Everton v Spurs - history, stats and facts

We're in FA Cup action tonight as we make the trip to Everton (8.15pm kick-off).

Ahead of the fifth-round tie at Goodison Park, we take a look at the history of the fixture, some of its recent key moments, the records of the two teams and managers in the competition and the statistics behind both sides’ cup runs so far.

The history

In our last seven visits to Goodison Park, we are unbeaten. In a run stretching back to November, 2013, it has been a rather positive experience for us at the 128-year-old stadium as we have won three and drawn four of our last seven outings there. On our most recent visit in November, 2019, we took a point from the game following a 1-1 draw but it could have been so much more. A majestic effort from Dele had given us the lead moments into the second period but later, with just seconds remaining, the hosts found an equaliser through Cenk Tosun. Before that game, we had won three of our last four fixtures at Goodison by an aggregate score of 11-3.

Spurs in the fifth round

In our history, we have played out 46 fifth-round ties and have gone on to progress from 31 of those (67 per cent). Our first appearance at this stage of the competition came in February, 1928, as we travelled to Leicester City and earned a 3-0 win to progress. Coincidentally, nine years later in 1937, we travelled to Everton at the same stage. We drew that tie 1-1 at Goodison Park, however, we then defeated the Toffees 4-3 in the replay at the Lane. In the next round, however, we were beaten by eventual finalists Preston North End. They were later defeated in the Wembley showpiece by Sunderland.

Our most recent appearance at this stage of the competition came just last season as we hosted Norwich City, however it was not an enjoyable night for us in N17. Jan Vertonghen had put us in front in the early stages at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a powerful header, but the Canaries found a way to level the scores through Josip Drmic with 12 minutes remaining. That strike took the game to penalties which the visitors ultimately got the better of us on, defeating us 3-2. In our previous 10 FA Cup fifth-round ties, we had progressed in nine of them and went on to make the semi-final in six of those.

This will be Everton’s first appearance in the competition’s fifth round since 2016. Having beaten Bournemouth 2-0 at that stage, the Toffees went on to reach the semi-finals but ultimately lost out at Wembley to eventual winners Manchester United. In fact, in each of the last three seasons they have made it to this stage of the competition, they have been knocked out by the eventual FA Cup winners (2016 – Manchester United, 2014 – Arsenal and 2013 – Wigan).

Previous FA Cup meetings

Our first FA Cup meeting with Everton came in February, 1904, in the competition’s first round. That day we travelled to Merseyside and earned a 2-1 victory to advance. In total, we have taken on the Toffees nine times in the competition’s history, winning on four occasions. Our last such triumph over the men in blue came at Goodison Park in February, 1972. Like this evening’s game, that tie was also in the fifth round - goals from Alan Gilzean and Martin Peters earned us a 2-0 triumph.

This will be the sixth time we have met Everton at this stage of the competition. Out of the previous five encounters, Everton edge the record with three wins to two.

Jose and the FA Cup

This will be Jose Mourinho’s eighth FA Cup fifth-round tie. Of his previous seven games at this stage, he has progressed on four occasions – most recently in 2018 when he led Manchester United to the final. He has faced Everton once to date in the competition and that came in the 2005/06 season during his first spell as Chelsea boss. Meeting the Toffees in the fourth round, the two teams played out a 1-1 draw in the original tie at Goodison Park before Chelsea stormed to a 4-1 win in the replay. In his career to date, he has taken on Everton 20 times and has lost just three of those games.

Jose’s opposite number, Carlo Ancelotti, will be making his second appearance at the fifth-round stage of the FA Cup in his fourth such campaign. His first game in charge in this round of the competition came on his way to winning the FA Cup in 2010. He has won nine of the 12 games he overseen so far in the competition. Ancelotti has faced us on six occasions in his career to date, winning three times and losing twice.

Mourinho v Ancelotti

This will be the eighth competitive meeting of managerial giants Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. Both coaches have had very successful careers in the game with each of them being able to showcase multiple Champions League crowns, league titles from across Europe and an FA Cup winner's medal each.

First encountering each other in the dugout as Jose’s Porto took on Ancelotti’s AC Milan in the 2003 UEFA Super Cup Final, it was the Italian who took the spoils that night with a 1-0 win at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. However, in their seven meetings to date, it is our Head Coach who holds the upper hand, with four wins to Ancelotti’s three.

Last five meetings

13 September, 2020 – Spurs 0-1 Everton – Premier League
6 July, 2020 - Spurs 1-0 Everton - Premier League
3 November, 2019 – Everton 1-1 Spurs – Premier League
12 May, 2019 – Spurs 2-2 Everton – Premier League
23 December, 2018 – Everton 2-6 Spurs – Premier League

The journey so far

We began our FA Cup campaign in the third round of the competition with a 5-0 win over eighth-tier side Marine on 10 January before progressing past Wycombe Wanderers 15 days later with a 4-1 triumph. Everton also faced lower division sides in rounds three and four. Beginning with a narrow 2-1 home victory over Rotherham United, in which a 93^rd-minute winner from Abdoulaye Doucoure was required, the Toffees then progressed to round five with a much more comfortable 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Up for the Cup

The FA Cup is seemingly a competition that forwards Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura relish playing in. Firstly, Sonny has a record of 20 goal involvements in just 22 appearances in the competition (12 goals, eight assists), including six in his last six appearances (three goals, three assists). Meanwhile, Lucas Moura has been involved in 10 goals in his last 12 starts in the FA Cup – which includes his memorable full debut strike against Rochdale back in February, 2018.