Preview:Everton vs Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur have hit a few bumps in the road under Thomas Frank, and a trip to Everton's new fortress for Sunday's Premier League clash will not fill the Lilywhites faithful with optimism.

The visitors head north boasting just one victory from their last five games in all competitions, while the Toffees are yet to suffer defeat at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Match preview

Tottenham's 2024-25 Premier League season could not have ended worse without the Lilywhites suffering an unthinkable relegation, so by that logic, Spurs' current sixth-placed ranking in the top-flight table is already a marked improvement.

However, Frank is already facing the critics after an underwhelming run of just one win from Spurs' last four contests in the Premier League, where their home woes remain very much alive after last weekend's 2-1 beating at the hands of Aston Villa in North London.

Tottenham's latest failure in front of their own fans saw the Lilywhites fall five points behind bitter rivals and current leaders Arsenal, although the gap to third-placed Bournemouth and fourth-placed Liverpool sits at just one point before gameweek nine gets underway.

Furthermore, the visitors' home struggles are in stark contrast to their away-day specialities, as Tottenham are the only team in the Premier League still unbeaten on the road this season, claiming an unrivalled 10 points from 12 on offer.

Spurs could and probably should have lost away from home in midweek, though, but an inspired display in between the posts from Guglielmo Vicario rescued a point - and a first clean sheet in four games - in a 0-0 Champions League draw with Monaco.

The Premier League's finest away side meet one of the division's most dogged home outfits on Sunday afternoon, as Everton are yet to suffer the sour taste of defeat at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, taking eight points from four fixtures at their new headquarters.

Not since the 2016-17 season have the Toffees enjoyed a longer unbeaten home sequence at the start of a new term - they went unbeaten in their first eight at Goodison Park that year - but Everton's home comforts did not translate into a shock away-day success last weekend.

Not the first and certainly not the last team to succumb to Erling Haaland heroics, David Moyes's men were seen off 2-0 by Manchester City at the Etihad in gameweek eight, leaving the Toffees 12th in the standings but within touching distance of the top five.

The more superstitious supporters have particular reason for optimism this weekend, though, as Everton have won each of their last five Premier League matches played on a Sunday, all of which have come under Moyes since his Merseyside homecoming.

The Toffees coincidentally bested Tottenham on a cold Sunday in January, winning 3-2 at Goodison Park to extend an exceptional home sequence against the North London club, who have not beaten the Toffees away from home since December 2018.

Everton Premier League form:

Everton form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

Spurs' troubles can at least be partially attributed to a debilitating injury list, and Frank will be missing no fewer than nine players on Sunday, including recent victims Destiny Udogie (knee) and Cristian Romero (adductor).

The pair join James Maddison (ACL), Ben Davies (muscle), Radu Dragusin (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Kota Takai (foot), Dominic Solanke (ankle) and Yves Bissouma (ankle) in the medical bay, and the latter has just undergone surgery on his ligament injury.

There was no update from Frank on Wilson Odobert's midweek injury in his pre-game press conference, but Mathys Tel is now back at the Dane's disposal and could be a straight swap for his fellow French youngster up front, where Randal Kolo Muani may also be considered for a full debut.

On Everton's end, Moyes will receive possibly the biggest boost he could receive at this juncture, as creative hub Jack Grealish will return to the matchday squad after he was ineligible to face parent club Man City last time out.

Carlos Alcaraz should be the unfortunate soul sacrificed for Grealish, but on a more negative note, Jarrad Branthwaite needs surgery to correct a troublesome hamstring injury and faces an indefinite period on the sidelines.

Nathan Patterson is also likely to spend the next few weeks out due to a combination of a foot problem and a hernia, but the hosts are otherwise in strong shape for gameweek nine.

Everton possible starting lineup:

Pickford; O'Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Sarr; Kudus, Simons, Tel; Kolo Muani

We say: Everton 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

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Trips to the blue half of Merseyside have been Spurs' kryptonite over the past six years, and given the Lilywhites' patchy form and patched-up squad, there is little to suggest that their dismal sequence will be snapped on Sunday.

Everton's lack of a lethal striker will hold them back as well, but Moyes's resilient men can also capitalise on the visitors' European fatigue to claim a praiseworthy point.

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