Liverpool Echo

Everton FC correspondent Joe Thomas takes a look at the state of play at the club heading into the final week of the transfer window

The future of Dominic Calvert-Lewin is set to be the major focal point at Everton as the transfer window enters its final days. A busy summer has seen high profile arrivals and departures at Goodison Park but it is the story that has rumbled on since June that looks set to persist through to Friday night.

Calvert-Lewin has started both games this season and therein lies the problem for Sean Dyche and those around him. The 27-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his contract and is yet to sign fresh terms that have been offered to him but remains Everton’s most important forward.

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Should the club lose him at this late stage of the summer it would undermine a team that has already laboured in front of goal - mustering just two shots on target across more than 180 Premier League minutes. Yet would the club be able to turn down serious money for a player who would be free to leave next summer? Dyche has already answered that question

“Any offer of a certain level would have to still be looked at by the club,” he said at Finch Farm last week. “We're in a better position because of how much we bought in player trading and how much we've lowered the wages, but it's not solved.

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“So therefore there would still be a moment where the big people at the club get a phone call and go ‘right, here's the reality, we've been offered this’. Then it's down to them. I can obviously give a football opinion, but I think we all would go ‘you don't need to be selling anyone at the minute’. But that doesn't mean that that happens. The powers that be are still not in a position where we just go ‘no, no, we're fine, we can start bankrolling the club and we're going to sign players’, as you can quite obviously tell.”

Having such a tough call to make is dependent on an offer of substance being made over the coming days and, while there are claims Newcastle United might revive their interest from earlier in the summer, there is no guarantee that will happen. That could be good news for the Finch Farm side of the business at least. Calvert-Lewin has suffered problems with injuries and dips in form over recent seasons but his all-round play is an important part of Everton’s tactical approach even when he is not scoring.

And the flurries of goals when they have come have been invaluable - as they were in April when he hit form to help Everton to safety and a memorable Merseyside derby win.

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Beyond the Calvert-Lewin situation, the most predictable subjects of interest from within the Blues squad are Neal Maupay and Mason Holgate. Both players spent last season on loan and have barely featured during the season to date. Maupay is being monitored by Marseille, which has had a loan bid rejected - essentially for technical reasons. Maupay’s contract expires next summer but Everton have an option to extend the deal by 12 months.

The club would prefer not to leave itself in a situation whereby it had to trigger that extension in order to be eligible for a fee for the player. The French outfit, which has already worked with Everton this summer over the sale to the Blues of Iliman Ndiaye, has reportedly been told a bid of around £6.5m would be required to seal a permanent deal for a club looking for support after its key forward suffered a serious injury earlier this month.

Holgate’s future looked uncertain before Everton’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur but the decision to give teenager Roman Dixon a debut ahead of Holgate, who while an imperfect solution to the problem on the right of the defence is still a player with 137 Premier League appearances who has previously played right back for Dyche, cast further doubt over the 27-year-old’s future.

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The recent intrigue around Everton’s efforts to strengthen has focused on the right side of the defence with Kieran Trippier a player of interest to the Blues. Having lost the captaincy at Newcastle United and his starting place, the England defender is a player said to be searching for first team football he would probably find at Everton.

But with limited resources available it is open to doubt whether the Blues would seek to move for a player in an area where Dyche considers the problems to be short-term. He had a tough call to make against Spurs but Ashley Young will return from suspension for Bournemouth and there is a hope Seamus Coleman is close to a recovery from a calf issue while Nathan Patterson is edging towards a return from hamstring surgery.

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Amid the Trippier links Dyche said of the right back situation: “You can never guarantee with injuries but we think that after [Spurs] we will have strength coming back. Youngy will be available again, Seamus has made good progress this week so he is likely to be around it again.

“If it was about right-backs specifically it has got to be something that could build the team going forward, not just for one game. But any good players - if they are available, I am not sure we have the money available to sign all these players we keep getting linked with but we seem to keep getting linked with them… If we had some money and we could look across the market at players, we would look at many different positions, but we wouldn’t be looking at right-back straight away because of the players we have got here.”

Central midfield remains an area where Everton are light. Amadou Onana and Andre Gomes departed the club this summer, with Tim Iroegbunam joining from Aston Villa and starting the first two matches. The signings of Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom also provide Dyche with the ability to drop Abdoulaye Doucoure deeper - an option he has not yet taken.

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Director of football Kevin Thelwell has placed an emphasis on attacking wide players while thought will need to be given this week to what options would be available should Calvert-Lewin depart - conversations over a contingency plan would be wise.

But Dyche has moved to temper expectations about Everton’s ability to strengthen further after veteran goalkeeper and free agent Asmir Begovic became the sixth addition of the summer last week.

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James Tarkowski spoke about the final week of the transfer window and a big week on the field for Everton following the 4-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur

James Tarkowski is hoping Everton can avoid any late sales of their stars in the final week of the summer transfer window. Ahead of Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, Sean Dyche warned that the position of the club’s finances ensured any serious offers for his players before deadline day would have to be considered

But Tarkowski wants all of the current group to stick together to help them starting climbing the table.

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The centre-back, who again captained the Blues against Spurs in Seamus Coleman’s absence. said: “I think I’ve been involved in many transfers windows when there is a speculation.

“I think at times, people move on and people stay. I hope that all our players stay here, and we bring a few more faces in, so we’ve got a strong squad and competition.

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“But yes, that’s out of our control. We had a strong team out there (at Tottenham) and as I say, we’ve got a few more faces back. We’ve got real competition for places and hopefully performances improve.” Following their 6-0 mauling at Chelsea on April 15, Everton then went on to win three home games in the space of a week and preserve their Premier League status for another season.

And with back-to-back fixtures now coming up at Goodison Park against League Two Doncaster Rover in the Carabao Cup and then Bournemouth next Saturday, Tarkowski is determined to turn things around.

He said: “I’ve been through a lot of challenges in my time at this football club.

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“I’ve only been here a couple of years, so I know what we need to do. We just get back out there on that pitch and work hard again.

“Prepare for the game properly like we will do. I’m very hopeful that performances and results will pick up.

“Every team goes through phases in the season when they’re not winning games. We started slow last season and we finished with a decent point total, considering all the challenges we went through so there’s no reason why we can’t do that again this year.

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Tarkowski added: “It’s a good week for us, a cup game at home and then Bournemouth. Hopefully, we get three points there and then we go into the international break with a bit of positivity and get a few faces back.”

Spurs were gifted their second goal when goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s loose first touch from Tarkowski’s back pass presented their captain Heung-Min Son with a simple chance to score.

But given the goalkeeper’s repeated heroics for Everton in recent years, Tarkowski believes his team-mate should be forgiven for a solitary error. He said: “I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my time.

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“He’s been our best player for many years, even before I was here. So, I think if anyone’s allowed to make a mistake, it’s Jordan.

“I can only talk on Jordan that I’ve known for the last few years. He’s man enough to hold his hand up when he makes a mistake.

“As I said, he’s been outstanding in my time and even before that. We all make mistakes, and Jordan did today, he held his hand up.

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“Jordan’s one of the people who will be vocal, and there’s many of us within that group. We need to be doing that over the next week and beyond that.

“It’s been a tough start, it has. We have to accept that as a group, that we’ve not been good enough so far, because to concede seven and not score is not performing.”

Sean Dyche’s decision to give Roman Dixon his Premier League debut against Tottenham Hotspur was a bold one. To an extent, it paid off. Dixon’s debut ended up being one of few bright spots on what was another difficult day for Everton in north London.

The 19-year-old acquitted himself well and won his battles against Spurs winger Wilson Odobert.

He can take immense pride in his display and Dyche can take credit for giving him an unexpected opportunity.

It was a move that will have immediate, perhaps unintended, consequences that go beyond Everton’s search for an answer to the long-term issue on the right side of defence, however.

If Dyche is willing to overlook in Mason Holgate a defender with 137 Premier League appearances in favour of a teenager who had not played a single minute of senior football, the next question is how long can he continue to use a lack of Premier League experience to delay the integration of the club’s summer signings into a first XI in need of a boost after two chastening defeats?

This summer felt like a positive one at Everton and the potential remains for it to be one in which genuine progress has been made. A

As challenging as the transfer market is for the Blues, early and progressive business hinted at the creation of a side that, for the first time in several years, has the attacking weapons to hurt opponents.

That is one of the reasons there were so many empty seats in the closing stages of the home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Dyche’s pragmatism has been central to his ability to keep Everton in the Premier League these past two seasons. It has not always produced the most enthralling displays - the most high profile example the grinding win over Burnley in April that Dyche later celebrated as three points that were ugly by design.

He had every right to celebrate those points - they were hard-earned and a major step toward survival for a team hit by wave after wave of turmoil, most of which was the making of neither the players nor the manager.

Such an approach was easier to accept when it was understood Dyche had no alternative. This time, he does.

Jesper Lindstrom and Iliman Ndiaye are a significant upgrade on anything he had available to him last year - at least if you work on the basis that, for whatever reason, Arnaut Danjuma’s loan move was not destined to work out. Both may have suffered disappointing seasons last year - there is a reason such talent has come into Everton’s orbit this summer.

Yet a Europa League winner and a player who was one of the outstanding attackers in the Championship give Dyche new options.

That much was clear when Lindstrom helped to transform the attack against Preston North End in pre-season, and when Ndiaye injected an energy and flair that swung momentum in Everton’s favour in the final half an hour against Roma.

Dyche has a real dilemma on his hands. He has an injury-hit squad that is already under pressure as it fights rivals with superior budgets.

His natural instinct may be to approach games with caution while players improve their understanding of each other and influential figures return to the side.

But if Everton’s current plight means they cannot rely on defensive solidity to keep them in games - and seven goals being conceded across 180 minutes suggests it cannot - then it is not unreasonable for supporters to clamour for some of that caution to be sacrificed in the hope of giving the team a better chance. Sometimes, attack is the best form of defence.

The game on Saturday was essentially lost by this point but, at Spurs, the best passage for the Blues came after the introduction of Ndiaye and Lindstrom - the latter quickly getting Everton’s first shot on target, one of just two from the side so far this season.

A major theme of pre-season was Dyche’s message of patience over new signings - including centre back Jake O’Brien. Their lack of Premier League experience was an issue that needed to be managed carefully, he repeated.

That approach would be fair in normal circumstances, but this Blues side is in need of an injection of positivity and, with performances and results having been so difficult to date, citing the lack of experience of players that have played senior football outside the Premier League for years as a key reason for their lack of minutes so far is becoming increasingly problematic.

An important week lies ahead for Everton and now may be the time to consider tweaking the approach ahead of the visit of Bournemouth.

A look at some of the moments beyond the headlines from Everton's trip to Tottenham Hotspur

“It is painful to see… Everton deserve better.” That was the sentiment expressed by one Tottenham Hotspur fan heard talking on the Tube as it pulled out of White Hart Lane station after the match.

Happy as he no doubt was to see his Spurs team run riot, he clearly felt a sense of sadness at the plight of a famous rival that failed to muster much of a fight.

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There are all sorts of reasons behind the 4-0 defeat, its scale and the manner of the performance

Most are well known and many lie outside of the control of manager Sean Dyche, who has fought them to keep Everton in the Premier League against the odds these past two seasons.

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But this is another troubling start and those outside the Blues bubble can see it clearly.

Here are some of the moments you might have missed on Saturday...

Richarlison's respect tugs on the heartstrings as player's love for Everton clear

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One player who appears to be hurting is Richarlison. Tottenham have not provided a happy home for the Brazil international, who found himself on the bench even with £65m summer signing Dominic Solanke ruled out through injury. His situation seems absurd from afar, particularly when viewed from Goodison Park,where he remains largely adored.

Richarlison makes little secret of his love for Everton. Arnaut Danjuma spoke of this while on loan last season - reflecting on his previous decision to walk away from the Blues in the 11th hour to join Spurs, only to find Richarlison waiting for him in the dressing room to question his decision.

Social media posts point to his remaining affection for his former club and his actions do, too. On this occasion he finished the match with a walk to the away end, where he gave his shirt to a young Everton supporter.

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James Tarkowski shows his class with tunnel gesture

Richarlison’s gesture was not the only touch of class on show. James Tarkowski was happy to take the time to chat with the mascot who was set to walk onto the pitch with him as they laughed together in the tunnel.

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As they prepared to do so, the heavens opened. Tarkowski responded by removing his training coat and draping it over the youngster before the pair walked onto the pitch.

After the match it was the centre-back who fronted up to the media - as he did after the Brighton & Hove Albion disappointment and as he so often does at difficult times. He does not have to do this - doing so is evidence of the respect he clearly has for the fanbase.

Steve Stone's final advice as Roman Dixon gets the support of teammates and friends

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Few of the travelling Blues will remember this latest disappointment in north London with any fondness, but it was a huge day for Roman Dixon.

The 19-year-old was a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up as Dyche attempted to deal with an injury crisis at the back and worked hard during what was his first senior appearance.

The build-up would have been emotional for him but he had the support of those around him. Following the defensive warm-up drills the likes of Mason Holgate and Tarkowski were quick to go up to him and wish him the best before assistant manager Steve Stone took him to one side on the pitch and spoke at length with him about his role.

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Off the pitch, he was also shown plenty of support as past and present academy team-mates paid tribute to his call-up, from Under-21s youngster Halid Djankpata to Katia Kouyate, now of Barrow.

Asmir Begovic back on the pitch with Everton

Harrison Armstrong also got onto the pitch to make a late debut - an opportunity that crowns a remarkable rise to prominence this summer for the 17-year-old midfielder. Armstrong looked composed in stoppage time after replacing Idrissa Gueye and flashed a dangerous ball across the Spurs box that Cristian Romero was forced to scramble behind.

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How the national media reacted to Everton's 4-0 Premier League defeat at Tottenham Hotspur

Shambles was a word that was repeated across several of the reports on Everton’s miserable defeat at Tottenham Hotspur. The Blues’ injury misfortune was acknowledged but few reporters who watched events unfold in north London took any encouragement from the away side's display.

Instead, the 4-0 defeat was the pretext for discussions about the importance of the final days of the transfer window, the threat of another relegation battle and even over Sean Dyche’s future.

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Timothy Abraham at the BBC described an apparent sense of resignation among the travelling supporters, many of whom had left by the final whistle.

He wrote: “The manner of this drubbing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will set the alarm bells ringing for Everton fans, who scurried for the Seven Sisters Road long before the full-time whistle went.

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“There is the unerring sense that the die for the Blues has already been cast and another glum season of relegation toil awaits.”

Gary Jacob, writing for The Times, set Everton’s injury misfortune against the backdrop of self-inflicted problems - most notably in this match the Jordan Pickford mistake that gave away the second goal and ended this game as a contest. He wrote: “Everton are a once great club fumbling in the dark and things might get worse rather than better while the transfer market is open.

“They have lost both opening league matches by a margin of three or more goals for the first time in the club’s history and are yet to find the net. They are also winless in 12 away league fixtures stretching back to beating Burnley in December.

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“Their season has quickly unravelled into a shambles in part of their own making, taking in the financial issues resulting from past overspending, questions over a change of ownership, a depleted and limited squad and Jordan Pickford’s howler that allowed them to fall 2-0 down inside 25 minutes.”

Matt Barlow in the Mail said Everton were left “looking rather feeble”. He wrote: “They have leaked seven goals in their first two games without finding the net, have not won away from home in 2024 and the threat of points deductions still lingers in the background.

“They were depleted and patched-up in North London and on the back foot from the outset.”

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The lack of spirit was a key theme in most reports, with Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian asking: “Where was the anger? The soul? Where was the resistance when Cristian Romero powered in a header in the second half?”

He drew on the post-match comments of Blues boss Dyche that his side was too “subservient” and wrote: “It was an abject surrender, typified by Pickford losing the ball before Son Heung-min’s first goal midway through the first half, and it is hard not to conclude Everton are destined for another grim battle for survival.

“Reinforcements are required before the transfer window shuts even though money is tight, while more adventure in possession would not go amiss.”

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Jim White in The Telegraph suggested Dyche was almost rewarded when he did try to inject some creativity - leading to Jesper Lindstrom testing Guglielmo Vicario shortly after his entrance. But his summary of the situation - that “it was as close to a one sided match as you would see in the Premier League” - led to the suggestion the return of an out-of-work David Moyes is not as distant as it seemed 10 days ago.

He concluded: “After the match, Dyche recognised the issues at hand. “In the past, we have done well when the challenges have come our way,” he said. “Anger doesn’t change anything. What changes anything is action. I’ll be taking action.”

“Frankly, he needs to. And fast. Much more of this and David Moyes’s return to the club before the first international break looks ever more plausible.”

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In the ECHO, there was no such prophecy but the point that, for all the issues that made this match such a tough prospect from the outset, the search for a solution to Everton’s problems must go deeper than putting them all down to injuries and misfortune: “This was always going to be an uphill struggle for a threadbare Everton side dealing with an injury nightmare.

“Yet at no point did Everton look capable of being able to compete in this match. And for that, this defeat cannot be written off as simply another bad day. After two games Everton lie at the foot of the Premier League table having lost two games, conceded seven goals and not only having failed to score, but having managed just two shots on target across more than 180 minutes. The squad will improve and the opponents should get easier.

“But according to Opta, Everton have lost their first two games in a top-flight season by three or more goals for the first time in their history. If the final week of the transfer window is unlikely to provide a solution then answers need to be found from elsewhere.

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“That search needs to begin with an acceptance that not all of the blame for this miserable start can be put down to injury misfortune, controversial refereeing decisions and a lack of Premier League experience.

Reaction from the Everton manager after the clash with Tottenham in the Premier League

Sean Dyche blasted his players for a “subservient” start that undid Everton’s game plan at Tottenham Hotspur. An injury crisis left the Blues facing an uphill battle in north London but they struggled to put up a fight against their hosts with a poor performance.

Yves Bissouma put his side ahead after just 14 minutes but Everton could have been behind before then, Jordan Pickford saving well from Cristian Romero, Heung-Min Son and James Maddison and Brennan Johnson flashing a free header across goal.

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Dyche was unhappy with the manner in which his players allowed Spurs to seize the initiative and suggested he had told them so following the match.

Asked what he had focused on in the dressing room after the final whistle, Dyche appeared to question his side’s approach to the match.

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He said: “What about taking responsibility at 0-0? Strangely, it is easier to take responsibility when you are one or two goals down. Every manager will call it 2-0 football and then everyone starts playing. What about playing when it is 0-0?

“So within all the challenges, which are quite obvious, we have got to remind ourselves of the truth of what we are, and what we are trying to achieve, and that part of the mentality of the group, we have shown before how positive it can be, we let it go too easily.

“And today, we know they are a good outfit who have spent money on some real talent. They are in a big stadium, their first game at home and everything, and they started like that, and we just started a little bit subserviently.

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“We had good organisation but the first goal was a sign of it, everyone just backing off and just letting players run into the box and that kind of - it is only two or three yards but it is two or three yards of intent to go and stop moments like that.”

Son doubled the lead after 25 minutes when he capitalised on a Pickford mistake. That made a tough task even more difficult, Dyche said, and after he made attacking substitutions on the hour mark it was the hosts who showed the more clinical edge.

Dyche said: “The second is impossible to legislate for and then you are 2-0 down. And when you are 2-0 down at a place like this it is tough.

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Everton are still waiting for their first point or goal of the new Premier League season after they suffered a 4-0 thrashing at Tottenham Hotspur. The north London outfit were dominant throughout and had already forced Jordan Pickford into a trio of smart saves early on before Yves Bissouma opened the scoring on 14 minutes with a shot that crashed in off the crossbar.

Pickford’s earlier heroics were undone though when he made a glaring error to gift Spurs a second goal on 25 minutes as his loose first touch from a James Tarkowski back pass enabled Heung-Min Son to rob him of possession and score. A further two goals followed after the break as Cristian Romero headed in a third on 71 minutes before Son struck again with an angled drive six minutes later to complete the rout.

Jordan Pickford 3

Guilty of an absolute howler – which he owned up to – to gift Son Spurs’ second goal caused by a loose first touch on the wet surface when receiving a back pass from James Tarkowki after earlier making a hat-trick of impressive saves to deny the home captain plus Cristian Romero and James Maddison before Yves Bissouma opened the scoring.

Roman Dixon 6

Repaid Sean Dyche’s faith in him in what was a baptism of fire on his Premier League debut but while his team were pinned back, he showed decent flashes, pushing forward with intent and putting a strong slide tackle in on Wilson Odobert and was unfortunate in rushing to try and get the ball off Micky van de Ven in the build-up to the fourth, he left Son unmarked.

Vitalii Mykolenko 5

Saved Everton further punishment when he made a crucial challenge on Brennan Johnson early in the second half but a drop of the shoulder from the same Spurs player took him out of the game in the build-up to the opener and he was mostly on the back foot.

James Tarkowski 4

Not his usual dominant self, he was beaten in the air by Romero for the third goal, it was also the captain’s back p]ass that played Pickford into trouble for Spurs’ second, but you can’t say there was too much wrong with his delivery with what is a well-rehearsed routine.

Michael Keane 4

Romero got between him and Tarkowksi to head in Spurs’ third and a combination of balls over the top as well as slick passing cut through his attempts to adopt a physical approach.

Idrissa Gueye 4

Tried to kick Spurs’ dangermen when he could but the problem was he couldn’t always get close enough and while he attempted to make a challenge on Johnson in the build-up to the opener, he failed to make contact and was unable to provide his usual shield for the defence.

Tim Iroegbunam 6

Tried to be positive when he was given the chance but Everton’s brightest spark against Brighton & Hove Albion was much quieter here with few opportunities to push forwards or play a progressive pass.

Abdoulaye Doucoure 5

Hooked relatively early for the second straight week, he had a close range effort blocked by Maddison in first half stoppage time but while nominally still occupying that link role between midfield and attack but in reality he was pegged back with the rest of his colleagues, struggling to have any real attacking impact.

Jack Harrison 5

Made way for Jesper Lindstrom, who managed something in seconds he’d failed to do in almost an hour by having a shot on target, the on-loan Leeds United man spurned a decent opportunity at the back post shortly after Spurs went ahead as he scuffed a shot wide and didn’t get much change out of the home defence.

Dwight McNeil 5

Gave the ball away on the edge of Spurs’ area in the build-up to the devastating counter-attack for the fourth goal, he earlier delivered the inswinging cross from the right that Harrison should have done better with but while he worked hard, often cutting inside again, he needed to be more artisan than artist.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin 5

A miserable outing, let’s hope it’s not his last for Everton in the Premier League such is his importance to how they play, he ploughed the lone furrow and looked particularly isolated so far from his team-mates with an almost non-existent service and hardly a sniff of a chance.

Jesper Lindstrom (on 57 for Harrison) 7

Brought a smart stop out of Guglielmo Vicario just seconds after coming on but the early promise was soon snuffed out.

Iliman Ndiaye (on 57 for Doucoure) 6

Like Lindstrom, he brought an injection of pace and fresh ideas into the side – for a few minutes at least anyway – with his dribbling and twinkling toes.

Beto (on 72 for Calvert-Lewin) 5

Brought off the bench to offer an alternative threat up front after there had been no way through for Calvert-Lewin but also had to feed off scraps.

Harrison Armstrong (90 for Gueye)

Stoppage time senior debut for the 17-year-old Scouse midfielder who produced a spirited cameo.

Jordan Pickford holds his hand up in apology

It's a howler from Pickford. Tarkowski passes the ball back to him and he has plenty of time to deal with it. But instead, as he looks to shift the ball from his right to his left foot, he loses control of it and Son sneaks in and takes the ball off him. Pickford lunges and gets player rather than ball, but Son is able to steady himself and tap in.

Strong challenge from DIxon

Everton have found themselves very much on the back foot here but debutant Roman Dixon hasn't been the weak link.

He hasn't looked out of place so far and after winning a strong slide tackle on Odobert, he sticks to him closely again to deflect a cross wide.

Harrison off target

Soon after going behind, Everton win a corner and although the initial effort is cleared by Spurs, the ball finds itself back with McNeil on the right wing after he cuts back from taking the set-piece.

He delivers a left-footed inswinging cross to Harrison at the back post but his fellow wide man fails to hit his effort on target and probably should have done better.

The Blues have shown some promise on the counter-attack but they've been on the back foot too often already.

Pickford saves again

That's three saves of note already from Pickford. Everton need to give their goalkeeper more protection.

A ball over the top catches the visitors' defence out and England's number one blocks an effort from James Maddison.

Then just a few moments later, Brennan Johnson flashes a header wide at the back post.

Dixon pushes forward

There was saw what debutant Roman DIxon can offer going forward.

Everton launched a counter attack, McNeil drove the ball upfield and picked out Harrison on the right.

Youngster DIxon overlapped and challenged for the ball with Odobert and although it went out for a throw in off the Blues player, it should he offers a different dynamic when the visitors are able to push forwards.

Pickford again

Tottenham have started strongly and have been piling on the pressure in the opening exchanges.

Home captain Son lets flies from outside the area and his effort takes a big deflection off Dwight McNeil and Pickford is called into action again to tip the shot around the post.

Everton need to get themselves up the field here to stop the constant waves of attacks.

I'll get my coat

We're getting footage from the tunnel here just before the players come out onto the pitch and Everton captain James Tarkowski just made a nice gesture by removing his stadium jacket and handing it to the young Blues mascot to wear instead in the wet weather.

Hopefully such inspired leadership can bring a better result today for Sean Dyche's men.

Richarlison's little wave

Building up to the start now and the heavens have opened. The players have gone inside and the Premier League background is being built on the pitch. Richarlison gave a little wave to the away end before he left the pitch. HOW is he not getting more action here? Hopefully he stays quiet today. We know where his allegiances lie

Bank Holiday weather

As I mentioned earlier, many of us got wet walking up to the ground due to the overground line closures resulting in a mile-and-a-half stroll in the rain from Seven Sisters well in typical Bank Holiday weather fashion, the heavens have opened again.

So much so, despite this being a billion-pound stadium, the rain is sweeping into the stand and the 'Tottenham DJ' in front of us treating the crowd to some pre-match tunes, has had to cover his decks with an umbrella. Hopefully Creamfields is experiencing some better weather closer to home.

New look Blues

Everton wore their away kit here last season and they debut their new away kit here today.

The dark grey and yellow number has proven popular with Evertonians it seems but personally I'm not a fan of changing when there is no colour clash, I'd rather the Blues remain just that as often as possible but such is the modern world of Premier League football.

Whatever they look like, Sean Dyche's side are going to have to show a big improvement here than what they produced against Brighton & Hove Albion a week ago, to emerge with something from this contest.

Mystic Me?

Roman Dixon... if you think we have written a lot about him already then be prepared for more. He is the story of the day now from an Everton perspective and we will all be wishing him the best.

I wrote this about him during pre-season - picked him out as one to watch but certainly wasn't expecting progress like this.

Read that piece HERE

Leading the line

Dominic Calvert-Lewin netted the winner here for Everton on the only occasion that they have triumphed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but nobody was here to see it.

It was the opening game of the 2020/21 season, played mostly behind closed doors because of the global coronavirus pandemic and despite the absence of spectators, the striker went on to enjoy his best-ever campagin for goals, netting 21 times in all competitions for Carlo Ancelotti and earning a call-up to the England team.

Last season, he was desperately unlucky to have a goal disallowed following a VAR check which deemed Andre Gomes to have fouled Emerson Royal in the build-up.

With the summer transfer deadline coming this Friday, many Blues will be hoping that this isn't the Sheffield-born player's final Premier League outing for the club.

Mr Durability

After a fitness scare, with James Tarkowski not training for most of this week, it's a big plus to see the centre-back able to keep his place in the side today and maintain his ever-present record in Premier League matches since signing for Everton in 2022.

The Mancunian, who continues to captain the side in Seamus Coleman's absence, has now started 77 consecutive matches for the Blues in the competition and provides some invaluable experience in a defence featuring aforementioned debutant Roman Dixon for the first time.

A big call - and one that will come with implications

So there we have it. After a week of tussling over who should start at right back or whether Dyche should change shape to deal with the absence of Seamus Coleman, Nathan Patterson, James Garner and Ashley Young, Dyche goes for youth. It's an interesting call, one that perhaps goes against what he had suggested his move would ultimately be. A big opportunity, no doubt, for Dixon.

It will have a knock on effect, this. Firstly, this can only be seen as a snub for Mason Holgate. While he is not a right back, he is a senior defender who has previously been used in that position by Dyche. He had an uncertain future - that looks even more precarious now, though may well be more dependent on whether there is interest in him rather than whether he would be allowed to go.

The other issue is whether Dyche is laying the foundation for a problem for himself. Lack of Premier League experience has been his reason for not starting Jake O'Brien, Jesper Lindstrom or Iliman Ndiaye yet - all players with senior experience elsewhere. If he is willing to play Dixon, a teenager with no senior experience, then if Everton struggle going forward the question may well end up being why him, and not them.

Roman rule

Well there you have it, a Premier League debut at right-back for Roman Dixon, despite Everton manager Sean Dyche playing down the youngster's chances.

There has also been something of a debate going on at the ECHO over whether the teenager is ready... I guess we'll get an answer either way in a couple of hours' time.

After watching him for the Under-21s in the 3-1 win over their Blackburn Rovers counterparts eight days ago, my colleague Joe Thomas wasn't so sure.

However, columnist Michael Ball insisted that blooding Dixon here was a no-lose scenario.

One thing I noticed myself seeing him up close again at Tranmere Rovers in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on Tuesday where Everton secured a dramatic late comeback victory, again 3-1, was that as well as having plenty of pace going forwward, Dixon also possesses a decent long throw-in.

Good afternoon

Hello everyone and welcome from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Like many of the travelling Evertonians, Joe and I arrived rather wet at the ground (I'm told the sun is still shining back in Merseyside) after having to walk the final mile-and-a-half in the rain from Seven Sisters station due to the overground network being closed.

Let's hope that's fixed for post-match and that the Blues can give their supporters a spring in their step but with all those absences, they might have to really dig in to try and get a result.

The Everton manager has named his team for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday

Roman Dixon will make his Everton debut against Tottenham Hotspur as Sean Dyche turns to the 19-year-old amid a defensive crisis. The right back has enjoyed a solid start to the season in the Under-21s, scoring and creating a goal in the opening Premier League Two game of the season against Blackburn Rovers and then featuring in the midweek win over Tranmere Rovers in the EFL Trophy.

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, solving the issue on the right side of his defence was the biggest issue facing him this weekend. After suggesting the academy may not be his preferred route to a solution the Blues boss has indeed turned to the England youth prospect. With Mason Holgate on the bench having previously played right back under Dyche, the move creates additional uncertainty over his future at the club.

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The decision may have been made easier by James Tarkowski, who missed training for the first part of this week, being deemed fit to start, meaning Dixon will be anchored by experience beside him. Tarkowski starts in a back four alongside Michael Keane and with Vitalii Mykolenko on the left.

Ahead of them, Dyche has stuck with his trusted wide men Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison, who will flank Idrissa Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Tim Iroegbunam - who keeps his place after a positive debut last week. Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the front line. Jesper Lindstrom and Iliman Ndiaye are among those on the bench, with Dixon the only change from seven days ago.

Joe Thomas - Ndiaye in amid defensive crisis

For a squad that isn’t the biggest it feels like there are quite a few decisions to make today. The issues start at the back and in particular on the right of defence, with Seamus Coleman, Nathan Patterson, James Garner and Ashley Young all options expected to be unavailable. Sean Dyche has played Mason Holgate at right back, though it ended badly on one of the most recent of those occasions in spring 2023 when he was sent off at Crystal Palace having been given a torrid time by Jordan Ayew.

Holgate would be the most likely option at Spurs but the potential absence of James Tarkowski adds an additional dimension to this situation. If Tarkowski is fit then I would start him alongside Michael Keane and have Holgate at right back. I am going to proceed with what I would do if Tarkowski is not fit, because I am glutton for punishment. In this case I would play three centre backs. With Jarrad Branthwaite injured they would be Holgate, Keane and Jake O’Brien. I am not completely against Vitalii Mykolenko tucking in as a centre back but given it is Holgate’s best position and O’Brien would be making his Premier League debut in this scenario, and that I would be playing Jack Harrison out of position at right wing back, I would want to avoid another square peg in a round hole.

There will be supporters asking why not Roman Dixon at right wing back in this scenario? I understand the question. He is talented and having him at wing back would suit his attacking style and provide protection behind him. But we must not forget he is a 19-year-old with no senior experience and a patched up side around him who we would, in this case, be asking to play against one of the best attacking left forwards in world football in Heung-Min Son. Harrison would also find this difficult and he is a player with years of experience.

There is no good solution here. But this is partly about protecting Dixon in order to give him a chance to succeed. He should travel with the squad having not been involved with the U21s at Chelsea last night. He will probably be on the bench. Everton need a long term solution on the right of defence and if Dixon is to be fast tracked then I would prefer to start or bring him on against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday and go from there.

In the middle I would play Idrissa Gueye, Tim Iroegbunam and Abdoulaye Doucoure as a protective shield to the defence. I would give Iroebugnam, not Doucoure, the licence to push forward when possible - he looked good carrying the ball against Brighton and Hove Albion and was a bright spark amid the opening day gloom. This is all building up to me starting Iliman Ndiaye with Dominic Calvert-Lewin. A clever player, an attacking threat, someone to give Spurs something to think about and to stop Calvert-Lewin from becoming isolated. I think he should have started last week (and wrote that here) and I think he should start today.

My team (5-3-2): Pickford; Mykolenko, O’Brien, Keane, Holgate, Harrison; Gueye, Doucoure, Iroebugnam; Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin

Chris Beesley - One change from Brighton

Everton manager Sean Dyche has warned that he might have just 14 senior players to pick from for today’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur but all eyes are on who he selects to replace the suspended Ashley Young at right-back. Putting the oldest outfield player in Everton history up against Son Heung-Min might have been as successful as making the 39-year-old go toe-to-toe with Kaoru Mitoma the previous weekend anyway but with club captain Seamus Coleman, Nathan Patterson and James Garner all unlikely to be fit to fill the void according to the Blues boss, it seems he has something of a dilemma.

Unless Dyche decides to give youth a chance and hand a baptism of fire to teenage prospect Roman Dixon in the role – as this correspondent has already pointed out, given the stock the Everton manager seems to hold in selecting players with experience, it seems more likely he’d pick Lee Dixon at right-back – then the most obvious option is starting where the Blues finished off against Brighton & Hove Albion and selected Mason Holgate. The Yorkshireman, who saw red himself on a previous trip to London under Dyche when he was sent off in a goalless draw at Crystal Palace on April 22 last year as the side slipped back into the relegation zone, may have been surplus to requirements at Goodison Park for over a year now but here is an opportunity to put himself in the shop window ahead of transfer deadline day and prove the doubters wrong with a strong display.