23 December 2023 , 17:06
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Tottenham will spend Christmas in the top four thanks to a 2-1 win against Everton - but they were made to sweat on a fiery afternoon in north London.
Richarlison and Son Heung-min had given Spurs the perfect start with goals inside the opening 18 minutes. But Everton overcame their desperate start and were the better team for much of the second half.
Andre Gomes pulled one back and Arnaut Danjuma saw a 96th-minute effort come off the bar as Sean Dyche’s side battled impressively in defeat.
Here are the talking points from N17.
1. Richarlison applauded from all corners
For a brief moment the Brazilian began to celebrate before checking himself and raising an arm in apology.
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Yet some of the Everton fans who applauded when his name was read out before kick-off may have struggled to begrudge their former striker a chance to enjoy himself.
That was Richarlison’s first time scoring in three consecutive games since March 2021 and after such a lengthy period of struggle to see a player who opened up on his psychological struggles earlier in the campaign enjoying his football again should not be overlooked.
2. Son on top form but January a concern
Two days before Christmas, Son Heung-min has already scored more goals than the whole of last season.
His 11th of the campaign was neatly finished, even if Jordan Picfford was taken out of action by two of his defenders blocking his view.
How Son has stepped up in not just Harry Kane ’s absence but the jettisoning of former captain Hugo Lloris has been crucial for Ange Postecoglou and it will be fascinating to see how Spurs cope when Son heads to Qatar for next month’s Asia Cup.
3. Slow start kills Everton
Andre Gomes halved the deficit for Everton but they could not find an equaliserSean Dyche’s team arrived in north London knowing a win would have seen them celebrate the division’s best away record - before Arsenal had the opportunity to overtake them at Anfield.
But they gave themselves no chance with a ragged opening quarter in which the midfield failed to turn up and a basic lack of communication across the defence was easy to see from a distance.
They were played through far too easily for both goals to leave them with an insurmountable task.
Summing up the disconnect, approaching the half hour mark Nathan Patterson cleared needlessly despite Pickford waiting on his knees to gather the ball. The England stopper remained in that position for about 15 seconds with the look of a man who just realised he forgot to order the turkey.
From that point on they were the better team - Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a goal ruled out by VAR and James Garner grazed the woodwork before Andre Gomes made it 2-1 - but the damage had already been done.
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4. Romero joins long list
Cristian Romero was substituted at half-time and spent the second period on the bench with an ice pack around his hamstring to deepen Spurs’ injury woes.
There were seven players missing this afternoon owing to physical issues, with Yves Bissouma and Destiny Udogie suspended. But imagine how much worse it would have been if Spurs had Europe and domestic cup competitions to deal with.
While many managers gripe about the packed schedule at this time of the season, there can be no such complaints in N17 where Postecoglou sent out a team that has had eight days of rest.
They have another five days off before travelling to Brighton on December 28, making it a run of four matches in 18 days. Neighbours West Ham, to give one example, will have played 10 matches in the same duration that Spurs have lined out on six occasions.
Maybe there is one benefit to being out of Europe.
5. Branthwaite impresses again
Entering every international tournament year there is always plenty of time to speculate around a late surprise inclusion in England squads.
And why not Everton’s young centre back Jarrad Branthwaite considering the form and fitness of so many England regulars? The visitors may have started horribly but he was not at fault for any of it and looked solid as a rock throughout.
There is already talk of Manchester United showing interest and a £100m asking price - the new barometer for top domestic talent - but if he continues this run it may not be long before Gareth Southgate is on the phone.