Tottenham will look to get over their midweek disappointment when they face relegation-threatened Everton in the Premier League.
Tottenham’s topsy-turvy form this season continued as the north Londoners were dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship side Middlesbrough this past midweek. Antonio Conte’s men could not find a way through the Middlesbrough defence despite fielding a strong team.
They did recover from a disastrous run in the Premier League to thump Leeds United in the previous matchday. Their heavy win gave them momentum in the top-four race, although their midweek disappointment may weigh heavily on their minds.
In the context of the top-four race, Arsenal’s win over Watford took the Gunners into fourth, six points clear of Spurs, with both teams having played the same amount of games. However, with West Ham United and Manchester United both losing, a win over Everton would be necessary to close the gap on the duo.
Visitors Everton come into this clash in a difficult position, sitting just one point above the relegation zone. Taking everything that happened at the club this season, a relegation scrap was the last thing the Merseysiders might have hoped for. It is quite apparent they need immediate improvements, and the game against Spurs is a big one for Frank Lampard.
Everton were somewhat robbed of a point in their last fixture against Manchester City, with the referee and VAR failing to award a controversial penalty following Rodri’s handball. With everything surrounding the incident and the subsequent apology from PGMOL chief Mike Riley, the Toffees essentially lost a valuable point, which cannot be retrieved.
The Spurs game is a must-win for Lampard, who will be eager to put some gap between his team and 18th-placed Burnley. In the context of both sides, three points are essential for each, as we gear up for an exciting affair in north London on Monday.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Working hard at Hotspur Way ?@Getir_UK | #TOTEVE pic.twitter.com/n7U07Z2p5K
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 5, 2022
Oliver Skipp and Japhet Tanganga are absentees, but Antonio Conte does not have any problems apart from the duo. Tottenham will assess the fitness of Lucas Moura and Rodrigo Bentancur after the duo returned to full training following niggling injuries.
Bentancur missed the last two clashes after picking up an ankle problem. The Uruguayan could be back in contention and will likely replace Harry Winks in the lineup. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could be his midfield partner, with Conte planning to field his strongest possible lineup against Everton.
Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies seem like the preferred back three. Despite Sergio Reguilon being available, Conte has chosen to use Ryan Sessegnon at left wing-back in recent games, and this placement will continue against Everton. Matt Doherty, meanwhile, remains the favourite to get the nod ahead of Emerson Royal on the opposite flank.
Son Heung-min and Harry Kane will continue their prolific form together in the front three, with the in-form Dejan Kulusevski keeping his spot on the right side of the attack. Lucas Moura could be a solid option from the bench.
Probable lineup (3-4-3): Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Doherty, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Sessegnon; Kulusevski, Kane, Son
Everton
Everton have multiple players missing, with a few doubtful for the Tottenham clash. Yerry Mina, Fabian Delph, Tom Davies and Ben Godfrey remain unavailable with injuries. Godfrey is still closer to a return, with Frank Lampard confirming the centre-back will be back in training next week.
The boss is hopeful Calvert-Lewin could be available for #TOTEVE, but Godfrey will miss out.
Gray missed last night's game with a fever. Gomes back available for selection. #EFC ? pic.twitter.com/eFvA4Dc2T1
— Everton (@Everton) March 4, 2022
Lampard remains hopeful of the availability of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Demarai Gray, with the duo likely to be assessed before the game. Andre Gomes is also back in training after a thigh problem, although the Portuguese midfielder may not be involved just yet.
Lampard is likely to go with a back four of Seamus Coleman, Mason Holgate, Michael Keane and Jonjoe Kenny. Kenny will continue to play in the absence of January arrival Vitaliy Mykolenko, who is currently suffering from a dead leg and is a doubt for Monday.
Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and Donny van de Beek are the likely candidates to form the midfield trio. Dele Alli remains in contention and could start on the bench against his former team.
In the final third, if Gray is available, Lampard will start him from the left and push Anthony Gordon to the other side. Richarlison will start in a leading role, although the manager could shuffle things if Calvert-Lewin is fit and available.
Probable lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; Coleman, Holgate, Keane, Kenny; Doucoure, Allan, Van de Beek; Gordon, Richarlison, Gray
Key Stats
- Tottenham have drawn their last three matches against Everton in all competitions.
- Tottenham have lost four of their last six games in all competitions.
- Everton have lost seven of their last 8 away games in the Premier League.
- Everton have conceded at least two goals in their last three away games in the Premier League.
- Everton are just a point above the relegation zone.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
Dejan Kulusevski’s arrival highlighted a big problem in the Spurs team, as they did not have any viable outlets other than Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. The Swede has added to that list, although the England captain remains the most consistent of the front three to produce results.
With the top-four race on edge for Spurs, they need Kane more than ever in this period of the season to put in a top draw performance. The England captain has recently found his scoring boots again, and he should be looking at exploiting a struggling Everton side and collecting three points for his team.
Prediction
Tottenham 2-1 Everton
As both teams enter the contest desperate for a win, Tottenham may have a slight edge over their visitors in this clash. Spurs have the quality on paper, even though their topsy turvy form cannot be ruled out of the equation.
Meanwhile, the Everton side find themselves in a position they are not accustomed to, and relegation pressure could be too much. Moreover, Spurs will look to bounce back and record a victory while taking advantage of the situation with the Toffees. Expect Conte’s men to take three points, albeit with a narrow margin and get their top-four race back on track.
