Erik Lamela's header cancelled out Ross Barkley opener as Maartin Stekelenburg denies Spurs in what could have easily been Spurs winner.
Ross Barkley put Everton into an early lead before Lamela levelled and gave Spurs the momentum dominated the closing stages.
A new era for Everton began with a creditable 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur though Ronald Koeman’s team had to dig deep for it in the face of a strong second-half fightback by the visitors.
In the first match of Koeman’s Goodison reign, the home side started brightly and took the lead through Ross Barkley but Spurs found their stride in the second period and after Erik Lamela’s headed equaliser after 59 minutes, it took two brilliant saves from debutant Maarten Stekelenburg to earn the Merseysiders a point.
First Stekelenburg flung himself low to his left to keep out a shot by Spurs substitute Vincent Janssen, then he turned a deflected Lamela shot on the crossbar. Koeman had said before this match that his team were not physically ready for the Premier League season and so it proved as Spurs, subdued before the break, dominated a flagging Everton in the closing stages. They had earlier equalised when Kyle Walker put a terrific cross into the box and Lamela, timing his run to perfection, stepped in front of Mason Holgate and buried a header into the corner.
That cancelled out Barkley’s fifth-minute breakthrough strike, the Everton playmaker whipping in a free-kick from the left which evaded Phil Jagielka but, crucially, also escaped Hugo Lloris and nestled inside the far post.
This is a big season for Barkley, a player whose confidence dipped badly last term as Roberto Martinez’s reign unravelled. Barkley was one of only two outfield players not used in England’s sorry Euro 2016 campaign yet he had a spring in his step here and his next delivery did meet Jagielka’s head, drawing a flying save from Lloris.
Koeman’s declared wish is for Everton to be better without the ball. Their soft-centre under Martinez was exposed time and again last term, when they lost eight league games here at Goodison, and they did well closing Spurs players down in the first half, nobody more so than Idrissa Gana Gueye. The Senegal midfield, newly signed from Aston Villa, was a tigerish presence, nicking the ball off Spurs toes and knitting play.
Gueye was one of three home debutants in a makeshift-looking home XI along with Stekelenburg and teenaged centre-back Holgate.
Holgate was playing in a back three owing to the unavailability of new centre-back Ashley Williams while Romelu Lukaku’s heel injury meant Gerard Deulofeu stepped in as the central striker, supported by Kevin Mirallas and Barkley. The Spaniard should have scored a second goal just before half-time when latching on to a wayward Danny Rose backpass. However he failed to beat Michel Vorm, by now deputising for Lloris, who had pulled up with an apparent hamstring problem.
On paper, Tottenham should have been the team to hit the ground running. Aside from debutant Victor Wanyama, this was a team who were Leicester City’s closest challengers last term but they looked lethargic in the first half. Harry Kane was unfortunate to be penalised for a fair-looking shoulder charge which dumped Ramiro Funes Mori on his backside but otherwise their threat was non-existent.
Mauricio Pochettino had spoken this week of wanting to kill his players for their late-season collapse last spring. He might have had a few choice words at half-time here and took matters into his own hands ten minutes into the second half by introducing Vincent Janssen, a summer signing from AZ Alkmaar, for Eric Dier. Immediately the muscular Janssen brushed aside Funes Mori and teed up Dele Alli to shoot over from 15 yards. The equaliser soon followed as Spurs took over and but for Stekelenburg, they would have gone on and taken all three points.
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| Erik Lamela heads in Tottenham's equaliser |
Ross Barkley put Everton into an early lead before Lamela levelled and gave Spurs the momentum dominated the closing stages.
A new era for Everton began with a creditable 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur though Ronald Koeman’s team had to dig deep for it in the face of a strong second-half fightback by the visitors.
In the first match of Koeman’s Goodison reign, the home side started brightly and took the lead through Ross Barkley but Spurs found their stride in the second period and after Erik Lamela’s headed equaliser after 59 minutes, it took two brilliant saves from debutant Maarten Stekelenburg to earn the Merseysiders a point.
First Stekelenburg flung himself low to his left to keep out a shot by Spurs substitute Vincent Janssen, then he turned a deflected Lamela shot on the crossbar. Koeman had said before this match that his team were not physically ready for the Premier League season and so it proved as Spurs, subdued before the break, dominated a flagging Everton in the closing stages. They had earlier equalised when Kyle Walker put a terrific cross into the box and Lamela, timing his run to perfection, stepped in front of Mason Holgate and buried a header into the corner.
That cancelled out Barkley’s fifth-minute breakthrough strike, the Everton playmaker whipping in a free-kick from the left which evaded Phil Jagielka but, crucially, also escaped Hugo Lloris and nestled inside the far post.
This is a big season for Barkley, a player whose confidence dipped badly last term as Roberto Martinez’s reign unravelled. Barkley was one of only two outfield players not used in England’s sorry Euro 2016 campaign yet he had a spring in his step here and his next delivery did meet Jagielka’s head, drawing a flying save from Lloris.
Koeman’s declared wish is for Everton to be better without the ball. Their soft-centre under Martinez was exposed time and again last term, when they lost eight league games here at Goodison, and they did well closing Spurs players down in the first half, nobody more so than Idrissa Gana Gueye. The Senegal midfield, newly signed from Aston Villa, was a tigerish presence, nicking the ball off Spurs toes and knitting play.
Gueye was one of three home debutants in a makeshift-looking home XI along with Stekelenburg and teenaged centre-back Holgate.
Holgate was playing in a back three owing to the unavailability of new centre-back Ashley Williams while Romelu Lukaku’s heel injury meant Gerard Deulofeu stepped in as the central striker, supported by Kevin Mirallas and Barkley. The Spaniard should have scored a second goal just before half-time when latching on to a wayward Danny Rose backpass. However he failed to beat Michel Vorm, by now deputising for Lloris, who had pulled up with an apparent hamstring problem.
On paper, Tottenham should have been the team to hit the ground running. Aside from debutant Victor Wanyama, this was a team who were Leicester City’s closest challengers last term but they looked lethargic in the first half. Harry Kane was unfortunate to be penalised for a fair-looking shoulder charge which dumped Ramiro Funes Mori on his backside but otherwise their threat was non-existent.
Mauricio Pochettino had spoken this week of wanting to kill his players for their late-season collapse last spring. He might have had a few choice words at half-time here and took matters into his own hands ten minutes into the second half by introducing Vincent Janssen, a summer signing from AZ Alkmaar, for Eric Dier. Immediately the muscular Janssen brushed aside Funes Mori and teed up Dele Alli to shoot over from 15 yards. The equaliser soon followed as Spurs took over and but for Stekelenburg, they would have gone on and taken all three points.
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