IF ever there was a game that summed up just how set-piece obsessed the Premier League has become, this was it.
Micky van de Ven scored from not one but TWO first-half corners to grab Tottenham all three points, with Pape Matar Sarr adding a late third.
Van de Ven’s headers meant Everton became the last club in the top flight to concede from a set-piece, excluding penalties, underlining their significance in today’s game.
Toffees defender Jake O’Brien also had a goal from a corner ruled out somewhat controversially for offside.
In truth, Thomas Frank’s Spurs were no better than their hosts from open play.
But with dead-ball routines this good, no Tottenham fan will care as the victory sent them into third – five points off the set-piece masters, Arsenal, at the top.
While matchwinner Van de Ven took his seasonal haul to five, sending him one clear of Spurs’ previous top-scorer, own goals.
Welcome to the Premier League in 2025-26, where it feels like defenders have more chances to score than strikers – thanks to set-pieces.
Tottenham fans are yet to be blown away by Frank’s attacking style of play.
But they are very appreciative of the Dane’s tactical flexibility to suit each opponent and their defensive solidity – plus that knack at dead-ball situations.
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All three qualities were in short supply under predecessor Ange Postecoglou, but Frank seems happy to shake things up where necessary.
He certainly did that here with his formation, which had fans baffled for a good few minutes as they tried to decipher how their team were playing.
Brennan Johnson, whose goal won Postecoglou the Europa League back in May, had not started since August but he was back in here from the off, playing wide right.
That saw Mohammed Kudus, Spurs’ best attacking player this season, shift into one of two No10s in the team, along with the luckless Xavi Simons.
Spearheading the attack was Randal Kolo Muani, making his first start for the club since joining on loan from Juventus on deadline day.
Yet it was Everton’s own loan star Jack Grealish, who was ineligible for the last game against parent club Manchester City, who had the first big chance of the game.
Not many players get the better of Djed Spence in one-on-one situations, but the excellent Iliman Ndiaye went round the England defender like he was not there inside three minutes.
The Senegalese then whipped in a cross which Beto could not convert but the ball fell to Grealish, who struck it well, only to be denied by a block off Pedro Porro’s ankle.
Spurs had plenty of the ball but looked ponderous and overly safe with it.
Yet with the set-pieces this good, who cares?
Their first successful routine came on 19 minutes and involved an ingenious assist from Rodrigo Bentancur.
The Uruguayan had ghosted round to the back post where he met Mohammed Kudus’ deep corner and intentionally SHOULDERED the ball back across goal.
There waiting was Van de Ven who gleefully flicked home from a few yards out for his first of the game, ending Everton’s season-long set-piece shut-out.
David Moyes’ side thought they had struck back five minutes later from their own set-piece – what else – when Jake O’Brien nodded in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s laser-like corner.
Yet Ndiaye and Grealish were both adjudged, eventually, with the help of VAR, to have put off keeper Guglielmo Vicario from an offside position.
You felt for poor ref Craig Pawson though as he had to announce over loudspeaker his decision and instantly became Public Enemy No1 with the Hill Dickinson faithful.
Postecoglou downplayed the importance of set-pieces – a view that has aged as badly as his Nottingham Forest tenure – but successor Frank is happy to use every weapon in his arsenal to dig out victories.
One of those included the bullet-like long throws of Kevin Danso – playing while captain Cristian Romero is out injured – and one such delivery caused more mayhem in the box.
Everton were getting riled by Tottenham’s tactics from dead-ball deliveries, with Grealish shoving Van de Ven as the Dutchman had an argument with Jordan Pickford.
But Van de Ven had the last laugh of the half as tiptoed round the back, gave Pickford a little shove and headed in Pedro Porro’s wicked corner deep into stoppage time.
Everton searched in vain for a route back into the game after the break as the rain came pouring down.
But they came up against a goalkeeper in Vicario who had resembled a brick wall in Monaco in midweek and was just as difficult to beat here.
The Italian, who has had his critics, made two excellent stops, the first to deny Beto’s overhead kick and then a deflected shot from Ndiaye.
Ex-Toffee Richarlison, on for Muani on the hour, should have netted against his old side after escaping James Tarkowski, but could not fire past Pickford.
But the Brazilian did grab a late assist as he unselfishly headed on Pedro Porro’s cross for sub Sarr to nod home.
The defeat ended Everton’s unbeaten run at their shiny new ground.
While Spurs kept up their red-hot form on the road under Frank thanks, once again, to the Premier League’s in-vogue method.
