Another added time heartbreak shows Tottenham lack the killer instinct of trophy winners

Spare a thought for the early leavers who follow Tottenham Hotspur home and away. In their world, Ange Postecoglou’s side are going head-to-head with Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title.

Jarrad Brainthwaite’s Everton equaliser was the eighth time Postecoglou’s defence have succumbed in added time this season. That equates to five points - and serious levels of concentration - needlessly dropped.

No wonder the Spurs boss, usually so effervescent when facing the media, sounded flat after seeing these two points sink into the River Mersey. He knows this result should have been so much better, and when he adds up those late lapses, so could a fine season.

The first stage of Postecoglou’s Spurs redesign has rightly earned plaudits. Phase two will be about adding the control and killer instinct which separates trophy winners from neutrals’ favourites. There are valid comparisons to be made between Postecoglou’s Spurs and Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United. History seems to have scrubbed the fact Keegan’s side won diddly squat.

As with Newcastle in the mid-90s, the essence of Ange-ball is a thrilling sense of jeopardy. Postecoglou’s risky football is a great advert for the gambling industry. His side always gives you a chance - even the biggest lead would not convince an opponent they are out of the game - and their intent to win will always attract new admirers. It’s like the Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte era were a dark, gothic dream. It’s all aboard the romantic era for Spurs now.

There are still obvious weaknesses for a side with genuine Champions League qualifying aspirations, however.

Everton always sensed an opportunity. In the first half that was because of a decent response to conceding early to ex-player Richarlison, and Dwight McNeil’s ability to make corners as threatening as scud missiles.

After half-time, the home side’s main source of encouragement was Postecoglou’s religious zeal to compress the game into the opposition half, no matter what the circumstances or peril. That Spurs backline is a high wire act, persistently a well-directed long ball or a hopeful punt from turning fluid attack into full-stretch defence.

The game was often meandering, Spurs seemingly in utter control with 20 minutes left, when from nothing they needed Micky van de Ven to indulge in a sprint worthy of the Olympics 100m final. Is such hazard really necessary when the hard work is done to claim a lead and dictate the tempo?

Plan A is all well and good, but if plan B and plan C amounts to more of plan A, regardless of the circumstances, Spurs will never feel safe when the opponents risk more as injury-time approaches.

The same applies when a last gasp set-piece sparks a sense of defensive panic. Conceding so many, so late, is not a trend. It is a bad habit.

“We needed another goal. In the last 10 minutes, it is almost inevitable you will be put under pressure here,” said Postecoglou, not surprisingly suggesting the issue was in the opposition’s final third rather than in his own half.

“We had the opportunities. Their keeper made some good saves that kept them in the game. We have to take it on the chin and move on.”

For Sean Dyche, the draw was the least his team deserved. He may have needed longer to persuade a neutral audience of that.

Aside from yells for penalties and free-kicks, there was not much to get the crowd going as time was running out. Whatever the justifications for the sense of persecution for being in danger for a ten point deduction, you know it is not going well on the pitch when the blame game shifts entirely to the officials and Premier League.

Dyche had just been booked for querying Michael Oliver’s failure to award Beto a foul on the edge of the penalty area, and Evertonians had just completed the final rendition of their accusatory Premier League chants when James Garner’s free-kick was flicked on by Christian Romero in the 94th minute.

Branthwaite was on the spot to ensure recrimination turned to celebration.

There would have been deflation had Richarlison - one of Everton’s saviours a few years ago - been the player responsible for piling more misery on a club seeking to escape the bottom three.

The Brazilian was about to dash off to celebrate his first after four minutes, only to remember his surroundings. He offered a repentant bow towards the Gwladys Street end instead. That was applauded, although the apologies would have been more appropriate from Everton right back Ben Godfrey as he had observed the move develop around him, failing to shadow Destiny Udogie as he exchanged passes with Timo Werner.

Everton initially found a groove, Calvert-Lewin sharper than a barren goalscoring run suggested. His 17 game wait ended courtesy of James Tarkowski’s assist from McNeil’s corner.

But Richarlison wasn’t finished, his second a beauty after James Maddison was heavily involved in the build-up.

Spurs had benefited from moments rather than concerted periods of high quality in the first half, making it ironic that they conceded after a spell when they looked much the better side.

Unsurprisingly, another Everton set-piece left them bruised.

Postecoglou has transformed perceptions of Spurs with much improved 90 minute performances. Now he just needs to crack the code for added time.

Everton 2 Spurs 2:  As it happened

02:57 PM GMT

Ange Postecoglou talks to TNT Sports

He’s not happy …

02:42 PM GMT

Here's Branthwaite, the saviour

02:37 PM GMT

Everton move up to 17th

Above Luton on goal difference before the Hatters’ trip to Newcastle. Spurs care fourth, a point ahead of Villa who take on Sheffield United at 5.30pm.

02:33 PM GMT

Everton fans are giving their side a resounding send-off

And the DJ is running through their Cup final greatest hits.

02:31 PM GMT

Full time: Everton 2 Spurs 2

Spoils shared after a thoroughly entertaining ding dong game.

02:29 PM GMT

90+7 min: Everton 2 Spurs 2

Everton have scrapped magnificently to get their way back but can’t help feeling that Postecoglou’s subs have unbalanced Spurs’ midfield.

02:28 PM GMT

GOAL!

Goal stands. Everton 2 Spurs 2 (Branthwaite) Romero flicks on the free-kick at the near post and Branthwaite steals round the back to nod it in from a yard. He was onside, Porro played him on.

02:26 PM GMT

GOAL!?

Everton 2 Spurs 2 (Branthwaite) VAR check for offside. ‘Premier League corrupt as f---‘ echoes around Goodison.

02:25 PM GMT

90+3 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Beto is blocked off by Van de Ven and Dragusin when chasing a Gueye dink. Dyche wants a penalty and is booked for protesting. Think it might have been just outside. There’s a free-kick or them, though, after a later trip.

02:23 PM GMT

90+1 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Everton want a penalty when Beto hits the deck trying to compete for Harrison’s excellent volleyed cross from the right. Dragusin, who has just come on, leant on him and he went down as if dynamited. Dyche waves his arms at the fourth official but VAR stands by Michael Oliver’s original call.

02:22 PM GMT

89 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Gil and Udogie deal with Pickford’s long ball out to the right for Coleman. Seven minutes of stoppage time are announced.

02:20 PM GMT

88 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Great work from Dobbin to whip an inswinging cross with his right from the left. Chermiti steals in and ries to stab it home from 10 yards with the outside of his right foot but only prods it at Vicario. He may have been offside ...

02:18 PM GMT

86 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Vicario, unmolested, catches a McNeil corner.

Dobbin ⇢ McNeil

Beto ⇢ Calvert-Lewin

02:17 PM GMT

84 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Maddison is booed off by the home fans and a standing ovation from the Spurs fans:

Skipp ⇢ Maddison

Gil ⇢ Werner.

02:16 PM GMT

82 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Van de Ven accelerates to beat Chermiti to Harrison’s pass dinked down the right. I wonder if Van de Ven was an old Ange Celtic target or a Spurs one? He has exactly the profile of a classic Celtic Dutch signing, viz Van Hooijdonk, Van Dijk and from the Eredivisie, Sweden’s Henrik Larsson.

02:12 PM GMT

80 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Chermiti ⇢ Young. Dyche makes the sign with his fingers for 4-4-2.

02:12 PM GMT

79 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Hojbjerg and Maddison send Udogie bombing down the left. He picks out Werner to carry on up tyhat wing and he takes it to byline and slips down the dip into the hoardings having sliced his cross behind.

02:10 PM GMT

78 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Coleman nips ahead of Udogie to roll the ball back to Pickford. Beto and Chermiti are warming uo. Looks like the latter who will be first on.

02:09 PM GMT

76 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Gueye clips Maddison on the back of the ankle as he tried to complete a one-two with Kulusevski. Tottenham free-kick in the centre-circle.

02:07 PM GMT

74 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

First Everton change:

Coleman ⇢ Godfrey. On comes the 35-year-old club captain. Richarlison is still having treatement for a knock to the back of head.

Back on now.

Coleman seemed to have popped back to the deessing room for something before coming on, running back up the tunnel to get stripped.

02:05 PM GMT

72 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Pickford is having a blinder in the Everton goal. Everton’s defence gives him lots of work to do but he handles it well.

02:03 PM GMT

70 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Maddison sends Garner off to buy an Echo and a pint of milk with a shimmy and snipe to feed Kulusevski. He taps it to Richarlison whose angled shot is beaten away by Pickford. The ball loops up and for a moment Maddsion thinks he can nod it in from a couple of yards but Branthwaite beats him to it.

02:00 PM GMT

68 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

With Dele, Andre Gomes, Doucoure and Onana all injured, Everton don’t have an experienced central midfielder to come on. Gueye gives away a daft free-kick when Hojbjerg looked in trouble 30 yards from his own goal.

01:58 PM GMT

66 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Godfrey uses his pace to race across and bail Tarkowski out by sliding in to dispossess Maddison who was barrelling towards the box down the inside-right.

01:56 PM GMT

64 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Joe Cole thinks Garner is tiring and giving Maddison too much space now and predicts if there isn’t a change, he will hurt Everton.

Two Spurs changes:

Pape Matar Sarr ⇢ Bentancur

Kulusevski ⇢ Johnson.

01:54 PM GMT

63 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Ange Postecoglou has summoned Pape Matar Sarr up the touchline from his warm-up.

01:53 PM GMT

61 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Van de Ven to the rescue again. Godfrey is booked for protesting that it was a foul.

01:50 PM GMT

59 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Cross comes in from the right again and Maddison kills it with avelvety trap and then flashes a forceful right-foot shot Pickford gets down neatly to push it away.

01:49 PM GMT

57 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

McCoist says astutely that Werner looks like a striker who prefers a half-chance to a chance. He doesn’t relish the responsibility of converting the ones when the odds are in his favour. And just now he has another opportunity to meet Johnson’s cross from the right. Instead of mving towards the ball and cutting across Godfrey he just waits, allowing Godfrey to toe it away.

01:47 PM GMT

55 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Pickford saves from Werner when put through down the left. He opens his body to hit a tame right-foot shot from 18 yards. Pickford dives to his left to stop it and Tarkowski leaps in to stop Richarlison pouncing on the rebound. VAR checks whether it was a foul on Richarliosn, who is hurt, and clears it.

01:45 PM GMT

53 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Van de Ven’s pace gets Tottenham out of trouble again when chasing Garner’s ball over the top. He gives Harrison two yards and still catches him with a fine sliding tackle.

01:44 PM GMT

51 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Porro hammers a shot on the half-volley after decent work from Maddison. Pickford turns it behind. Richarlison flicks the corner on at the near post and Hojbjerg slices his half-volley high, wide and hideously.

VAR check for a penalty, Garner had his arms around Van de Ven who hit the deck like a bag of hammers. Nothing doing from Stockley Park.

01:42 PM GMT

49 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Excellent from Garner to ride two tackles and then spin away from Richarlison until Spurs crowd him out and he rolls a pass into touch.

Everton win the header at the throw-in and scoop the ball over Spurs’ high line. Harrison darts through, played onside by Udogie and tries to loop the ball over Vicario but gets it all wrong and floats it into his grasp.

01:38 PM GMT

47 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

McNeil swings the corner in from the left and Vicario does very well this time, barging past blue shirts to claw it away.

01:37 PM GMT

46 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Tottenham kick off and Udogie needs treatment after a bang on the head when he went up for a challenge. Everton corner when he’s deemed OK.

01:28 PM GMT

Correction!

Harrison got the last touch and takes credit for Everton’s goal!

01:23 PM GMT

Half-time: Everton 1 Spurs 2

A hugely enjoyable game. Tottenham’s two goals have started down their left, exploiting Godfrey and Garner’s defensive vulnerability but still needed two superb finishes from Richarlison. One left-, one right-foot. Only the header to go for perfection. Between the two goals Everton were the better side and look very dangerous at set-pieces but their crossing from open play has been dire.

01:20 PM GMT

45+5 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Mykolenko makes the sweetest of strikes on the half-volley froma  right-wing cross. Vicario saves well but it wouldn’t have stood had he not, Garner had needlessly shoved Johnson over.

01:19 PM GMT

45+4 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Tottenham free-kick from an Everton corner. Vicario is starting to take protecting himself from the blocks into his own hands.

01:18 PM GMT

45+2 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Terrific double save from Viacrio, first to block Godfrey’s header with his knees as he shut his legs then to boot it away while falling backwards before Harrison, who had again been blocking him, could sweep in a one-yard tap-in.

01:17 PM GMT

45 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Bad mistake from Romero lets Gueye in through the middle but his shot is deflected out for a corner by Hojbjerg’s block on the lunge.

01:15 PM GMT

43 min: Everton 1 Spurs 2

Again Richarlison refuses to bite the hand that fed him and does not celebrate in front of the Gwladys. Everton rally and Harrison slips a pass in between the centre-halves for Calvert-Lewin to chase down the inside-right but Porro races over to put himself between Vicario and the striker.

01:11 PM GMT

GOAL!

Everton 1 Spurs 2 (Richarlison) Fantastic finish again, a right-foot curler from the left of the D into the top right corner. All set up by Garner missing a tackle on Udogie who slipped Werner in down the left. The Germany forward takes it to the byline and cuts it back to Maddison who was under pressure but he kills the pass with one touch and shifts it to Richarlison with the deftest of taps.

01:10 PM GMT

37 min: Everton 1 Spurs 1

Bentancur is penalised for a shove on McNeil. Everton free-kick 40 yards out, dead centre. McNeil chips it to the right for Tarkowski to try to head across the box but Spurs deal with it and then try to build from the back.

01:08 PM GMT

35 min: Everton 1 Spurs 1

Bramley Moore Dock will transform Everton’s finances but my word they will lose so much of their character and spirit when they leave Goodison. Their fans have been magnificent today.

01:05 PM GMT

32 min: Everton 1 Spurs 1

Tottenham’s bench have been protesting about the goal but Harrison barely touched the keeper. And Everton will carry on doing it all game now. As Joe Cole says, Romero as captain should sort it out for himself by adapting to the tactic and blocking the blocker. He’s had plenty of warning. Everton did it four times before it came off.

01:00 PM GMT

GOAL!

Everton 1 Spurs 1 (Calvert-Lewin)  Harrison backs into Vicario but makes minimal contact at the corner, Vicario has to leap over him and tips the ball to Tarkowski beyond the back post. The centre-half nods it back across the six-yard box and DCL heads it in. Vicario goes garrity but VAR says the goal should stand.

CORRECTION: Harrison got the final touch: Everton 1 Spurs 1 (Harrison)

12:59 PM GMT

30 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Everton are servicing their wingers well but neither Young nor McNeil have found their crossing range, overhitting most of them even when Calvert-Lewin splits to the near post.

12:58 PM GMT

28 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Pickford tells the crowd to hush after it betrays its anxiety when he takes a risk to turn Richarlison outside the area and clear.

12:57 PM GMT

26 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Corner on the right for Everton, Harrison backs into the keeper and blocks him but Calvert-Lewin can’t make anything of the cross and block, falling over in the process.

12:54 PM GMT

23 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Van de Ven shows his extraordinary pace to sprint back and complete a well-judged sliding tackle on Calvert-Lewin who has been sent down the inside-left by Gueye’s astute pass. But he was offside, too, robbing the tackle of significance.

12:52 PM GMT

21 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Udogie is having Godfrey on toast. Dyche has two orthodox right-backs on the bench plus Young. Why play a centre-half against arguably Werner and Udogie?

12:51 PM GMT

19 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Gueye chips from right to left to send Mykolenko in round the back on the left and he pulls a cross over to the back post for McNeil. His goalbound shot hits Harrison and dribbles wide. But Mykolenko was offside anyway and spares Harrison’s blushes.

12:47 PM GMT

16 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Everton corner earned by Young’s tenacity in a rare outing these days as an out and out winger. Everton are sandwiching Vicario to try to catch him out as City did in the Cup last week and whipping corners under the crossbar. He catches it again and is fouled in the process. Looks like he’s been working on it.

12:44 PM GMT

14 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Huge yell from the crowd as Bentancur and Hojbjerg combine to bring down McNeil. They wanted a foul for Johnson stepping across Garner but it was nothing.

12:43 PM GMT

12 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Spme alert sweeper-keepering from Pickford saves Everton from a quick ball upfield from Vicario after he dealt solidly with a corner and his swift release almost caught Everton’s defence upfield.

12:41 PM GMT

10 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Maddison goes deep from the corner and, after some pinball, Hojbjerg goes for a sidewinder volley but the ball bounces too high to get over it and he slices it miles over the bar.

12:40 PM GMT

8 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Godfrey can’t handle Udogie who manipulates him out of position to make space for Maddison to drift across to the left and shoot from the left of the D. His shot cannons into Tarkowski and bobbles wide for a corner.

12:38 PM GMT

6 min: Everton 0 Spurs 1

Tarkowski is hacked off that he didn’t geta  shoutr and let Richarlison go. But, as Ally McCoist says, he had tro deal with it himself. Everton go straight up the other end from the kick-off and whip over a menacing right-foot cross thatr curls out. Calvert-Lewin makes the perfect run and leap but steers it over from 12 yards. He should have scored!

12:34 PM GMT

GOAL!

Everton 0 Spurs 1 (Richarlison) No celebration from the former Everton man. Very good move involving a one-two between Hojbjerg and Udogie down the left that puts the left-back in behind Godfrey to cut back a cross that Richarlison buries on the volley. Brilliant finish. He lost the defender by not moving, standing still when his marker retreated.

12:31 PM GMT

1 min: Everton 0 Spurs 0

Everton kick-off and work it back to Pickford who launches an attack up the right that comes back to him for another go. It is 4-4-1-1 from Everton.

12:30 PM GMT

The teams are out

Everton in royal blue and white, Spurs in far from imperial beige.

12:28 PM GMT

Cue Z Cars

The teams are in the tunnel.

12:23 PM GMT

Everton's formation

The way the club announced it looks like 4-4-1-1 but woul 3-4-3 work for them with Ashley Young and Vitalii Mykolenko pushing on and Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison dovetailingg either side of Dominic Calvert-Lewin? Probably not. They treied to match Spurs at the start of what turned into a 2-1 away defeat on Dec 23 and played very well, probably deserving a point.

11:45 AM GMT

Everton need to start converting chances

Everton manager Sean Dyche could not afford to lose any players in the transfer window but a balance needed to be struck to help the club continue to work on getting back on an even financial keel.

Defender Mason Holgate had his loan at Southampton cancelled so he could join Sheffield United until the end of the season as it was a deal which was “very favourable” for the Toffees.

But with no incomings expected or arriving Dyche was keen to ensure his small squad, which is significantly impacted by injury, did not get any smaller.

The club’s appeal against the 10-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability has been heard this week, but with another charge pending, managing the money has become an almost daily occurrence with prospective new owners 777 Partners reportedly loaning the club another £30 million to take their investment in the club to £180 million.

It is why terminating the loan of Holgate, who made just seven appearances for the Saints, and reloaning him out for another fee made sense, with Dyche explaining: “It’s a very favourable deal for this football club.”

On the field the focus has to be on regaining the momentum lost as Everton are without a league win since mid-December, having taken just two points from a possible 15 since earning 15 from 18 in the month previously.

That has shown up the side’s lack of goal threat – striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin heads into the visit of Tottenham on a run of 16 games without scoring – despite them creating a lot of chances.

They currently average 14 shots per match, the seventh highest in the division, but have scored only 24 times from an expected goals figure of 33.1, which is the top flight’s biggest underperformance.

11:32 AM GMT

TEAM NEWS

Everton: Pickford, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Young, Gueye, Garner, McNeil, Harrison, Calvert-Lewin. 
Subs: Patterson, Keane, Virginia, Beto, Coleman, Chermiti, Hunt, Dobbin, Metcalfe.

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Johnson, Maddison, Werner, Richarlison. 
Subs: Skipp, Dragusin, Gil Salvatierra, Emerson, Forster, Kulusevski, Sarr, Davies, Scarlett.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)

11:30 AM GMT

Richarlison starting to repay his price tag

Good morning and welcome to live action from Goodison Park as Everton host Tottenham.

Richarlison made it seven goals in as many Premier League matches with the crucial third for Spurs in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Brentford and Ange Postecoglou feels there is even more to come from the in-form Brazilian.

Spurs have been without captain Heung-min Son for the last month due to his Asian Cup commitments, but the Brazil international has filled the void and started to repay his £60 million price tag following a difficult debut campaign.

Ahead of today’s match, Postecoglou said: “For me, it’s about trying to get players to fulfil their potential and with Richy, I still think there is growth there. If he keeps growing, well we the football club will be the beneficiaries of it.”

Spurs were one of the most active clubs in the winter window, signing Radu Dragusin during the first half of January, in a deal that could rise to £25 million, and bringing in Timo Werner on loan.

The Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules contributed towards a largely drama-free deadline day, which was overshadowed by news that seven-time Formula One champion Hamilton would join Ferrari from 2025.

Tottenham also sent young prospects Ash Phillips and Alfie Devine to Plymouth, while Alejo Veliz completed a loan switch to Sevilla on deadline day.

Spurs were able to move towards one important deal on Thursday after they convinced Swedish teenager Lucas Bergvall to join the club over Barcelona.

Bergvall had been set to sign for Barca, but the 18-year-old has now agreed to put pen to paper on a long-term deal at Tottenham with the transfer set to be finalised in the coming days.

Postecoglou would not be drawn on the midfielder, although did admit Spurs’ academy is an area where they must improve.

“I think we’ve got a lot of work to do in our academy and (academy director) Simon Davies is certainly one that is putting a lot of emphasis and priority there,” he said.

“I don’t think we have the production line other top clubs have, certainly not. Even currently that’s why we’re investing in some younger players, even for the first team. For us as a football club that’s definitely the way forward.”

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