Spurs 2-1 Everton

The report in full...

Two goals in the opening 18 minutes saw us take control of the game as Richarlison scored against his former club – his fourth goal in three games – and Heung-Min Son doubled our lead. Everton had a goal ruled out through VAR before pulling one back in the 82^nd minute through Andre Gomes and pushed us all the way in the closing stages, Arnaut Danjuma having two great chances to equalise, but our defence held firm to take the win.

We were quickly on the front foot, Pape Matar Sarr’s volley saved by Jordan Pickford within 33 seconds and the opening stages were lively, Guglielmo Vicario saving from Vitalii Mykolenko on four minutes before Cristian Romero superbly chased down Dominic Calvert-Lewin to block his shot on an Everton counter soon after.

A wonderful move in the ninth minute saw us take the lead for the 12^th consecutive game as Pedro Porro and Sarr combined to release Brennan Johnson in behind and his low cross was clinically converted at the near post by Richarlison. It was also the 30th straight Premier League game in which we'd scored.

Opportunities kept coming at both ends, Johnson firing over Emerson Royal’s superb cross from eight yards out while Vicario had to push away Calvert-Lewin’s powerful header at the other end before we added our second on 18 minutes from a well-worked corner routine. Porro played it to Dejan Kulusevski on the edge of the area, he threaded a pass which released Johnson whose angled drive was saved by Pickford but the loose ball fell to Son who hit a shot which bobbled in from 15 yards.

The visitors finished the half well, Vicario twice saving from James Garner before Gomes beat our high line to release Jack Harrison in on goal, Royal and Ben Davies got back to slow him down but it still needed a fine stop from Vicario to keep out his shot.

Everton thought they’d pulled a goal back six minutes after the break, Calvert-Lewin going clear to fire home but VAR intervened, advising referee Stuart Attwell to check the pitchside monitor about a possible foul by Gomes on Royal in the build-up and he agreed, disallowing the goal.

Back up the other end moments later, Sarr tested Pickford with a fierce 20-yard drive that the England goalkeeper parried away, but the Toffees continued to threaten and after Harrison found Garner with a clever pass, his shot skimmed the outside of the far post with 62 minutes gone.

Pickford was called into action again with 15 minutes left after Kulusevski showed great strength to hold off Nathan Patterson and fire in a shot which the Everton keeper kept out with a smart save before the visitors did pull one back in the 82nd minute, Gomes drilling home with an angled drive after we cleared a corner. They almost drew level moments later, but for a wonderful save from Vicario to deny substitute Danjuma’s rocket and Davies clearing James Tarkowski’s header off the line from the resulting corner.

It was certainly a nervy end to the contest as Everton pushed for the equaliser, Danjuma smashing a shot way over the bar when he should have done better before we had an incredible escape deep into stoppage time, our former on-loan forward volleying a shot which crashed against the crossbar, bounced down off Vicario on the line and somehow didn’t go in!

Merry Christmas!