Tottenham's impressive heading ability guided by Thomas Frank sent Everton plummeting back to earth at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The visitors handed Everton's first defeat at the new stadium courtesy of a trio of headers, a double from the excellent Micky van de Ven, to rise to the top three in the top flight and maintain their dominant performances away from home.
Set-Piece Dominance Seals Victory
A clear gap at the home ground is sharply different to the clinical effectiveness of the London club on their travels. The Dutch defender scored from two corners before replacement Pape Matar Sarr banished all hopes of an comeback with another near-post nod in the dying moments. Given the obvious lack of a prolific forward in the Everton squad, the prospect of an Everton comeback was unlikely despite the efforts of Iliman Ndiaye, James Garner, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish. It is now 13 points from a available 15 for Frank’s side on their travels this season.
Game Highlights
The contest was shaped by set-pieces and Van de Ven’s commanding performance at both ends of the pitch. The hosts matched Spurs for enterprising approach work but had no solution to the excellence of the away team's set-piece delivery or their skipper’s heading power. Jeers that met the half-time whistle were aimed squarely at the match official, however.
Grealish almost picked up where he stopped last time out at Hill Dickinson Stadium by giving his team the lead from close range. Excellent Ndiaye raced past the full-back to set up the striker but, after the hapless centre-forward missed the ball, Grealish appeared at the far post and saw a shot on target blocked on the line by the defender. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall blazed the loose ball high and wide.
The midfield duo both troubled the Everton defence as an end-to-end game let the engine rooms to impress. But it was a centre-back who stole the show. From a the winger's corner swept high to the back post, the Uruguayan directed the ball into the mixer with his upper body for the defender to nod in from point-blank range.
That marked the initial strike Everton have conceded from a set piece this term and Tottenham's initial effort on target. It became two set-piece goals in first-half stoppage time when the visitors’ precision under Frank punished Everton again. Pedro Porro was the provider, this time from the left with a brilliant, vicious corner that demanded a conversion. Van de Ven applied it once the curling cross sailed over the centre-half and before Jordan Pickford’s fists could reach it. His first-half double must have come from a total range of very close range.
Controversial Call and Late Goal
Tottenham's second came during seven minutes of time added on mostly for the ruling to disallow a powerful nod by the defender shortly after Van de Ven’s opener. O'Brien believed he'd scored from another fine corner, taken by Dewsbury-Hall, and a headed effort that gave the keeper no chance in the Spurs’ goal. The home fans' joy were diluted when the VAR instructed the referee to check the pitch-side monitor.
They were spoiled completely when the match official ruled that two attackers were both in an offside position and impeding the goalkeeper. Both players were obviously in an illegal spot when the defender made contact but the degree to which they interfered with the shot-stopper was highly debatable. The official's reasoning was inaudible amid the boos that overwhelmed him.
The home side reacted positively to the setbacks, particularly after the restart. Beto, who failed to read an inviting cross along the six-yard box from Ndiaye in the first half, almost atoned with an overhead kick from the winger's cross. Vicario produced an superb stop to prevent the striker. Tottenham's commitment to a clean sheet was shown by João Palhinha putting his body in the way of Idrissa Gueye’s volley late on. Richarlison could have increased the visitors’ lead when a lobbed pass caught out Tarkowski and put him through on goal, but the England keeper spread himself well to stop the former Everton striker.
Richarlison was heavily involved in Tottenham's final goal, though, directing a header from a further precise cross into the danger area for Pape Matar Sarr to nod beyond the keeper.
