For all the world it looked as though a former hero was going to come back to haunt Everton. Finding the back of the net at Goodison Park is nothing new for Richarlison, but the in-form striker’s brace here for Tottenham Hotspur had his former club trailing.
Both of those goals were well-taken too, underlining a player confident in front of goal and now with nine goals in his last 11 appearances. His minimal celebrations paid respect to the home supporters who once cheered his name.
However, Everton’s character is much improved under Sean Dyche and their never-say-die-attitude was on show when Jarrad Branthwaite scored an equaliser in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to send the home gallery wild and provide the hosts with a precious point that, temporarily at least, lifted them out of the relegation zone.
Spurs may kick themselves that they let this one slip; particularly because Branthwaite’s header and Jack Harrison’s first-half equaliser both came from set pieces and pounced on a chink in Guiglielmo Vicario’s armoury.
Story of the game
Given Everton have failed to score in as many games as they have kept clean sheets in recent weeks (four), and Spurs arrived as the only team to score in every league game this season but find shutouts much harder to come by, this was alway going to be billed as a clash of styles.
Yet what ensued was an entertaining spectacle and remarkably open match. Tottenham were out of the blocks quickest and were ahead within three minutes following a neat move down the left flank that owed everything to one-touch play.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Timo Werner and Destiny Odogie combined with the Tottenham left back then pulling the ball back for Richarlison, who was lurking just outside of the six-yard box. The Brazilian expertly lifted the ball first time past Jordan Pickford and into the net.
Such composure was in contrast to the home team’s early efforts. There was a frantic element to their play, and when James Garner ceded possession soon after Spurs had taken the lead, James Maddison could only drag his shot wide of the far post to let the hosts off for such slackness.
The home supporters were out of their seats in the 10th minute when they raised yellow cards which read ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ and were directed at the Premier League. The hearing of the club’s appeal over their 10-point deduction has taken place in the past week and a decision is expected later this month.
Everton did grow into the first half, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin going the closest with a header over the crossbar, but offsides and rushed passes often stymied their endeavours. Dwight McNeil’s corners were the route to goal and it was his in-swinger in the 30th minute that brought about Everton’s equaliser.
Harrison again provided a robust barrier that Vicario failed to out-manoeuvre. The ball flew to James Tarkowski at the back post and he headed back across goal where a mixture of Calvert-Lewin and Harrison bundled the ball home for Everton’s first league goal since December 27.
Yet, parity only lasted 11 minutes as Richarlison again finished with aplomb. Werner passed in-field to Maddison, who was surrounded by blue shirts but managed to poke the ball across to the Spurs No9.
After letting the ball run across his body, Richarlison dug out a shot with his right boot that flew beyond Pickford and into the top corner. Both of his goals spoke of a player currently at ease in front of goal.
Another Everton corner came close to taking the hosts in level at the break but Vicario kept out Ben Godfrey’s header and then prevented Harrison from following up. There was no letup in the second half as the game continued to ebb and flow.
Vicario flapped at another corner while Micky van de Ven thwarted Harrison with a perfectly executed sliding tackle. Pickford had to push away Pedro Porro’s fizzing shot before denying Werner when the Spurs attacker was through on goal and then palming a Maddison half-volley to safety.
Ange Postecoglou swapped Brennan Johnson for Dejan Kulusevski but Richarlison remained the visitors’ chief threat. He clearly wanted a hat-trick but was denied by Pickford at the near post and Maddison couldn’t reach the rebound.
As the game neared its conclusion, substitutes came to the fore. Lewis Dobbin’s cross was stabbed straight at Vicario by Youssef Chermiti. Then Radu Dragusin, the Spurs centre-back, appeared to slightly tug at Beto’s shirt in the penalty area but appeals were waved away.
Then, in the 95th minute, a free-kick was hoisted into the Tottenham area and Cristian Romero flicked it on with his head. The Spurs defender’s touch meant that even though Branthwaite was offside at the original set-piece he was now deemed onside and the centre-back helped the ball in at the far post.
Player of the match: Richarlison
The former Everton striker scored with an accurate first-time finish that demonstrated such composure and technique, and then a cultured shot from distance that also highlighted his current confidence.
Although Maddison was again pulling the strings in Spurs' attack, it was their Brazilian striker who made the difference in the penalty area and looked set to give the visitors their sixth win in eight league games.
