Everton, Tottenham players left distraught after horrific injury to André Gomes
Everton extended Tottenham Hotspur’s winless run in the Premier League to four matches on Sunday thanks to an equalizer from substitute Cenk Tosun in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
The dramatic finish was the secondary story, however, after Everton midfielder André Gomes had to be stretchered off the field with a gruesome leg injury following a tackle by Spurs forward Son Heung-min.
The fateful play came with about 12 minutes remaining in regular time. With the Toffees trailing on Dele Alli’s strike around the hour mark, Gomes broke free up the left wing with Son in hot pursuit. Rather than allow a potential scoring chance, the South Korean hacked Gomes down from behind — a routine professional foul.
The outcome was anything but routine, however, as a falling Gomes collided with Tottenham’s Serge Aurier and suffered what appeared to be a broken ankle. The reaction of players on both sides said it all.
(Warning, graphic content.)
Some turned their heads away. Others began frantically signaling for the trainers to run on, while Tosun and Lucas Digne tried to comfort the stricken Gomes. Son, meantime, was inconsolable.
The scene appeared to prompt referee Mark Atkinson — who was initially going to show Son a yellow card — to brandish a straight red instead. There was no intent to injure on the play, of course. But Son still left the Goodison Park pitch to a chorus of boos.
Both teams still seemed stunned by what had happened when play finally resumed about eight minutes later. Aurier was so upset he was removed from the match by manager Mauricio Pochettino. But the Toffees — who had been denied a penalty by Atkinson following a lengthy video review just before Gomes’ injury occurred — managed to salvage a point for their fallen comrade with Tosun’s header:
The result was a small consolation for Everton, but it felt karmic after all that had transpired before it. Gomes is obviously facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. And Spurs have still not won a Premier League match since September, with a Champions League trip to Red Star Belgrade looming on Wednesday.
After the game, Everton confirmed that Gomes will have surgery:
📝 | An injury update on @aftgomes.
We'll be with you all the way, Andre. 💙 #EFC pic.twitter.com/1OSatH4ljd— Everton (@Everton) November 3, 2019
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