Everton 0-3 Tottenham Match Report as Micky Van de Ven sends Spurs into Premier League top three
Thomas Frank’s Tottenham are the first visitors to take three points at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium following their latest 3-0 victory vs Everton.
Winless since the international break following a 1-2 defeat to Aston Villa last weekend and a goalless draw against Monaco in the Champions League midweek, Tottenham finally put up a performance good enough to help them return to winning ways.
After a run of disappointing displays, fans had started to lose patience with Thomas Frank, but thankfully, the win came just in time. Two first-half set-piece goals from captain Micky van de Ven and a late third by Pape Sarr ensured the North London side climbed to third in the Premier League standings.
Brennan Johnson finally returned to the starting XI after nearly a month, while deadline day signing Randal Kolo Muani made his first start for the club.
First half: Everton 0-2 Tottenham
While it appeared to be a simple 4-2-3-1 setup, something Frank had used all season, it was rather all mixed up.
Mohammed Kudus played in the number ten role while Johnson drifted wide, and that tweak made a difference. Kudus had been tightly marked against Monaco, but Johnson’s presence opened up space for him, and the shape looked more like a 4-2-2-2 or a 4-4-2 at times.
Everton could have equalised less than four minutes into the game had Pedro Porro not blocked Jack Grealish’s powerful close-range volley on the line. Soon after though, set-piece Spurs struck.
Kudus delivered a deep corner to the back post where Rodrigo Bentancur headed it back across goal, and van de Ven was at the right place to nod it home from close range.
James Garner then forced a diving save from Guglielmo Vicario with a fierce strike from 30 yards, before Everton thought they had levelled when O’Brien headed in from a corner.
However, Vicario immediately complained for a foul after being sandwiched between Grealish and Ndiaye in the process. Following a lengthy VAR check, the goal was correctly ruled out.
Bentancur nearly doubled Tottenham’s advantage moments later when his half-volley from the edge of the box went just over the bar.
Spurs didn’t have to wait long for their second. In first-half stoppage time, Van de Ven met Porro’s corner with a first-time connection to make it 2-0, giving Tottenham a comfortable lead heading into the break.
Second half: Everton 0-1 Tottenham
Everton came out fighting in the second half, showing more intent going forward. Ndiaye’s effort drifted just wide before Beto attempted a stunning overhead kick from close range, only for Vicario to pull off an outstanding reflex save.
Substitute Richarlison then missed a golden chance to score against his former club. After winning the ball off Tarkowski, he found himself one-on-one with Pickford but fired straight at the keeper, who did well to close him down quickly.
With just a minute to go, Tottenham sealed the victory. Richarlison’s header to the back post found Pape Sarr, who snuck in to make it 3-0.
That was enough for Thomas Frank’s men to confidently see through the game and finally enjoy a performance that matched their quality.
FT: EVERTON 0-3 TOTTENHAM
Spurs Web man of the match: Micky Van de Ven
What’s next for Spurs?
Credit where it’s due, it was a well-executed experiment from Thomas Frank. The right-hand side looked sharp, with Johnson and Kudus interchanging effectively and freeing up space for one another. Johnson also put in a strong defensive shift, helping Porro keep Grealish quiet all evening.
The same can’t be said for the left flank, as Tottenham’s two least effective players were Xavi Simons and Djed Spence. Both were often caught out of position and guilty of giving the ball away too cheaply.
Next up, Tottenham travel to St James’ Park for a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against defending champions Newcastle on Wednesday.
The post Everton 0-3 Tottenham Match Report as Micky Van de Ven sends Spurs into Premier League top three appeared first on Spurs Web.