Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton: Post Match

There was a heavy load on Tottenham’s shoulders today, with their post-Europa League form resulting in four losses in the Premier League. And with Spurs sitting 10^th in the table, the pressure is on Mauricio Pochettino and the rest of the staff at Tottenham Hotspur. A player who knew the pressure from the fans was Harry Kane, who stated that Spurs had no excuses bearing in mind opponents Everton also participating in the Europa league. ‘There is no excuse on Sunday because Everton played (on Thursday) night as well. It will be a good game.’ And he wasn’t wrong, with both sides putting in great performances and making this game a more memorable one for the Tottenham faithful.

Most of Tottenham’s recent performances have not been promising, and they are only one loss away from equalling their tally for the entirety of last season, a statistic that may make some worry for the state of the club. But if today was anything to go by, Spurs are in safe hands, as they played intelligent, attacking, and exciting football that really got the crowd behind them throughout the game. A strong start for Spurs was ended abruptly by Ross Barkley, combined with a brilliant solo effort from Kevin Mirallas that led to an outstanding goal from just outside the penalty area fifteen minutes into the game. This textbook Tottenham start presumably spelled a textbook Tottenham game, but what happened was the complete opposite. Spurs switched on instantly, and heaved the pressure straight back on Everton. And within five minutes of conceding, Soldado’s movement and Kane’s shot left Christian Eriksen in space to place an excellent shot over the keeper and put Spurs level with the visitors. The game instantly fired up, as both teams realised that the three points were up for grabs. It took until added time in the first half for the winner to appear, and it came from a rather surprising source, Roberto Soldado. A great counter-attacking move allowed Aaron Lennon to thread in a pass to Soldado which he fired past a perhaps unsuspecting Tim Howard in order to secure his first goal of this premier league season.

The game ended this way, and with Everton captain Phil Jagielka conceding that Spurs deserved the win, the Lilywhites put in a strong performance to be proud of. “There were a few tackles flying in that weren’t punished, but fair play to Tottenham because they deserved the win.” Jagielka has a point, both teams had penalty shouts that could’ve changed the game, but the performance told the story nonetheless. Tottenham showed something they’ve lacked for a long time now, character to come back and play their football against a strong and able team; and on top of that, they did it at home. Home form has been shaky for spurs recently, and performances and wins like these will spur the team and the fans on to reach their lofty aspirations.

Source: tottenhamhotspur.com

Standout performances should go noticed by Pochettino today, as they can mean the difference between being in control teams and being dominated by them. Lennon’s defensive work along with his crossing and quick feet made him a force to be reckoned with, the same can be said for Chiricheș and Davies. Nabil Bentaleb recently returned from injury, put in a solid performance along the omnipresent Ryan Mason. But there is one reoccurring name that stands out in the Tottenham team, Harry Kane. The young England international is playing out of his skin at the moment. That combined with his determination, work-rate, and raw talent has allowed him to emerge as the spearhead of Spurs’ attack.

Overall, today’s performance was very promising; a statement that can hopefully lead to Tottenham stringing together a run of positive performances like this one. Spurs have moved up to 7^th in the table, and with the top four in spitting difference, the Spurs fans can again start to believe in the promise of their club’s future as possible champion’s league participants.