Tottenham Hotspur will host Everton in the Premier League this weekend, looking to pick up their first win of the 2024/25 season.
Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester City in their season opener, and they will be eager to get their first win of the season when they welcome Everton to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Spurs will be pushing for UEFA Champions League qualification this season, and they need to pick up these points if they want to finish in the top four. Meanwhile, Everton have been quite poor in recent seasons, and they will look to improve this year. They will hope to push for a place in the top half, and it will be interesting to see if they can start the season on a high.
The Toffees were beaten by Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 at home in their season opener, and the fans will be thoroughly disappointed with the performance of the players. It will be interesting to see if they can make amends and put on a strong performance here.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Dominic Solanke misses out with an ankle injury, and Tottenham fans will be disappointed to see their new signing ruled out. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Bentancur is unavailable due to a head injurywell. Yves Bissouma is suspended for the hosts due to a disciplinary issue.
Tottenham are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Everton, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will start as the full-backs, and they will look to keep things compact defensively and help out in the attack. Cristian Romero will start alongside Micky van de Ven at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Archie Gray is likely to start alongside Pape Matar Sarr in the double pivot. The two players will look to add defensive cover and work rate to the side from the middle of the park.
James Maddison will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to open up opportunities for his teammates in the final third with his creativity and vision. Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Richarlison will lead the line for the home team in the absence of Solanke.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Gray, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Richarlison
Everton
Nathan Patterson misses out with a thigh injury, Jarrad Branthwaite misses out with a groin injury, James Garner has a calf injury, Ashley Young remains suspended, James Tarkowski has a thigh injury, Dele Alli is suffering from a groin problem, and Seamus Coleman misses out with a calf injury.
Everton have an extensive injury list, and they are likely to shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation against Tottenham. Jordan Pickford will start in goal for the Toffees. Mason Holgate and Vitaliy Mykolenko will start as the full-backs. They will look to add defensive cover to the side and assist during counter attacking situations as well.
James Tarkowski will start in the central defensive unit alongside Michael Keane. Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and creativity from the flanks.
Tim Iroegbunam and Idrissa Gueye will start in central midfield. They will look to add defensive cover to the side. Abdoulaye Doucoure will start as a central attacking midfielder, and he will add creativity and drive to the midfield. Finally, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line for Everton this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Holgate, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Harrison, Iroegbunam, Gueye, McNeil; Doucoure; Calvert-Lewin
Key Stats
- Tottenham are undefeated in 15 of their last 16 home matches against Everton in all competitions.
- Tottenham have scored at least two goals in their last three home matches against Everton in all competitions.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Everton have failed to win any of the six matches against Tottenham.
- The last three matches between these two sides have seen both teams get on the score sheet.
Player to Watch
James Maddison
The Tottenham midfielder has the quality to exploit Everton’s defensive vulnerabilities. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and make the most of the spaces in their defence.
Everton looked quite poor at the back in their season opener, and they are without key players like Branthwaite here. Maddison is our key player to watch out for, and he could make a big difference in the attacking half.
Prediction
Tottenham 2-0 Everton
Tottenham are undoubtedly the better team here and they should be able to pick up all three points. Everton will look to bounce back strongly and pull off an upset away from home. However, they are the underdogs here, and they are lacking in confidence and momentum. A comfortable home win is on the cards this weekend.