Everton (away) 07.11.2021

Starting with the same XI that faced Vitesse on Thursday, Antonio Conte hoped that they would carry a bit of the confidence from that win (however hard earned), but the side looked as disjointed as under Nuno, with misplaced passes and no shot on target again, although they are getting closer.  Spurs could not retain possession (and neither could Everton), with the midfields winning the ball and then giving it away.  Picking off under-hit passes was the main feature of the early part of the match, but Everton had a chance seven minutes into the match, when a short free-kick was lofted to the back post and Michael Keane won the header, but put it wide.  The game was stop-start, with a lot of free-kicks given, with Reguilon taking a yellow for bringing down Andros Townsend as the former Spurs man looked to get away.

A couple of times in the first half Hugo Lloris had to act as a sweeper-keeper, heading the ball away before a blue shirt got to long balls, while Spurs failed to make a killer pass when breaking forward and that was something that was littered all over this match.  Neither side were clinical in the final third, allowing chances to slip by as passes didn’t find their targets or there was a lack of commitment or technical ability to get on the end of balls into the box to finish them off, like when Royal headed Reguilon’s cross over the bar.  Delph got his almost customary yellow card because he wasn’t quick enough to catch Lucas Moura breaking past him, so just tripped him over.  Ben Godfrey tried a 25 yard shot but Lloris had plenty of time to get behind the weak effort, but Tottenham had the best chance of the half in the final minute, as Kane got away on the right, putting a cross into the box.  Sergio came in from the left to meet it, but couldn’t keep his half-volley down and it soared over the top.

Neither manager made any changes at the interval, so it looked as though we were set for more of the same.  Spurs started the second half looking a little more determined, but were unable to translate that into goal-scoring chances.  Toffees’ youngster Anthony Gordon was trying to test Lloris, but his volley to Gray’s cross went well wide of Hugo’s goal and Spurs attacked, with Son’s set-up leading to Regi’s shot being blocked.  In fact, it was the Spurs defenders who were going closest, with Ben Davies popping up to fire Oliver Skipp’s pass hard at goal but it was moving away form the target just after the hour. 

When Richarlison followed a long ball pumped into the Spurs area, he went down as Hugo came out to challenge him and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.  Well, that was until it was pointed out to him by VAR that he needed to take another look and after viewing the incident a few times on the monitor he ran back to the pitch and wiped out his decision.  I wouldn’t have thought it was too difficult a decision to make, as a few people are aware that Richarlison liked to make the most of any contact.  And he did exactly that when he started a bust-up with Romero that ended with both players going into the referee’s book.  Gray and Tom Davies had shots blocked, then Davies got one on target that brought a save to Hugo’s left, but it wasn’t the most difficult save he would have to make this season. 

With 20 minutes left, Conte took off Moura and Reguilon to introduce Matt Doherty and Giovani Lo Celso.  It didn’t seem to change things straight away as Gordon tried another volley that got blocked and then a good chance was created when Digne put a low ball across goal and while Demarai Gray got a touch to it, the ball spun wide.  That was with right minutes left and Benitez brought on Holgate for Allan, while Son left the action to be replaced by Tanguy Ndombele, with Holgate fouling Skipp as the first thing he did and then Tanguy walking away with the ball that earned him a swift yellow card.  Another sub – Lo Celso – then went close to winning the match for Spurs, although technically it wasn’t a shot on target.  Hojbjerg won the ball in the centre circle, moved it to Skippy who took it forward and laid it off to Gio on his right.  He came infield and from a central position outside the D, he curled the ball beyond Pickford only to see the ball bounce out off the foot of the post. 

As the clock ticked onto the 90 minute mark, Royal put in a low pass intended for Lo Celso that Holgate intercepted, but in trying to prove to his manager that his last few terrible performances were behind him, he got the ball but then raked his studs down the back of Hojbjerg’s thigh.  Kavanagh initially pulled out a yellow card, but again VAR advised he look again and after a quick visit to the pitch-side monitor, he beckoned the Everton sub who had been on for eight minutes to him and produced a red card (the fourth in our two games this week !).  It was the correct decision, as it was seriously dangerous play and the defender was reckless in his challenge.

There wasn’t really enough time to make the extra man count and Skipp went into the book for a blatant foul on Townsend in added time, but the teams settled for a point apiece, which they probably would have done before kick off.  It was a poor performance by both teams and if ever a game looked like it had 0-0 written all over it and that both sides would be ending the season in mid-table security, this was the one.  Too many unforced errors were a signature failing of our game and while a few chances were created, the lack of direct efforts on goal is a concern, as a goal against us might be enough to win matches if we can’t score.  Kane played OK, but never looked like scoring against a side he has a good record against mainly because the service isn’t there and with the opportunities all falling to defenders, the likelihood of scoring was pretty slim.  

While that is all true, we have to be happy with a clean sheet, although against a side who rarely looked like troubling the scorers and it is a point that matches the one we got there last season, but we should be operating at a higher level than this, with Conte having his work cut out to work with those players who aren’t away on international duty over the next ten days.  Hopefully, we will see some difference by the time the Leeds game comes around.

Sparky Markey