PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 24TH AUGUST, 2024
(3pm)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 4(2) EVERTON 0(0)

Scorers:-
Bissouma, 14
Son, 25,77
Romero, 71

Attendance:- 61,357

Referee:- Anthony Taylor
Assistants:- Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn
Fourth official:- Tom Nield
VAR:- Andy Madley
Assistant VAR:- Harry Lennard.

Teams:-
Spurs (4-2-3-1):- 1. Vicario; 23. Pedro Porro, 17. Romero, 37. Van de Ven, 13. Udogie (sub 24. Spence, 73); 21. Kulusevski (sub 29. Sarr, 67), 8. Bissouma (sub 14. Gray, 72); 22. Johnson, 10. Maddison (sub 15. Bergvall, 79), 28. Odobert (sub 9. Richarlison, 66); 7. Son (Capt.)

Subs not used:- 20. Forster; 6. Dragusin, 33. Davies; 16. Werner

No bookings

Everton (4-5-1):- 1. Pickford; 75. Dixon, 6. Tarkowski (Capt.), 5. Keane, 19. Mykolenko; 7. McNeil, 42. Iroegbunam, 27. Gueye (sub 45. H. Armstrong, 90+1), 16. Doucoure (sub 10. Ndiaye, 57), 11. Harrison (sub 29. Lindstrom, 57); 9. Calvert-Lewin (sub 14. Beto, 72)

Subs not used:- 12. Joao Virginia; 4. Holgate, 15. O'Brien; 44. Metcalfe; 21. Maupay

No bookings

This could be Spurs' easiest game of the season.

Spurs scored four goals, making it 106 in 65 Premier League games against Everton, and their 21st home win in 33 such games. Skipper Heung-min Son scored his 121st and 122nd Premier League goals - his first of the season. One was gifted by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The other was laid on a plate after an excellent lung-bursting end-to-end run by Micky Van de Ven.

Cristian Romero scored from a corner in his 100th club appearance and Yves Bissouma went some way to atoning for his laughing gas sins with an outstanding 14th minute opener. This was a very comfortable win for Spurs against their favourite opposition of the Premier League ever-presents, and it could be their easiest game of the season.

Sean Dyche was apparently down to 14 recognised first-teamers. He had to play a rookie 19-year-old right back Roman Dixon - and perhaps Ange Postecoglou anticipated this, giving Wilson Odobert his Spurs debut on the left wing. While Dixon certainly didn't disgrace himself, Odobert had an excellent game. He excited the crowd with his speedy traditional wing work and made plenty of useful crosses.

A few in the crowd (me included) might remember "The Great Wilson," who was a boys' comic hero in "The Wizard" and subsequently "The Hornet." There are a couple of potential nicknames there!

Ange was able to play his first choice defence, but with Bentancur forced to miss this game, he chose to play Kulusevski next to Bissouma, although the Spurs midfield was very fluid and effective against Everton's desperate five-man midfield. Whilst that midfield committed plenty of fouls, none were bad enough to attract a yellow card from experienced referee Anthony Taylor.

Ben Davies was presented pre-match with a gift commemorating his 10 years with Spurs. Ben has made 225 Premier League appearances, but he was not used today.

Everton turned us round and we kicked off playing towards the massive South Stand. A Maddison corner was intercepted, and we won a corner in the first minute. After the corner, Son crossed to Romero, whose shot was saved by Everton's player of the year Pickford. A cross by Pedro Porro from Maddison's pass went through the danger zone.

It was non-stop attack by Spurs with Maddison and Odobert winning another corner. Pickford saved a deflected shot by Son to his right. The England keeper gets plenty of practice in this team!

Everton finally managed an attack down the left with Mykolenko feeding midfielder Tim Iroegbunam (signed from Villa this summer), but Vicario blocked his shot. Pickford blocked a shot by Maddison and soon after Maddison crossed from the left, but Johnson headed a great chance wide.

The first goal was not long coming and followed good play on the right with Bissouma latching on to Kulusevski's cross, hitting a dipping but powerful shot into the net off the underside of the crossbar from 20 yards. It was a great moment for "Biss."

Everton now had occasional attacks on the counter and Doucoure hit the side netting with a shot from the right. Odobert was seeing a lot of the ball and demonstrating wing wizardry.

Our second goal was a gift and Pickford had to hold his hands up in apology and shame as Son was presented with the ball and did not turn down the offering.

Spurs really should have extended their lead, but to some extent they took their foot off the pedal in the first half. Calvert-Lewin met a cross from McNeil, but the ever-reliable Van de Ven blocked that with his own header. After an over-hit corner Maddison fed Pedro Porro and Odobert headed over from his cross.

Van de Ven needed treatment in midfield, and it seemed a long 30 seconds before he was allowed back into the playing area. Romero conceded a cheap corner after which McNeil won a second corner with a blocked shot. Everton had three corners in this period and a goalmouth scramble during which Maddison cleared a Doucoure effort off the line. Spurs responded with two corners in added time. After one of these Pedro Porro hit a left-footed shot just over the bar.

Everton kicked off the second half playing away from their fans, who had little to cheer and left in droves well before the end of the game. It takes a lot of gumption to be an Everton fan these days.

Spurs had an early free kick near half-way. Following this long kick Maddison had a right-footed shot saved by Pickford, who had been taunted constantly by the home fans after that error.

Spurs began to let the visitors have too much time on the ball and some desperate defending was required after a mis-placed Odobert cross-field pass. Vicario saved from Lindstrom, who is a loan-signing from Napoli.

Son was fouled just outside the Everton box, at which point Ange made his first substitutions with Richarlison replacing Odobert and Sarr replacing Kulusevski. Maddison put the free kick just wide of Pickford's left post.

Son moved to the left now and won a corner on that side. Maddison took the kick, floated it into the 6-yard zone and Romero rose to head home with ease to make it 3-0.

Udogie subsequently needed some treatment, and he was replaced by Djed Spence who filled in well at left back.

Spurs scored a great fourth goal when Van de Ven picked up the ball in his own area and made a bee-line sprint to the other end. Micky had a chance to shoot but teed up his captain nicely. "Sonny" scored beneath Pickford. That was game over and I understand that Paddy Power are already paying out on bets for Everton to be relegated. That might have been a spoof post on "X."

Last year Everton lost their first three games and failed to score. So far, they've lost two, failed to score and have a -7 goal difference!

Spurs face a more testing trip to Newcastle next Sunday, by which time we will know more about our Europa League programme to come.

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