team looked a different outfit today but we gave it away a lot today too.”

On who he thought were the standout performers this afternoon, Moyes called out Calvert-Lewin and Lindstrøm.

“Dom played really well today. It was a real calm piece of play, quick around his feet... The big thing for him is people tell me he hadn’t been getting many chances. He’s got a few now but the biggest thing is he played like a proper No. 9. He did a lot of good things today.

“Jesper did well today too. I actually thought Jesper had an influence in a lot of the goals today. I thought he did a really good job as well.

“I remember him really well [when I played against him while manager of West Ham] against Eintracht Frankfurt and he was a really talented footballer. I thought today he was quite impressive in what he did. We didn’t want him to be an out and out wing-back, we wanted Jake sometimes to be right-back and on the build, a bit wider, so we tried to get Jesper in two or three different roles - but I thought defensively for us he did a pretty good job as well. I think he showed a little bit of grit about his game.”

The 61-year-old also made special mention of Ndiaye, with a promise too about the marauding Toffee.

“I thought he took his goal brilliantly well. I want him to ball carry more than he is at the moment... I actually think he’s got more to come, I really do.”

Moyes was asked about his decision to start young central defender Jake O’Brien who had been languishing on the bench during Sean Dyche’s tenure.

“We wanted to have a look at Jake [O’Brien]. We’ve not really had a chance to see him. The big thing, the strongest point of the team has always been defensively, but I thought Jake would maybe give us a chance to build a little bit better when we’ve got the ball, which might free us up a little bit if we can work it. I think for long periods it did quite well.

“For Jake it was about getting as much of a 90 minutes as we could out of him because he’s not played so much but I thought he came through quite well and did a lot of things.”

What would he like to do differently to maintain leads late on going forward?

“What I want from [everyone] is to perform how they did in the first half for 90 minutes - not for 45 or 60. We need to get those levels where they realise that is what is expected. I actually think our second goal was a really good bit of play, where Ili gets away and got one-v-one and took him on, and even the ball in that Jesper put in for the third goal - the own goal - was a fantastic ball from the byline for Tarky to head back across goal. Look, there was a lot to be really pleased about.

“I think we limited them to one good chance [in the first half] and Tarky made a good block as well. I’m just disappointed we didn’t manage the game a bit better later on [in the second half] but I think there was a hope that the players were probably saying, ‘Can we get this result over the line?’.

“It’s a huge result for us today and getting three points is so important.”

A particular David Moyes song last sung during his previous time at Goodison was brought out in the second half with the Blues cruising. What did he have to say about the fans chanting “Davie, Davie Moyes”?

“It was fabulous, it really was. I’ve not got the red hair anymore, it’s the grey hair now!

“I hugely appreciated their support today and I hope the support saw a little bit today as well. But I’m not kidding anyone on, we’re still in a big fight and we’re going to have to need support at Goodison like we had today.”

Everton playing Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park was the most drawn fixture in Premier League history, with 17 of the 32 meetings ending level. Before today, each of the last five had been draws.

Ange Postecoglu had been under massive pressure as Spurs sit one place above Everton in 15th place, Everton on 17 points and Tottenham have 23. Incredibly, the Lilywhites had scored three times the number of goals than the Toffees.

Team News

David Moyes went with three defenders to combat Spurs, which meant a first Premier League start for Jake O’Brien. Three at the back or a back four? With Ashley Young on the bench it looks like a three. Jesper Lindstrom was the other change on the wing for Jack Harrison.

Spurs brought in James Maddison after he was left out of the starting line-up for the defeat at Arsenal, with Ben Davies also in the lineup. They replaced Yves Bissouma and the injured Dominic Solanke. Former Everton striker Richarlison was on the bench.

Match Report

The retro shirts were out in numbers and the many flags were waving proudly as Darren England blew his whistle to get the match underway. This was the first time in the more than 100 year history that the game was played with both teams in the bottom half of the division.

The high press was evident early on for Everton and was having a positive impact. Jake O’Brien was caught on the ball and Son forced an early corner but it was well defended. Jesper Lindstrom had the first real chance when he blasted a ball which forced a good save from Kinsky.

It was that pressure that forced a turnover and a lovely ball into the box from Idrissa Gueye landed on the foot of Calvert-Lewin who weaved between three Spurs players and slotted the ball into the back of the net.

The Goodison crowd was all in as the seats started to shake with the noise. Calvert-Lewin had ended his sixteen match goalless run.

Spurs were trying to get back on level terms but Everton’s defenders were holding firm. Kulusevski and Pedro Porro had chances blocked but the Lilywhites continued to pile forward. A scything pass from Porro into Kulesevski was then laid off to Son but he could not beat Pickford.

The Spurs forward play was creating openings at the back and a long ball from Branthwaite put Calvert Lewin in one on one but he could not get it under control which allowed Kinsky to pounce on the ball. Seconds later, Kinsky was called on to make another save when Mangala’s shot was pushed onto the post.

The action was end to end and when Son went down in the box under pressure from Branthwaite, VAR was called into play but turned down the calls. It was then a great ball from Gueye that set Ndiaye on his way and fast feet were too much for the Spurs defenders. He cut inside and blasted his shot into the top corner. Goodison rocked as Spirit of the Blues echoed around the Grand Old Lady.

The game was paused after Gueye was given some treatment for an impact injury. The first yellow card of the game was given to Bergvall who took down a breaking Calvert Lewin but moments later Calvert Lewin was booked for a high elbow on Dragusin that required some stitches.

Seven minutes of stoppage time was announced. Everton were passing the ball around nicely which was appreciated by the Everton faithful. A free kick from Lindstrom was delivered into the box and a diving Tarkowski was directed right at the keeper. Everton wanted a penalty but it was turned away.

A third corner in succession was recycled and Tarkowski headed the ball back across the box which was deflected by Calvert Lewin and then was put into his own net by Archie Gray. Goodison was in raptures. Possibly the best half of play seen at Goodison along with the Wolves match.

Ange Postecoglu was not a happy man and sent out his team five minutes early with Richarlison joining the match in place of Dragusin. Spurs were immediately on the front foot and were looking to get an early goal.

Ben Davies went through the back of Calvert Lewin and should have had a yellow. Lindstrom delivered the free kick and the whipped cross was headed wide by Calvert Lewin. The Everton press was causing more trouble for Spurs. The counter attack was also on for the Blues and Calvert Lewin had a chance to make it four but his shot curled round the post.

Everton were gaining in confidence by the minute but Spurs were showing more determination and when Spence went down in the box the referee waved it away. Doucoure received a yellow card for delaying the restart after Mangala fouled Kulusevski.

Jesper Lindstrom received a rousing round of applause as he was substituted by Ashley Young replacing the young Dane. Spurs were pushing and Maddison saw his shot go well over the bar. It was their first attempt in more than 15 minutes. Kulusevski then whipped a ball into the box but Richarlison could not get his head on it.

Spurs finally got the ball into the back of the Everton goal when Kulusevski pounced on some confusion in the Everton box. His lobbed shot was nicely done and the one player in white who had played well got his reward. A nervousness was heard in the crowd but they raised their voices to lift their team.

Iliman Ndiaye was struggling with cramp and was withdrawn with Patterson coming on. The Everton players were tiring and Mykolenko was also needing support. There were gaps starting to open up and Tottenham were growing in confidence. Richarlison had a pop at goal but Pickford was equal to the task.

Calvert Lewin took down a long pass from Pickford but the onrushing Kinsky swiped away the ball before the striker could lob it over the top. Jake O’Brien was withdrawn to make way for Michael Keane with three minutes to play. Nathan Patterson made a good defensive play and then forced a foul to slow down the match.

Four minutes of additional time was shown on the board as Spurs looked like they were running out of ideas although Pickford was required to get down to protect his post to prevent a goal. The resulting short corner saw Pickford hesitate and Richarlison pounced to cut the deficit to one.

Spurs pushed forward and when the ball was lobbed into the box Pickford took control to shut down the chance. Everton had enough to get them over the line and as Tarkowski slipped taking a free kick, Darren England blew his whistle and the three points were in the bag.

Everton Man of the Match: Idrissa Gueye - On a day when Calvert Lewin ended his goal scoring drought and Everton put three past Spurs, it was the relentless determination and quality of Gueye that stood out for me. Box to box work was present for the whole match but it was the quality of the passes for the first two goals that ultimately set the team on their way.

Instant Reaction

A game against Tottenham at Goodison was screaming for a draw but that was not the cast today. In fact, the first half display was a beauty. Also, Spurs had been hit by injuries and this was the perfect day to play them. Moyes had some time to work with the team and the high press was more prominent throughout the match. The inclusion of O’Brien and Lindstrom was an obvious selection choice by Moyes that paid dividends. Thankfully, a complete collapse was not on today and the vital three points were ours.

It is incredible what a goal can do. Calvert-Lewin’s goal was the catalyst for a weight being removed from the striker. Although it could be argued that he ‘scored’ two against Wolves, the 16 game drought was sucking the enthusiasm out of him. His play from that moment was more passionate and more direct. It could argued that this was a second time that the team has been lifted by the striker’s goal. Both the Wolves match and today saw the team gain confidence when Calvert Lewin ‘scored’. Long may it continue.

It was a big moment for Jake O’Brien today as the young lad made his first Premier League start since his summer switch from France. O’Brien was lining up alongside both captain James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite in a three centre-back formation that changed to a five when they were defending. Moyes has seen what Dyche could not.....having a young defender can make you better. Experience is not everything and should not be the decider when picking a team.

Flawed Tactics

The Blues gave Tottenham Hotspur two good games last term, being unlucky to come away with just one point in total from the pair, but in the aftermath of the blowout the team suffered at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion at Goodison Park a week earlier, positive vibes were in short supply for Saturday’s trip to North London. If expectations were low, then Everton managed to still fall below that low bar, in absorbing a demoralizing 4-0 pasting.

If Sean Dyche and his coaching staff and analysts had watched Spurs’ 1-1 draw away at Leicester City on Monday - which clearly they would have - then it’s difficult to fathom the visitor’s approach here. The Foxes had set up passively, been pummelled relentlessly by the Lilywhites for the entire first half, going in 1-0 down at the interval. After the restart, Steve Cooper’s side pushed further up the pitch and tried to get more men forward. They got a goal back and had chances to win as Spurs lost their previous composure.

Oddly, Everton set up to emulate exactly what hadn’t worked for the Foxes during that opening 45 minutes, rather than what had actually troubled the Londoners late on. The visitors camped on the edge of their own 18-yard box, with a flat midfield five spread out just in front of the defence and lone striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin cutting even more of an lonely figure than is usual. The 4-5-1 formation, deployed so deeply, invited Spurs on and they eagerly obliged.

No doubt frustrated at dropping points to a newly promoted side earlier in the week, the hosts attacked Everton relentlessly, coming close to scoring numerous times before eventually achieving a breakthrough via Yves Bissouma’s long-range blast in the 14th minute. So dominant had they been, that it had seemed merely a matter of time before they found the back of the net. A rare foray into the opposition half saw Jack Harrison squander a great chance for an equalizer, with a bad miss on the volley.

The Toffees ultra-cautious setup may have been understandable to a degree, given the team’s slow central defensive pairing and the quickness of the Spurs front three, but it was also flawed in many respects. Wingers Dwight McNeil and Harrison are hard-working, but lack any pace and an isolated Calvert-Lewin was easily contained by the home side’s physical centre backs. With no out ball and no speed on the break, even on the few occasions Everton were able to gain possession, they were unable to threaten.

If a team offers no attacking - or counterattacking - threat whatsoever, then this makes the job of the opposition much easier and - perversely - invites pressure. Leicester demonstrated this clearly, but no lessons were learned by Dyche and his staff, making Saturday’s result almost inevitable.

Winners and Losers

Jordan Pickford had been putting on a one-man show to deny Spurs - like a modern day Davy Crockett at the Alamo - so it was particularly cruel that his error, when caught dawdling on the ball by Son Heung-Min in the 25th, would effectively put the game beyond Everton. It doesn’t help a side with such a low-output offence when experienced and typically reliable players like Pickford and Idrissa Gana Gueye - in the previous game - commit costly unforced errors — which prove almost impossible to overcome.

Gueye rebounded from his blunder against Brighton to put in a strong effort. Of Everton’s three-man midfield, he was by far the best performer and did his best to hold things together in the face of the Spurs onslaught, ending up with a team-high eight tackles and more ball recoveries (six) and touches (39) than his two midfield partners combined. He was also careful with his passing, leading the Toffees with a 85.7% completion rate.

Tim Iroegbunam, Everton’s standout operator last time out, struggled in a more passive setup, as did the far more experienced Abdoulaye Doucoure, who was deployed as a standard midfielder, rather than in a more advanced position. Neither player impacted the game on the ball — or without it. The 21-year-old managed only 19 touches in the entire game and just a single tackle as his defensive positioning was sorely tested.

Doucoure, ostensibly more comfortable deeper, fared no better, touching the ball just 13 times and registering no defensive statistics at all, before being withdrawn in the 56th minute, in what was a truly anonymous outing. The Malian has started the campaign in awful form, being substituted off early (by Dyche’s standards) in both matches, after putting in pretty abject performances. His future in the starting lineup - and maybe at the club itself (see below) - must now be in question.

Dwight McNeil was the only player to create anything on Saturday, completing six key passes (those which lead to an attempt on goal) — triple the rest of the team’s output. He also converted six of his ten crosses and led the Blues in touches (49) - eclipsing the involvement of Harrison on the opposite flank (eleven, in 56 minutes on the pitch). He also made more ball recoveries than anyone else (eight) and completed two of three dribble attempts. He was moved central just before the hour mark, but his extreme one-footedness makes him easy to block off and force back in this position.

Replacing the ineffective Doucoure with the Blues two goals down, Iliman Ndiaye received just over half an hour from the bench and showed a glimpse of what he can offer. The 24-year-old did his best to attack, attempting five dribbles (two successful) and carrying the ball into the opposition penalty area four times, but also demonstrated a willingness to contribute defensively, making four tackles. He was again fielded on the left, with McNeil shifted inside, which is odd considering the Senegalese is a natural central attacker and the ex-Burnley man is not. Puzzling.

Running out of Time

Everton’s woeful start to the league campaign has shown that, once again, the club has not prepared well enough. There are valid reasons for this, but it is still disappointing that the promise shown in the early part of the transfer window has failed to materialize. However, there are still several days left and the Merseyside outfit needs to do whatever it can to improve the situation. There are sales that can be made, which would generate enough cash to push through moves for players who could provide a boost, in terms of competition for places, as well as depth. The Toffees also have two loan spots available — one domestic and one foreign, which they have to utilize.

That the team was forced into a choice between fielding unwanted central defender Mason Holgate and an untried 19-year-old academy prospect - in Roman Dixon - at right back, in just the second game of the season, laid bare how lacking the squad is currently. Surprisingly, Dyche opted for the youngster, who did about as well as could be expected — in that he was not obviously inferior to most of his far more experienced teammates. He showed tenacity, making five tackles and the quickness we knew he possessed, but the club would be well advised to find him a good developmental loan opportunity.

So, who could the club move on, and why?

The summer-long saga over Calvert-Lewin’s contract - which expires next June - has dragged on into the final week of the window, amazingly. Everton may have been asking too high a fee for their primary centre forward, but have to be more accommodating now with time running out. Anything around the £20m mark has to be accepted, as quickly as possible.

Beto came on for the last 18 minutes on Saturday, with Everton at 3-0 down, showing how highly he’s rated by Dyche. The Portuguese striker could potentially work out in a different system, but I just don’t see the manager deviating from how he wishes the team to play. With reputed interest from Italy, where he managed a solid goal return in two seasons with Udinese, the club should look to cut their losses and offload him for around £15m.

Doucoure, a big player for the Blues in 2023, looks to be in decline. Dyche clearly values the player, but he’s another who’s deal expires next summer and who commands high wages. His performance level over the second half of last season dipped and he’s now begun the new campaign poorly. Saudi clubs inquired about his services in January. Everton should explore options to sell the midfielder without delay, potentially raising £10m which could be sorely used.

There are gaps everywhere in the squad and little time to act. If even some of the above can be sold, then funds would be available to bring in players who can effect the team’s fortunes on the pitch. A new starting right back is absolutely essential — but a central midfielder, decent left back cover and another forward, or winger are all badly needed. That being said, Dyche has to demonstrate a willingness to play those who arrive, in addition to those newcomers already at the club, or there’s little point.

To say that Everton stuttered in their first game of the season would be an understatement. A 3-0 humbling at the hands of Brighton had Goodison Park almost empty at the end of the match. Disillusioned Evertonians wanted better but received nothing other than Mason Holgate coming on when the side needed a goal.

Spurs had high hopes as they started at home against Leicester and the first half went to script but a goal by Jamie Vardy forced Spurs to share the points. Their disappointment was compounded when Dominic Solanke and Rodrigo Bentancur picked up injuries.

Team News

The big change came at right back. With senior options including Seamus Coleman, Nathan Patterson and James Garner injured, and with Ashley Young suspended after his red card while playing right back against Brighton and Hove Albion last week, Roman Dixon was given his Everton debut. The inclusion of Dixon was the only change in the starting lineup from last week. James Tarkowski made his 77th consecutive start after an injury scare that threatened to stop the streak.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglu gave a start for new signing Wilson Odobert ahead of Richarlison who was on the bench. Yves Bissouma had come straight back into the side after missing the opening match for a discipline breach......cue the laughing gas jokes!

Match Review

The match kicked off with Everton in their new away strip as Anthony Taylor blew his whistle. The rain was pouring down as Son kicked off and it was Tottenham who applied the early pressure. A fine early save by Pickford from point blank range should have been a goal.

Everton were unable to get on the ball and a nice move by Odebert forced a corner which was taken short. The resulting shot from Son was deflected off McNeil but Pickford was up to it. It took almost 9 minutes but Everton finally got the ball into the offensive zone with Iroegbunam’s effort being blocked.

A lovely ball over the top to Maddison had the former England midfielder one on one and again Pickford was standing tall. Seconds later, Maddison was delivering the ball and Johnson’s header was just wide of the post. Spurs were swarming and Everton were hanging on.

The pressure paid off when Kulusevski took the ball across the edge of the box and laid it off nicely for Yves Bissouma who blasted the ball off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net.

A quick ball over the top to Calvert Lewin was brought down but the ball was cleared for a corner. The Tarkowski head back led to a scramble but no one could get it in and seconds later a nice cross from McNeil was met by Harrison who could not keep the shot on net. Everton were seeing more of the ball.

Jordan Pickford was the first to apologize when Tarkowski passed the ball back and his first touch was awful as Son was bearing down and he was easily able to knick the ball off the keeper and roll the ball into the open net. The England number one was exposed and he took the blame for his error.

Half an hour gone and two down. Dyche was standing on the sideline talking to Ian Woan with his mouth covered. Would love to know what he was saying. Tottenham had started the match with 90% possession and that had dropped to 80%.

Dwight McNeil got wide and open and his ball was delivered nicely into Calvert Lewin but his header was ineffective. As the half faded away, McNeil delivered a ball to the back post and Tarkowski was on the end of it but there was no one to put it in. Two more corners saw Tottenham scrambling to keep the ball out including a chance from Doucoure. As three minutes of added time was announced,

Spurs had a late corner which was passed out to a wide open Pedro Porro who shot the ball narrowly wide of the far post. The half ended and Jordan Pickford continued to apologize to his team for his error. Everton ended the half with 8 shots and zero on target. The last ten minutes showed some promise but they needed to be more clinical in their finishing.

No changes at half time for either side. Tottenham were quickly on the ball. Dominic Calvert Lewin was the most isolated player on the pitch and was crying for help. The game was going at a walking pace and even Sean Dyche saw the need for a change. Lindstrom and Ndiaye were brought on for Harrison and Doucoure.

It only took seconds before McNeil drove forward and the ball ended up on Lindstrom’s foot who forced a save from Vicario. A first shot on net. Everton were growing in confidence and were trying to get the ball moving around.

Spurs made their first change with Odobert and Kulusevski being withdrawn with Sarr and Richarlison coming on. A free kick on the edge of the box for Tottenham from Maddison was the first order of business after the changes and his shot was narrowly wide of the far post.

The match was all but done when Maddison’s corner was met by Christian Romero who headed the ball off the bar and into the net. With fifteen minutes left the game was well out of sight.

Calvert Lewin was withdrawn for Beto but it was Micky van de Ven racing down the pitch and laying the ball off for Son who slid the ball under a sprawling Pickford. 4-0!

Michael Keane was on the ground after Pedro Porro clipped him with his elbow on Keane’s nose which needed attention as blood streamed down his face. VAR determined it was accidental contact, although his elbow was very high.

Incredibly, Harrison Armstrong was prepared to enter the fray. He replaced Gana Gueye to make his Everton debut for the five minutes of additional time. He was immediately in the thick of it when his cross was wildly cleared by Romero.

The match ebbed and flowed by Everton had nothing to show for their efforts as Tottenham controlled the play. Tottenham have won 23 of the last 24 encounters.....Enough said.

Man of the Match: - Dwight McNeil

The Everton midfielder had a far better match than last week. He was more involved and was willing to get the ball forward. His delivery from corners was excellent and should have been rewarded. With a very isolated Calvert Lewin in front of him for most of the match, it was nice to see McNeil have someone to pass to after the changes and let’s hope he gets more time to work with the new signings.

Instant Reaction

An uncomfortable afternoon for Sean Dyche who did not make any real changes to address the poor first match of the season. Today was worse. Another heavy loss and only 8 shots on target in two matches. The only thing that would have been worse is if Richarlison scored against us.

The inclusion of Roman Dixon in the starting lineup may have been forced but the choice certainly went against Sean Dyche’s mantra of wanting ‘experience’ in his starting lineup. Mason Holgate had finished the match last week after Young’s red card and his inclusion today would have been the logical switch. How will Jake O’Brien, Jesper Lindstrom or Iliman Ndiaye react? Perhaps there will be some hope that their chance will also come sooner. What has to be said is that Dixon had a solid match keeping Odebert in check and MUST keep his place and the team looked more of a threat going forward with Ndiaye and Lindstrom on the pitch.

Sean Dyche continues to put his faith in Abdoulaye Doucoure. His performance last week left plenty to be desired. He lost possession 8 times and was offside four times, one which negated an Everton goal. Today, they were down by two at half time and Dyche made no changes. Interestingly, Everton have never come from behind to win a Premier League match under Sean Dyche and perhaps someone should tell the manager so that he changes how he deals with this fact. Earlier changes to get back in the match might be an idea. It gives us an attacking chance and it gives the players who are “inexperienced” to get some experience.

Jordan Pickford has been Everton’s best player for several years. Today was not one of his best days. In fact, the horrendous error on the second goal and not attacking the corner of the third have to be chalked up to Pickford. Back on the bike next week for the England number one.

Everton’s start to the new campaign did not exactly go off as planned last week, with the side bludgeoned to a 3-0 defeat at home against Brighton & Hove Albion. It’s fair to say that the club’s preseason preparations have been less than optimal, with a number of players either picking up untimely injuries, or yet to return to action after extended layoffs.

Still, the manner of the team’s loss - in kicking off what will be its final season at historic Goodison Park - blunted fan morale somewhat. It is to be hoped that the manager can quickly regain control of the situation and at least enter the international break at the end of the month on a positive note.

Before that, however, the Toffees have to negotiate the small matter of a visit to North London, to face a powerful Tottenham Hotspur side.

Form

Spurs finally waved goodbye to star man Harry Kane a year ago, selling the striker to Bayern Munich for a princely sum, but the club spent big in support of new boss Ange Postecoglou, to the tune of more than €151m net. The Australian brought in a brash, expansive new style, which was much welcomed by fans who’d endured a succession of defence-minded appointments in recent years.

An exciting campaign ended with a late slump — just two wins over teams who’d eventually end up relegated - against five defeats. This loss of form at a crucial point of the season saw the team finish in fifth place, costing them a place in the Champions League.

In the summer, the Londoners saw a number of players depart, either squad rotation types such as Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (a free transfer to Marseille) and Emerson Royal (€15m to Milan), or those already away from the club, or peripheral members. All told, Spurs raised more than €50m from outgoings.

Incomings have been exclusively teenagers — with the sole exception being Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke, signed for a bumper €64.3m fee. Other significant arrivals are Leeds United’s midfield prodigy Archie Gray (€41.3m), Burnley winger Wilson Odobert (€29.3m) and 18-year-old Swedish attacking midfielder Lucas Bergvall (€10m). The Lilywhites have spent almost €149m on new recruits this term.

Tottenham started the season on Monday night, with an ultimately disappointing 1-1 draw at newly-promoted Leicester City. Utterly dominant - almost casually so - during the opening period, taking the lead in the 29th minute, the visitors allowed the Foxes back in the game via some poor marking of veteran centre forward Jamie Vardy, shortly before the hour mark. They responded poorly to the setback and failed to reestablish any control thereafter.

Style of Play

Postecoglou is not a man to deviate overmuch from his favoured 4-2-3-1 system, which he employed almost without exception throughout last term and unsurprisingly, he utilized it once more to open the new campaign. His side is resolutely committed to playing on the front foot, commanding the ball and attacking directly, with plenty of width.

Against a Leicester side who sat off for much of the first hour, offering very little threat, Spurs essentially camped in their opponent’s half, moving the ball quickly, looking to create overloads — particularly (ominously, for Everton) on their own left flank. Time and again, Son Heung-Min, Destiny Udogie and roving playmaker James Maddison combined to create mismatches, stretching and opening up the home side time and again.

On the right, Pedro Porro provided a super-progressive wide option, the fullback putting Spurs deservedly ahead with a darting run into the box, after another stunning combination move on the opposite flank. Maddison was the orchestrator-in-chief, finding space intelligently and dictating play from between the lines. The former Leicester favourite tortured his old side relentlessly.

The Londoners bossed possession, commanding a 70% share, and bombarded their opponents with cross, firing in 29 and completing eight. The classic Postecoglou high defensive line was much in evidence, helping to pen Leicester deep into their own half. Defensively, Spurs looked surprisingly vulnerable once the hosts began pushing forward and putting them under some pressure, during the final third of the game.

Player Assessment

Maddison was the stand-out player, particularly during the opening half. The attacking midfielder missed out on Gareth Southgate’s squad for the recent European Championship - ostensibly due to a loss of form, following an injury suffered in November - though the England boss often appeared loath to select the 27-year-old. He ended up with four goals and nine assists for the campaign and was in the 99th percentile of players in his position for Shot-Creating Actions per 90 minutes, amongst those operating in top European leagues.

Son is now 32, but shows no signs of decline. The South Korean fired 17 league goals last term, adding ten assists and is as quick and dangerous as ever. His presence operating on the Spurs left will present a major headache for Dyche and whoever is unfortunate enough to get the nod at right back this afternoon, though with Solanke injured, he may be deployed as a centre forward, a role he’s more than comfortable in.

Solution

Everton have been hit by a number of omissions, mostly through injury — though Ashley Young is suspended following the straight red card he received last Saturday. This has seriously tied Dyche’s hands, amazingly leaving him with no natural right backs in the first team squad, with all three unavailable — quite an achievement considering we are barely into the new campaign.

What to do? His options boil down to sticking with a back four, or switching to a three-man defence. In the former case, this probably means shoehorning either unwanted centre half Mason Holgate into a position he has played before, though well only sporadically, or throwing untested academy prospect Roman Dixon in for what would be a debut in senior football. It’s hard to imagine Dyche, with the emphasis he places on experience, choosing to go with the youngster.

The former Burnley boss has fielded a back three on rare occasions, should his hand be forced by injury to key players, and he may choose to go this route again this afternoon. However, with James Tarkowski now a doubt to be fit, Dyche may not have enough reliable centre halves in the side to make this work, unless he fields Vitalii Mykolenko alongside Michael Keane and new signing Jake O’Brien. This would leave Dwight McNeil and probably Jack Harrison both playing out of position, as wing-backs.

With little time to work on a new shape, it’s my view that the manager will elect to stay with his trusted 4-4-1-1 formation, with the only changes to the team that took to the pitch at Goodison being enforced: Holgate at right back and O’Brien for Tarkowski, should the latter be unable to make the starting lineup. A case could be made for the pace of new boys Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom, with Everton playing on the break, but the cautious Dyche will retain McNeil, Harrison and Abdoulaye Doucoure, players who know his system well.

This all points to a classic Dyche road game setup: compact and disciplined, blocking up the centre of the park and forcing Spurs wide, with the intent of occasionally breaking in transition, or winning set-pieces. I fear such opportunities will be few and far between, even if it was encouraging to see today’s hosts look far from invincible against relatively humble opposition on Monday.

The Blues must play error-free football, try to frustrate what is an excellent attacking side and hope to get either a clean-sheet, or somehow find a way to pick up a goal from somewhere, anywhere. The odds don’t look good, but Dyche’s side pulled results out of the bag under adversity last season, and the qualities which enabled those successes are still there, in the squad. But, roared forward by the home support, it’s hard not to see Tottenham emerging with the victory today.

Prediction: Spurs 2-0 Everton

After a difficult first week in the Premier League for Everton, the Toffees travel to Tottenham Hotspur who were surprised in their opening game of the new campaign too.

Jaime Vardy muscled his Leicester City team to a point, and at the final whistle of that 1-1 match, Ange Postecoglu looked very much how Everton felt after their loss as well - frustrated and resigned to the fight that awaits this year.

The Toffees were flummoxed against Brighton & Hove Albion, who looked a tough side under their new, young boss, but Everton didn’t help matters. Ashley Young got run by as though he were standing still - until his red card left him very much sitting still - and while the defence was undisciplined in the 3-0 loss, the attack could not produce anything in front of goal.

Prior to Saturday’s affair, we spoke toDustin George-Miller, managing editor of SB Nation’s dedicated Spurs site, Cartilage Free Captain, to tell us what he knows and thinks:

RBM: First off, how are Spurs and their supporters feeling after the first week of the new campaign?

DGM: I suppose that depends on who you ask! An away draw to a newly promoted Leicester that seems certain to go back down didn’t feel especially great, considering the nature of the draw. I get the sense that this Tottenham team still feels to many like a work in progress, but many fans are trying to strike a balance between cautious optimism that Ange Postecoglou can improve squad performances from last season while significantly turning over the squad and making the age profile a LOT younger.

It’s a process and there’s no reason to think the club isn’t fully behind Postecoglou overseeing a multi-year plan. But based on that first match, Spurs fans are going to start getting antsy really quick if we don’t start getting solid results in the next few matches.

RBM: In the first half against Leicester, Tottenham looked good; what went wrong after Vardy’s goal that left the match tied after 90 minutes?

DGM: In short, the entire team got tired. You could tell several members of the squad, including Son Heung-Min, Pape Sarr, James Maddison, and Rodrigo Bentancur just pooped out at about 60 minutes. Frustratingly, Ange waited too long to make fitness-related subs, and didn’t make any until after Bentancur’s injury. By that point it was more or less too late; Leicester had already equalized and had changed the momentum of the match and the reserves couldn’t muster enough attacking impetus to get control back. Super frustrating.

RBM: Tell us about what innovations Spurs made over the summer, what Big Ange is trying to do, and what positions remain less than ideal?

DGM: Ange was very clear this summer that the first year of his project was all about instilling the foundations of his tactics and getting his players to buy into the system. This year it’s about building upon that foundation, and history has shown that his teams generally improve a TON in his second year. I think once you understand Ange-Ball you already know what you’re going to get – high line, high pressing, progressive movement, forward impetus, cutbacks, and balls balls balls in the box. After that it’s about tweaking those concepts here and there and getting the right buy-in from the players in the right areas.

Spurs’ recruitment efforts were two-fold: invest in a solid No. 9 to compete with Richarlison (Dominic Solanke), and change over the squad to a younger profile. A LOT of energy was spent identifying and bringing in young players with very high ceilings that may not hit their peak for another 3-4 years, but can still contribute now – players like Lucas Bergvall (18), Archie Gray (18), Wilson Odobert (19), and Yang Min-Hyeok (18) alongside academy prospects like Mikey Moore (17) and Will Lankshear (19). They’re the future of the club, but players like Bergvall, Gray, and Odobert have impressed in training and will be expected to contribute right away. That’s both exciting and a little terrifying.

Spurs are still a little light at the 6 position (so is everyone to be fair), could use a solid backup at LB to Destiny Udogie, and probably another left sided central defender. There are suggestions Spurs could add 1-2 more players this summer if the right deals can be worked out. We’ll see.

RBM: What does this team do well and what is it still struggling with?

DGM: At its best, Spurs are quite adept at progressing the ball and holding possession, and capable at playing out from the back, all hallmarks of an Ange Postecoglou team. There’s a lot to like there – they’re super fun to watch, most of the time. But Spurs struggled down the stretch with actually creating – and converting – big chances in the box. They had a lot of the ball but didn’t generate nearly as much xG as anyone expected. That’s why they bought Solanke for a club-record £65m, but there’s work to do there.

Postecoglou’s high line/high press tactics also mean that Spurs will naturally be susceptible to counterattacks and balls over the top of the defensive line. A lot of that is ameliorated by the raw speed of Micky van de Ven and the outstanding defense of Cristian Romero, but the nature of it is that Spurs are simply going to give up big chances, which will come back to bite them. The idea is that Spurs will simply score more goals to make up for that… but, see the previous paragraph.

Finally, Spurs were (and still are, until we get more data) stupidly susceptible to goals from set pieces. It was super frustrating to watch last season, and Ange seemed to hand-wave it away. Gotta get better in that area or it’s going to be a long season.

RBM: What are the expectations for Spurs this season after the inconsistent success of last season?

DGM: Spurs finished the season in fifth (and a Europa League spot) due in part to a crap-ton of injuries that disrupted a lot of what Postecoglou wanted to do. I think most fans are relatively clear-eyed about what Spurs’ prospects look like in the Premier League – nobody’s expecting a title push, but they’d certainly anticipate improvement in both play and table position this season, plus a strong run in Europa League.

Of course we’d all love a cup title, but those are crapshoots. But if Spurs can see genuine progress over the course of the season I think we’ll all be content with steady growth and an exciting future ahead.

RBM: What will the side do with Everton favorite Richarlison now that he is apparently out of favor with the current boss in north London?

DGM: I wouldn’t say Richarlison is out of favor. I do think the club was (regrettably and understandably) worried about his injury history over the past two years and whether he can be a consistent presence in the team. There were reports Spurs were trying to give him a gentle shove out the door to Saudi Arabia this summer, and Richy said no – that’s fine with me.

If he was willing, getting £60m for him would’ve been a shrewd financial deal, but at his best Richy is a practically ideal Ange-Ball striker, is especially motivated to get back into the Brazil squad, and loves it at Spurs. I think we’ll probably see quite a lot of him either as a substitute or a rotation for Dominic Solanke this season.

There are plenty of minutes to play, and Richarlison and Solanke are similar and complementary in a lot of ways.

RBM: Who can you see giving Everton some trouble on Saturday in London, and how might Tottenham line up against Everton as the Toffees travel down to London?

DGM: Can’t say I’m especially looking forward to playing a Dyche-ball team at home this weekend, as Spurs always seem to have difficulty breaking down teams who put players behind the ball. So this could be a cagy one if Dyche sets up to bunker and counter.

If Dyche allows Everton to actually try and play football against us, I think there’s a decent chance we can blow the doors off. The key will be whether Spurs’ creative players like James Maddison can split the back line with progressive passing, or if Spurs’ wide players like Brennan Johnson (or Dejan Kulusevski) and Son Heung-Min can find some space in the box to create chances for Solanke.

It’s still early days, but I expect you’ll see a very similar, if not identical, starting lineup to the one that played at Leicester. Maybe Kulusevski comes in for Johnson to start, and you’ll definitely see Yves Bissoma in midfield for Bentancur, who is still under concussion protocol.

RBM: Finally, what’s your prediction for Saturday’s match?

DGM: I hate predictions, but I’m going to go with a 2-1 Spurs win, with Everton pulling one back via a stupid Tarkowski header off a corner. Because until proven otherwise, Tottenham Hotspur still can’t have nice things.

Our thanks to Dustin for his time.

Omari Benjamin scored the winner for Tait’s side