Maybe Antonio Conte had a point after all. The former Tottenham Hotspur manager laid into his players after they squandered a precious away lead in his final game in charge before the international break. And had he watched on from afar as Spurs returned to action, he will have recognised what he saw.
As the game was coming to its close, with 88 minutes on the clock, Spurs were once again hanging on. Harry Kane had given the visitors the lead from the penalty spot against Everton and also held a numerical advantage after Abdoulaye Doucoure had been sent off for foolishly raising his hand to the England captain’s face.
However, it is when you expect Spurs to be at their strongest that they somehow manage to appear weak. They invited Everton back into the game. Substitute Lucas Moura went in hard and late on Michael Keane as the second red card of the game was dished out and, two minutes later, the Everton defender served up a dramatic finish.
Not someone known for his right-footed finishes, Keane swung his boot at the ball having been allowed to make ground by a back-tracking Spurs defence and the ball flew past Hugo Lloris from 25 yards out. It lifted the roof off Goodison Park and sent Spurs to a familiar sinking feeling.
The draw still saw Spurs leap back into fourth place in the table — albeit they are level on points with both Newcastle United and Manchester United who have both played two fewer games — but it was the manner in which they lost their way once again that will jar with the travelling supporters as they headed back south.
Cristian Stellini has been appointed as the acting head coach for the remainder of the season with the sole aim of trying to achieve a top-four finish. But that is now six away games without a win in all competitions, a run that needs correcting.
Everton, meanwhile, will be content with the collection of another point in their survival bid as it took them up to 15th place, level on points with four other teams. They are certainly showing a fighting spirit under Sean Dyche even if at times it is a little untidy.
Story of the game
Over the past week the two clubs have rivalled each other with their off-field soap operas. The Premier League referred Everton to an independent commission over an alleged breach of its financial fair play rules during the 2021-22 season after the club posted losses of £44.7 million, raising questions over their future should relegation become a reality.
Meanwhile, at Spurs, Conte’s abrupt departure came after his remarkable dressing down of the club after the dismal draw away to bottom club Southampton two weeks ago while managing director Fabio Paratici had his ban in Italy extended worldwide to plunge their off-field operations into chaos.
After the sackings and threat of sanctions both teams were hoping to start this week on a positive note. It was an intense start but also slightly slapdash with little pattern or control emerging from either team. Spurs, though, created the better chances before the interval.
Oliver Skipp, making his eighth consecutive start, broke free as Spurs tried to get at Everton but was halted by a great challenge from Keane, who is experiencing a renaissance under his former Burnley manager. His block to deny Kane’s shot soon after was equally valuable.
Kane spurned Spurs’ best chance of the half when he headed Ivan Perisic’s cross wide from close range as the visitors started to build momentum. Another whipped ball from the Croatian wing-back looked destined for Pedro Porro at the back post but Dwight McNeil acrobatically saw to the danger. Clear-cut chances, however, were still hard to come by.
Midway through the half a break in play came for players that have been fasting during Ramadan. Everton’s Muslim trio Doucoure, Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye have all been observing the Islamic holy month.
Having contained Spurs for the most part, Everton started to assert themselves more as the half wore on but failed to test Lloris, who was back in the team following a nine-game absence with a knee injury. Ben Godfrey’s shot was heading towards the Spurs’ goal only for a deflection off Eric Dier to take it wide.
Gueye blazed over after Everton started the second half brightly but if the home team had been buoyed by that early promise then it all quickly unravelled.
In the 58th minute, there was a coming together between Doucoure and Kane after a tussle near the touchline and the Everton midfielder hit out with a hand near Kane’s face. Referee David Coote had no option but to dismiss Doucoure, who became the first Everton to be red carded this season.
Down a man and soon down a goal too. Less than 10 minutes after Doucoure had been given his marching orders, Keane was too slow in sticking out a leg at Cristian Romero in the penalty area, fouling the Spurs midfielder. Kane sent his England team-mate, Jordan Pickford, the wrong way, drilling the penalty into the bottom left corner.
Yet, Spurs then went into their shell, sitting deep and inviting their hosts back into the game. The visitors almost played themselves into serious danger when trying to nonchalantly circumvent Everton’s high press, and when Gueye unleashed a fizzing shot, Lloris had to be alert to tip the effort over.
Sensing a late charge may be possible, Dyche made changes with Ellis Simms, the hero in the dramatic 2-2 draw away at Chelsea last time out, being one of them. When Moura, one of Spurs’ changes, produced a late studs-up challenge on Keane, there was only one outcome and the numbers were even.
That was only the start, though, as Keane took matters into his own hands in the 90th minute and hammered home for his first goal of the season. It was some finish.
Player of the match: Michael Keane
The Everton defender may have been responsible for fouling Romero and allowing Kane to take Spurs into the lead, but he will be remembered more for his late strike from distance which rescued the point for the home team.
Keane is becoming an important part of Dyche's Everton, having taken the place of Conor Coady in the centre of defence. His tackle on Skipp and goal-line clearance to deny Kane prevented the visitors from taking an earlier lead.