Report

Spurs beat Everton to leapfrog Man City into top four

23 Dec 2023
Son and Richarlison

Son and Richarlison score and goalkeeper Vicario makes seven saves in 2-1 victory to end Toffees's winning run

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Tottenham Hotspur beat Everton 2-1 to move into fourth place, knocking Manchester City down to fifth and ending the Toffees's four-match winning Premier League run.

Richarlison and Son Heung-min scored the goals before Andre Gomes set up a nervy finish at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with his first Premier League goal since February 2019.

The hosts were indebted to goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who made seven saves and somehow kept out substitute Arnaut Danjuma's effort in the last minute of stoppage time on the goalline. 

Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Everton
How the match unfolded

Spurs took a ninth-minute lead when Richarlison steered in Brennan Johnson's low cross for his fourth goal in three Premier League matches, following a run of only two in his previous 39 appearances for the club.

It made Richarlison the 13th different player to score against Everton in the Premier League having previously played for the Toffees in the competition, and the first since Joshua King in 2021. 

Johnson then missed a big chance to double the lead moments later, but in the 18th minute it was 2-0. Jordan Pickford saved Johnson's shot in the box but the rebound fell to Son, who finished first time past five Everton bodies for his 11th goal of the season, behind only Erling Haaland's 14 in the Premier League Golden Boot race.

Things got worse for Everton in the 24th minute when Idrissa Gueye injured himself in a challenge with Richarlison and was forced off. With Abdoulaye Doucoure already injured and missing the match, Sean Dyche brought on Gomes for his first Everton appearance since May 2022.

Despite Spurs' lead, Everton outshot their hosts by eight to five in the first half, with Vicario in fine form to save Dominic Calvert-Lewin's header, James Garner's shot, and Jack Harrison's big chance on the break in added time. 

Vicario was finally beaten six minutes after the break, but Everton were denied a goal their play deserved because Calvert-Lewin's strike was ruled out following a VAR intervention due to a foul by Gomes in the build-up. 

Everton continued to look dangerous, with Garner clipping a post shortly after the hour mark, while at the other end Pickford made a fantastic save from Dejan Kulusevski

Finally, in the 82nd minute, Everton scored. A corner wasn't cleared and Gomes fired back across goal from a tight angle for his first goal in over four years.

It was all Everton from then on, with the Toffees going all out attack, bringing on Beto and former Spurs player Danjuma, and the latter twice came close to earning a late, late point. 

First, he was denied by a flying save from Vicario before, deep into six minutes of stoppage time, then he struck the woodwork with a shot that bounced down and off the line via Spurs' goalkeeper.

Spurs v Everton GDS

A third consecutive win for Spurs means they end Everton's four-match winning run and move onto 36 points, four off top spot.

The top four race

Position Pos Club Played Pl GD Points Pts
1 Arsenal ARS 35 +57 80
2 Man City MCI 34 +50 79
3 Liverpool LIV 35 +41 75
4 Aston Villa AVL 35 +21 67
5 Spurs TOT 33 +15 60
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One sour note for them, however, will be Cristian Romero's half-time withdrawal with an apparent injury that left him with ice on his hamstring on the bench during the second half.

Everton, meanwhile, stay in 16th place, four above the relegation zone.

See: Spurs report | Everton report

Fight against relegation

Position Pos Club Played Pl GD Points Pts
15 Everton EVE 35 -11 36
16 Brentford BRE 35 -8 35
17 Nott'm Forest NFO 35 -20 26
18 Luton LUT 35 -29 25
19 Burnley BUR 35 -32 24
20 Sheffield Utd SHU 35 -63 16
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Next five Premier League matches
Key facts

Spurs have scored in 30 consecutive league matches for the third time in their history, after runs of 32 ending in 1949 and 1962.

Spurs have won more Premier League matches against Everton than they have versus any other side (30).

Everton manager Sean Dyche has never won away to Spurs in the Premier League, with one draw and six defeats, seeing his teams score three goals while conceding 17 in return.

Son Heung-min scored his 11th goal in his 18th game of the season in the Premier League, surpassing his tally for the entirety of last season (10 goals, 36 apps).

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