Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Everton
Spurs and Everton played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the final match of the league season, in front of 60,000 happy fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It was always going to be a challenge for Spurs, to come back to Premier League matters after their epic achievement in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
And Arsenal’s slip up against Brighton last weekend had already virtually confirmed the Whites’ top four place, bar a spectacular last day swing in goal difference. But then we have seen two remarkable turnarounds over the last few dramatic days.
Not today though as Spurs got the point they needed to make sure, while the final day Premier League 2019 results revealed that Arsenal won at Burnley, while the top of the table clash was finally decided as Manchester City won back-to-back titles.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team were pegged back after taking an early lead, as Everton struck twice in three minutes, but Christian Eriksen stepped up with a fine free kick to win a point.
Highlights of the game
You know what…if anyone thought Spurs would be tired they were in for a surprise, as the Whites went ahead while Everton was sleeping. As a corner swung in Yerry Mina fluffed his clearance and when the ball bounced off Fernando Llorente into the path of Eric Dier, the England man slammed the ball home.
For the visitors, Michael Keane had a header from a corner but Hugo Lloris gathered easily, and then when Theo Walcott found himself in space he stabbed the ball straight at the Spurs keeper.
Everton had a good spell around the half hour mark but Spurs held onto their lead. Christian Eriksen has consistently been their best midfielder during Pochettino’s tenure and he took control in the middle and then found Erik Lamela with a beautifully weighted pass. He pulled the ball back for Dele Alli but he fired wide.
Even though they went into the break behind the Toffees fans cheered as the news came that Manchester City had gone 1-2 ahead at Brighton.
In the second half Spurs did begin to flag and Everton should have been ahead on the hour, Cenk Tosun put Bernard through on goal but the Brazilian fired wide when he should have scored. But Spurs didn’t heed the warning and they were behind as the Toffees struck twice in three minutes.
First Gylfi Sigurdsson put Walcott through on the right, and the former Arsenal winger cut inside and slid his shot low into the corner. Then, minutes later, Keane met a Sigurdsson corner which Lloris parried but Tosun was first to the rebound.
Then Spurs awoke again and it was Eriksen who restored parity with a brilliant low free-kick which left Jordan Pickford scrabbling as the ball settled in the corner.
Key statistics
The pre-match Spurs vs Everton betting odds had the draw available at 3.15 and while the hosts enjoyed 55 per cent possession, the Toffees won the shot count 17 to 11, and had much the better of the second half.
That was the 20th Premier League draw between these two top flight stalwarts, but the Whites are now unbeaten in 13 league games against the Toffees.
And Christian Eriksen has scored in each of his last four league appearances against Everton; they must be getting a little tired of him!
What’s next?
That’s it for Marco Silva’s Everton for another season. Eighth place isn’t a bad return but the Toffees, from boardroom to fan, will expect more of their talented team and head coach next season. It won’t be easy to break into the top six and with Wolves making a strong debut season in the top flight, finishing seventh, Silva’s team must find a way of developing the consistency of the very top teams.
So with fourth place in the bag, finishing a point ahead of North London Rivals Arsenal, Pochettino’s team can prepare for its next huge challenge.
It’s time for all of us SBOBET Premier League fans to catch our breath and look forward to another great season not too far away. But Spurs fans all have the 1st June in their diary when their team heads to Madrid for the Champions League final.
Liverpool will be favourites, but could the weight of a tumultuous league campaign, which eventually fell agonisingly short, weigh heavily on the Reds’ shoulders?
Either way; it’s going to be a cracker…that’s for sure!
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