Everton 2-2 Tottenham: Jarrad Branthwaite's header sees Toffees ...

4 Feb 2024
Premier League

Everton salvaged a draw in injury time at Goodison Park after a frenetic lunchtime clash with Tottenham in the Premier League.

With time running out, Jarrad Branthwaite headed in from close range to level up a game in which they’d largely been outplayed.

In the first half Richarlison twice bit the hand that used to feed him with a pair of superb goals.

The first was a volley from a cross by Destiny Udogie, the second placed high into the net from the edge of the area after good work by James Maddison.

Those goals were either side of another Everton set-piece goal. Their persistent pressure from corners paid off when Jack Harrison got the final touch in a close-range scramble.

The point lifts Everton out of the relegation zone on goal difference, while Tottenham now sit fourth, two points behind Arsenal and Liverpool.

TALKING POINT

A lack of resilience cost Tottenham dearly. One goal leads are precarious in the Premier League; most teams have the firepower to cause any others problems, and Spurs succumbed to a late goal to lose two potentially vital points in injury time.

That it should come from a set piece was not a surprise. Everton had scored from one in the first half and had Spurs under pressure from corners throughout the match, with the visitors offering very little protection to the exposed Guglielmo Vicario.

The late strike also arrived after Spurs had removed Maddison, Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson, and opted for a more defensive posture to try and see the game through. Without the tools to do it that backfired; to finish in the top four, their current personnel will need to be more decisive at the other end of the pitch when they are dominating games.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur)

In a frenzied game at Goodison, the composure showed by Maddison stood out. He directed a number of slick breaks for Spurs and provided a deft touch to set up Richarlison’s second. Had the attacking players around him been similarly adroit in key moments, Spurs could have been out of sight before the late sting from Branthwaite.

PLAYER RATINGS

Everton: Pickford 7; Godfrey 6, Tarkowski 6, Branthwaite 7, Mykolenko 7; Young 6, Garner 7, Gueye 6, McNeil 6; Harrison 7; Calvert-Lewin 7

SUBS: Coleman 6, Chermiti 6, Beto 6, Dobbin 6

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario 6, Porro 6, Romero 6, Van de Ven 7, Udogie 7; Hojbjerg 6, Bentancur 5, Maddison 8; Johnson 6, Richarlison 7, Werner 5

SUBS: Skipp 6, Dragusin 6, Gil 6, Kulusevski 6, Sarr 6

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

4' GOAL! EVERTON 0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 (RICHARLISON 4) This is a lovely, slick move. Werner pokes a cute pass in behind the Everton defence to Udogie near the byline. Udogie cuts it back to the penalty spot, where Richarlison volleys it high into the net. That's a superb goal.

30' GOAL! EVERTON 1 (HARRISON 30) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 Everton's corner ploy pays off! Harrison is right underneath Vicario as McNeil's cross swings in viciously, and Vicario can only waft a soft hand at it. That deflects the ball to Tarkowski, who heads it back across goal and Calvert-Lewin nods it into Harrison and in from a yard out!

41' GOAL! EVERTON 1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 (RICHARLISON 41) It's him again, and what a hit! Udogie leads a break and finds Maddison, who slides it wide to Werner on the left. Werner cuts it back to Maddison on the edge; Maddison touches off to Richarlison, who side-foots a glorious curler into the top corner!

90+4' GOAL! EVERTON 2 (BRANTHWAITE 90+4') TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 Everton have nicked a point, surely! The free kick is whipped into the penalty area, and flicks off the head of Romero; the ball drifts to the back post where Branthwaite arrives to head through Vicario from a yard out!

KEY STAT

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