Sean Dyche and Company feel the blues as Everton are Thrashed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The second match of the new campaign saw Everton travel to London to take on Tottenham, once again severely shorthanded. With no fit senior right backs available, Dyche turned to 19 year-old Roman Dixon, a regular player in the Academy side. Highlighting the injury crisis at the back, Dixon was started in a four that included Michael Keane and a hobbled James Tarkowski. Otherwise, new boys Ndiaye and Lindstrom once again started from the bench.
Unlike the match against Brighton, it would be tough to argue that the toffees ever got going on Saturday afternoon. Tottenham had their guests pinned back from the opening whistle, launching salvo after salvo at an increasingly shaky Everton midfield and backline. it only took 14 minutes of this unrelenting pressure to find the opener, as Yves Bissouma fired a rocket off the woodwork and in to make the match 1-0.
It would be nice to say that the blues found their way into the match after the goal but it wasn’t the case, and the hosts doubled their advantage only 11 minutes later. It was a preventable, and to be quite honest, horrid mistake from Pickford in goal. The ball was played back and as he moved it out of his feet his touch took the ball outside of his grasp. The little moment was all it took for Son to jump on the ball and usher it home for 2-0.
The second half would see the introduction of Ndiyae and Linstrom at the 60 minute mark or so, with Beto coming n in the 72nd minute. 17 year-old Harrison Armstrong, the Academy midfielder, came on in the 90th minute to make his senior debut as well. Lindstrom’s introduction saw a slight uptick as he fired a shot on target shortly after being brought on, but nothing really changed for the blues. Romero scored in the 71st minute and Son in the 77th to put the game to bed.
It was a dismal day, highlighted by an impressively competent performance from Roman Dixon who in all honesty was thrown unfairly into the fire. The midfield three of Doucoure, Gueye and Iroegbunam continues to look out of sync however, with nothing to speak of in attack. Confusingly, Ndiaye continues to be placed on the wing where he struggled at Marseille and continues to struggle here. Calvert-Lewin continues to be anonymous with no service to him whatsoever, as McNeil and Harrison have found it hard to make an impact.
This team should improve once the new signings are worked in and the likes of Branthwaite return into the starting eleven, but these opening two matches have left supporters worried and rightly so. The coming week presents a huge opportunity to find confidence with two winnable games on the horizon. Start the Carabao in stride by beating Doncaster, and then beat bournemouth at Goodison and hopefully the mood turns on an otherwise souring moo on Merseyside.
UTFT!
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