A look at some of the moments beyond the headlines from Everton's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur
Everton fell to a frustrating defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, their first loss at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Under the lights and in the prime time Sky Sports Sunday night slot, this felt like an opportunity to showcase the club’s progress to the world. Instead, the Blues are now nursing their wounds after Thomas Frank’s set piece prowess proved the difference between the sides.
For all the disappointment with the result, Everton again created chances and had they taken them - or had any of a number of close calls gone their way - it could have been a very different night on the banks of the Mersey. It was not to be, however. Here are some moments from behind-the-scenes of a tough result for David Moyes and his team.
Richarlison retains status as fan favourite
Richarlison once again caused Everton problems as he returned to his old club but there was, as usual, no sense of animosity from a favourite of the home faithful His introduction in the second half was met with applause from the Everton fanbase and he shared a friendly moment with Jordan Pickford after the goalkeeper kept out his effort when he capitalised on confusion between James Tarkowski and Vitalii Mykolenko.
He finished the match with an assist for Pape Matar Sarr’s late third goal but made sure he had time for both sets of supporters at the end. After giving his shirt away he walked the perimeter of the pitch and stopped to sign autographs and chat with Blues.
Jack Grealish putting in the dirty work
Much is rightly made of what Jack Grealish can do in attack but last night was another match in which his desire to do the hard work was clear. In the opening minutes, Vitalii Mykolenko found himself chasing balls over the top as Everton sought an early breakthrough.
Grealish immediately covered as left back to give the Ukraine international licence to roam. Later in the half it was his recovery challenge on Brennan Johnson that saved Everton when the forward breezed past Mykolenko and into the box. Unfortunately, Spurs’ second came from the flurry of corners that followed.
Beto backed by staff after frustrating evening
Beto was unable to find the back of the net on another frustrating night for the Everton striker. The forward has won the backing of Moyes in recent games but missed a good opportunity in the opening minutes, when he failed to connect with Ndiaye’s inviting cross. His disappointment was evident later in the half when he chased down a long ball and looked to chop inside Kevin Danso only to stand on the defender’s foot and fall over in the process. He fought back after losing possession but bundled over an opposition player in his efforts.
It was hard not to feel sorry for Beto when Guglielmo Vicario somehow clawed away his acrobatic effort in the second half. When he left the pitch, every one of the coaching staff sat across the first two rows of the Everton seats have him a fist bump or hi-five, suggesting he still retains the backing of a dressing room that is desperate for him to find the breakthrough it is hoped will kickstart his season.
Lee Dixon makes his comeback after controversial comments
Lee Dixon was not the most popular figure on the Blue half of Merseyside over the most recent international break as he questioned why Pickford had not left Everton. The former Arsenal defender queried why the England number one had not joined ‘a bigger club’ as he kept another clean sheet in the demolition of Latvia.
The comment sparked outrage among supporters and Everton posted a response on X highlighting the club’s illustrious past. Dixon was on international commentary duty on Sunday night as he made his first return to Everton since the furore.
Familiar faces in the building
A few other familiar faces were also in the building on Sunday evening. Jarrad Branthwaite, after his hamstring surgery went well in midweek, was spotted in attendance on crutches. The centre back would have been a strong contender for a return to the starting XI in this match, had he not suffered his latest setback.
Former owner Farhad Moshiri was once again present, too, as he continued to maintain an appearance record that far outshines his visits to Goodison Park over the final years of his reign. As Everton struggled for goals one of their former youth players, Nathan Broadhead looked on fresh from returning from Wrexham’s draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday. Broadhead had scored against Oxford United in midweek to give his side a much-needed three points.