Tottenham Hotspur faced defeat to a 16th-place Everton side in the Premier League this weekend, making it just one point from the last six games.
Tottenham fall to defeat against struggling Everton
Regardless of whether you’re a Spurs fan or not, it’s hard not to feel a bit of sympathy for Ange Postecoglou at this point. The best managers in the world would struggle to navigate the mess Ange is currently in. Injuries are piling up, reinforcements are nowhere to be seen, and the results speak for themselves.
Spurs entered this match with some rare positive news as Ben Davies, Mikey Moore, and Richarlison returned from injury. However, the joy quickly faded when Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, and Yves Bissouma—three key first-team players—missed out. Ange barely scraped together a starting XI, while the bench looked more like a school outing than a Premier League squad.
Tactically, this was a surprising shift from Ange, who fielded a back three instead of his preferred two. Pedro Porro and Djed Spence operated as advanced full-backs, while James Maddison played on the left and Son Heung-min shifted centrally. It was a brave attempt to mix things up, but it didn’t quite work. Let’s have a look at the match report.
First half: Everton 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur
The first 45 minutes were nothing short of a disgrace. Everton, who had managed just three goals in their last six games, equalled that tally by half-time.
The opener came when Pape Sarr’s poor pass was intercepted, allowing Dominic Calvert-Lewin to charge through Spurs’ defence and fire past Kinsky.
Just five minutes later, Spurs had a golden chance to equalise, but Son squandered a one-on-one opportunity with Jordan Pickford. Shortly after, he missed another sitter following a clever move involving Porro and Kulusevski.
Just five minutes later, Spurs had their chance to equalise. Davies played Son through on goal, but the skipper hesitated too long and was dispossessed. Moments like these defined Spurs’ half-opportunity wasted, while Everton capitalised.
Everton doubled their lead when Ndiaye danced past Dragusin and smashed the ball into the roof of the net. Dragusin looked like a training cone in that sequence, but it was the kind of footwork that would leave any defender baffled.
Everton kept piling on the pressure and came close to a third when Kinsky blocked a header with his chest, forcing a corner. Moments later, Lindstrom crossed to Tarkowski, who headed it on for Calvert-Lewin, and Gray bundled the ball into his own net. By half-time, Spurs were trailing 3-0, with an xG of just 0.39 compared to Everton’s 1.71.
Second half: Everton 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur
The second half saw Postecoglou abandon his tactical experiment and revert to his tried-and-tested system, subbing off Dragusin for Richarlison. Spurs did start with more intensity and urgency, but they still lacked the clinical edge needed to turn the game around.
Mikey Moore came on in the 73rd minute and brought some much-needed energy into the team. Four minutes later, Kulusevski capitalised on a rebound after Moore’s blocked shot, delicately chipping Pickford to make it 3-1.
The late goal injected some belief, and in stoppage time, Spurs struck again. A quick corner routine between Son and Moore ended with a stunning cross to Richarlison, who slid in to score against his former club. It was a superb assist from Moore, but the goal may have come a bit too late.
Despite their spirited comeback, Spurs couldn’t find an equaliser. Everton held on, with Spurs managing an xG of just 1.11 compared to Everton’s 2.03.
Takeaways
- Ange in or Ange out?
If those two late goals hadn’t come, Ange would probably be under more threat. Tactically, this wasn’t a very poor game in my opinion. The players had their fair share of chances, and if the defenders had done their job and the midfielders played the ball forward instead of losing it in dangerous areas, this could’ve been a great game of football. - Bigger problems than the manager
There’s a much bigger problem than the managerial one right now, and a large proportion of the fanbase is aware of it. It’s been 19 days into January, and Spurs have made just one signing. Defensive reinforcements might’ve been put on hold considering Spurs will be getting their defenders back in a few weeks, so at this stage of the transfer window, it’s unlikely Levy will push for a defender. I’m assuming that decision was pre-planned well in advance by him and his team. - The positives:
There were a couple of positives in this game as well: Mikey Moore and Djed Spence. Moore earned his maiden Premier League assist and impressed with his crosses and dribbling. He should be starting the next few games for Spurs. As for Djed Spence, he completed the most dribbles in the game (7) — notable considering he’s a left-back. And I’m just saying here that Ange should probably try using him as a winger. He made a few impressive runs down the left flank but lacked support from his teammates towards the end. - Injury concerns: one step forward, two steps back
Spurs’ injury concerns can be summed up as “one step forward, two steps back.” When they seem to get a player back from injury, they lose two others. Ange should start utilising the younger players more. He made just two substitutions today, and with limited options, he should have rotated more. When the squad is fatigued, it’s better to give younger players a chance than overwork the starters and risk more injuries
Conclusion
It’s time to reassess the club’s objectives. From chasing Champions League football, the focus might need to shift to avoiding relegation. Spurs are winless in six league games and sit just eight points above the relegation zone. Their next league game against Leicester is another must-win, as Spurs have now equalled their total losses from last season—and it’s only January.
Up next is Hoffenheim in the Europa League. If Davies hadn’t returned, I’d genuinely wonder who could fill in at left-back.