AndyC
Player Valuation: £70m
Everton on the wrong, oh so wrong, end of a Christmas goals fest.
Everton 2-6 Tottenham Hotspur
Red hot Tottenham proved to be way too much for Everton as Son and Kane both bagged doubles, but they were helped by a disastrous first half collision that gifted them an equalising goal.
The first of four games in a ten day spell over Christmas and New Year saw saw the Blues playing host to high-flying Spurs in the last home game of 2018.
With two losses and two draws so far in December, Marco Silva was understandably keen for his charges to get back to winning ways and ideally with victory over one of the so-called 'Top Six'.
In his pre-match press fathering Silva commented, "This will be our first game at home to the top six, it will be a good opportunity to show our quality. We know their quality, but we have all the confidence to play our game and do everything to win the match."
He also confirmed that both Andre Gomes and Richarlison were both fit for selection despite having missed a couple of training sessions, but Idrissa a Gana Gueye would have a late fitness test on the groin injury that saw him miss last weekends trip to Manchester City.
The final team sheet submission read: Pickford, Digne, Zouma, Keane, Coleman (c), Davies, Gomes, Sigurdsson, Walcott, Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino responded in kind saying, "We are on a good run and playing well, but the moment we lose games it's going to turn quick. All the positives today will be reversed and become negatives."
Spurs too had injury concerns with Aurier, Dembele, Dier, Vertonhen and Wanyama all unavailable while Harry Kane was expected to play despite having had a cold earlier in the week.
Spurs lined up: Lloris (c), Trippier, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Davies, Sissoko, Winks, Son, Eriksen, Alli and Kane.
On a damp, grey afternoon, our referee was Paul Tierney.
The opening exchanges saw Spurs passing the ball around confidently until a good challenge by DCL on Sanchez and a good tackle by Walcott sparked the Blues into life.
A decent move on nine minutes saw Pickford find Coleman who juggled the ball to find Sigurdsson who played in Walcott for a cross that saw Richarlison head wide.
Spurs responded with Kane getting on the end of a ball from Trippier to left his effort on goal just wide. Spurs nearly opened the scored on 12 minutes as Son, looking offside, got away on the left to get to the byeline - did the ball cross the line (?) - before crossing for Trippier to shoot and Pickford make a good stop.
It was Everton though who took the lead in the 21st minutes as Digne went down the left to find Sigurdsson who played in DCL to get to the byeline to cross for Theo Walcott to beat Lloris at his near post.
Kane, found by Winks, bent a shot just over as the visitors looked to hit back immediately, but it was Everton who had the ball in the net as DCL looped a good header from a Walcott cross beyond Lloris, but he was adjudged to be offside.
A calamitous collision between Zouma and Pickford racing off his line present Son with an easy equaliser on 26 minutes, and it radically changed the course of the rest of the half.
Kane, fed by Alli, shot wide across the face of goal before Trippier was booked for a high boot into the midriff of DCL.
Everton were busy trying to get back into the game, but Spurs were looking calm and assured in possession and broke quickly on 35 minutes to take the lead. son was found on the left and when Pickford could only parry his shot straight out, Alli was on the spot to ram the ball home from twelve yards.
And it got worse for the Blues on 41 minutes as from a free kick for a nothing foul on Son, Trippier bent the shot around the wall to beat Pickford, the ball coming back off the post and Harry Kane reacted quickest to grab his now customary goal against Everton.
Half Time: 1-3
Spurs replaced Alli with Lamela for the second half.
A blistering start to the second half saw Spurs stretch their lead as a cross from the right by Lamela was cleared only as far as Eriksen who smoke a stunning volley back past Pickford before the goalie could react.
Everton hit back to reduce the arrears as Davies found Richarlison who in turn found Sigurdsson and the Icelander junked to his right to beat two men before shooting across Lloris and inside the far past with less than five minutes played.
Everton withdrew Andre Gomes on 52 minutes, replacing him with Morgan Schneiderlin.
With Everton looking in vain for an offside flag, Spurs struck with deadly purpose, Lamela with a ball through the middle for Son to run onto and easily for his second and Spurs fifth goal just past the hour mark.
With the three goal cushion resumed, Spurs eased up a little, but it was only a temporary breather as on 73 minutes, another incisive move saw them move further ahead. Winks sent Son away down the left and his perfect cross was clinically buried by Kane for his second and fourth game on the bounce against Everton where he's bagged a brace.
Bernard replaced Richarlison as Spurs celebrated and lots of Blues fans decided enough was enough and headed for the early exit gates.
As if there was any real doubt as to the outcome, Spurs were happy now to play the ball around and soak up the pressure that Everton tried to mount without sufficient quality to overly threaten the visitors.
Skip replaced Son on 78 minutes and further changes on 82 saw Cenk Tosun replace Gylfi Sigurdsson who had run himself into the ground and Moura come on for Sissoko.
There was no further meaningful action and Goodison emptied very quickly at the final whistle as Evertons' miserable December continued.
Full Time: 2-6
