Home Sports Everton 3-2 Tottenham: Spurs slump to ANOTHER defeat as pressure builds on Ange Postecoglou after rejuvenated Toffees’ first-half blitz

Everton 3-2 Tottenham: Spurs slump to ANOTHER defeat as pressure builds on Ange Postecoglou after rejuvenated Toffees’ first-half blitz

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Everton beat Tottenham 3-2 at Goodison Park and moved four points clear of the relegation zone

Of all the ways Tottenham have found to lose games during this terrible midwinter disappearance, this is a strong contender for being the worst.

Worse than the docile surrender against Arsenal on Wednesday. Worse than humiliating home defeats against struggling Chelsea, Newcastle or Ipswich. Worse than the six-goal thrashing at home to Liverpool.

Two late goals flattered the performance. They were trailing by three at halfway against an Everton team who had forgotten how to score and had not beaten Spurs at Goodison Park since David Moyes was in charge the first time.

With Moyes back on the touchline for the second game of his second coming, they sensed weakness in their visitors, pounced on them and, although they probably slowed down too soon, ended a run of six without defeat in the Premier League.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin led the scoring race, playing as a “true centre-forward”, according to Moyes.

Iliman Ndiaye scored a wonderful solo goal, albeit with minimal resistance, Archie Gray put one into his own net just before the break and Spurs had a series of saves from goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky to limit the damage.

Everton beat Tottenham 3-2 at Goodison Park and moved four points clear of the relegation zone

The Toffees scored three goals in a breathless first half to secure a crucial victory.

The Toffees scored three goals in a breathless first half to secure a crucial victory.

Spurs suffered another tough defeat and languish in 15th place in the table.

Spurs suffered another tough defeat and languish in 15th place in the table.

Ange Postecoglou’s tactical plan to cover the gaps in a team reduced by 10 casualties with a change of formation went very wrong.

They fared better after the break, with Dejan Kulusevski launching a late comeback in the 77th minute with a delicate shot over a crowd of players, to spark a late burst, and Richarlison scoring another from close range in stoppage time.

Nerves were rumbling in the stadium, but Everton had done enough and Moyes once again enjoyed the great Goodison roar.

Tottenham returned to the capital lucky not to suffer more embarrassing results, and no one was fooled in the end. Protest songs echoed about President Daniel Levy, who watched impassively from the VIP seats.

Despite all the goodwill about his style of play and the realization in the boardroom that injuries have made circumstances very difficult, pressure is mounting on Postecoglou ahead of a trip to Hoffenheim in the Europa League on Thursday. .

Tottenham, for all their Champions League pretensions, are 15th in the Premier League and Everton, one place behind, are on a roll under Moyes. All the other teams in the bottom eight, except Spurs and Ipswich, have changed managers and the Australian knows he can’t keep losing.

Fresh injuries to Brennan Johnson, Yves Bissouma and Dominic Solanke shook Postecoglou just when he dared to think his crisis might be easing and his bench was telling the story. There was a fourth-choice goalkeeper, six teenagers with a Premier League start between them, a left-back they have been trying to sell for two years and Richarlison.

It forced Postocoglou to carry out a reorganization. With Ben Davies back, he changed Spurs’ shape to a back three with full-backs and Heung-min Son up front in the middle with James Maddison and Kulusevski in support.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring after dancing into space and firing into the corner.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring after dancing into space and firing into the corner.

Iliman Ndiaye then doubled the home team's lead after a shot inside the near post.

Iliman Ndiaye then doubled the home team’s lead after a shot inside the near post.

Archie Gray scored an unfortunate own goal to add to the misery in first-half stoppage time.

Archie Gray scored an unfortunate own goal to add to the misery in first-half stoppage time.

Spurs threatened a late comeback after Dejan Kulusevki curled a wonderful finish into the net.

Spurs threatened a late comeback after Dejan Kulusevki curled a wonderful finish into the net.

Richarlison then slid in to finish at the far post in injury time to give the visitors hope.

Richarlison then slid in to finish at the far post in injury time to give the visitors hope.

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The plan, however, failed. Tottenham could not find fluidity and Everton took control to the delight of the home crowd. Antonin Kinsky made a flying save from Jesper Lindstrom, the first of many, but there was nothing he could do and Calvert-Lewin found the net.

Idrissa Gueye played a pass through his feet and the centre-forward turned Gray one way and then the other before firing a low shot past Kinsky. It was his first goal in four months and a confidence-building goal at Goodison Park against fragile opponents.

Kinsky made another great save to deflect an Orel Mangala shot onto the post and rose to his feet to prevent a Calvert-Lewin header as the ball raced back into the penalty area.

The Spurs goalkeeper then ran off his line to frustrate Calvert-Lewin again, this time clearly bursting into goal, but he missed with his second touch, taking a knee. Kinsky got out of trouble but Everton’s second arrived after half an hour.

Gueye slipped a quick pass into Ndiaye’s midfield and accelerated, meeting no resistance until he was on the edge of the penalty area, where he launched an extravagant step past Radu Dragusin and smashed a shot high into the net.

The third was an own goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half, added after Dragusin required prolonged treatment for a head injury after being caught by Calvert-Lewin’s stray arm.

James Tarkowski, who had just been thwarted by another Kinksy save, headed in a cross from deep, Calvert-Lewin saw it and Gray, facing his own goal as he tried to recover, kneed it into his own goal through the middle. of chaos.

This summed up a miserable first half for the visitors. They flickered briefly when Jordan Pickford made two saves from Son, but Everton dominated the first half.

Spurs have lost four of their last five games in a terrible second season for Ange Postecoglou

Spurs have lost four of their last five games in a terrible second season for Ange Postecoglou

Son Heung-min shot towards goal but couldn't beat Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Son Heung-min shot towards goal but couldn’t beat Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Postecoglou couldn't hide his frustration during a painful first half for the Spurs

Postecoglou couldn’t hide his frustration during a painful first half for the Spurs

The Spurs traveling contingent was heard loudly asking chairman Daniel Levy to leave.

The Spurs traveling contingent was heard loudly asking chairman Daniel Levy to leave.

Dragusin did not return for the second half and Spurs reverted to the more familiar 433 formation with Richarlison to lead the line.

They improved. Richarlison added aggression, Mikey Moore came in to offer threat on the left flank and everyone seemed more comfortable in a more familiar system.

But there was no miraculous recovery. This is considered a big win for Everton as they try to escape another relegation under Moyes.

And this is considered a big defeat for the visitors, who are inconceivably close to the relegation places.

MATCH DATA

Everton: Pickford, O’Brien (Keane, 88), Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Mangala, Gueye, Lindstrom (young, 70), Doucoure, Ndiaye (Patterson, 88), Calvert-Lewin

Unused subs: Harrison, Virginia, Beto, Begovic, Armstrong, Sherif

Goals: Calvert-Lewin 23, Ndiaye 30, Gray OG 45+7

Reserved: Calvert-Lewin, Doucoure

Manager: David Moyes

Tottenham: Kinsky, Porro, Dragusin (Richarlison, 46), Davies, Spence, Sarr (Moore, 73), Gray, Bergvall, Kulusevski, Son, Maddison

Unused subs: Reguilon, Min-hyeok, Austin, Lankshear, Ajayi, Olusesi, Hardy

Goals: Kulusevski 77, Richarlison 90+2

Reserved: Bergvall

Manager: Ange Postecoglou

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