Everton (Away)
Premier League

Wednesday 21st February 2007

 
 

Everton.  Tough nut to crack.  Tight at the back, energetic in midfield and always likely to nick a goal up front.  That's why they have picked up so many single goal wins over the last few years.

And they are good at home, so despite our terrific record against the Toffees over the last few seasons, we must not take anything for granted ... not that we would with it being an away game !!

In recent months, Mikel Arteta has shown some "fantasy" in the middle of the park for the Merseysiders and players like Andy Johnson and Victor Anechibie has fed on his service.  That cannot be said of James Beattie, who has been well out of favour and rumoured to be picked up for a song by Spurs come the summer.  Arteta has got among the goals himself and has notched some good ones, so he will need to be closed down the nearer he gets to goal.

The back line has been disrupted by injury and suspension, but with Yobo and Stubbs in tandem in the middle, with Joleon Leescott and one of Naysmith or Hibbert on either side, they have formed a solid unit that is hard to break down.  They might well double up on Lennon, but this should make some space for others to move into.  Behind them, Tim Howard has been playing well giving them confidence of having a sound keeper between the sticks.

With the driving runs of Tim Cahill missing from their midfield through suspension, the Blues will welcome back Leon Osman to replace the Antipodean.  Andy van der Mayde has had a miserable time since joining Everton, but could pull our full backs wide if he plays.  The "dogs of war" in the midfield now tend to be Lee Carsley and Phil Neville, so Zokora or Jenas and Tainio will have to match their tenacity.

While the 4-0 win over Fulham was borne out of a well-deserved team effort, it will take a string of away results to prove that it wasn't just a Cup shock.  Tonight's game could go a long way to giving the side the boost to go away and take points if we can return South with even a single point ...

PREDICTION : -  Everton  1   Tottenham Hotspur   1

For more information on the opponents and their history, including full result history of matches between the two teams, click here.

 
 
PLAYERS UNAVAILABLE

EVERTON :  -  James McFadden (broken foot); Nuno Valente (calf); Andy Johnson (knee);  Tim Cahill(suspended)

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR : -  Ledley King (broken foot); Benoit Assou-Ekotto (knee)

 
 
Coverage

TV
For coverage in all parts of the world, check here and here
.

Radio :  
BBC LONDON 94.9FM (London area only), Digital Radio (London area only) &  Sky Channel 0152
 (live coverage)
BBC Radio Five Live (live coverage)  606/939 MW

If available on BBC radio, it can supposedly be heard in these countries on these stations ...
Australia (Melbourne) SEN  -  116 AM  Live Transmissions: TWI, Saturday. 12.45 & 1500 matches
Australia (Sydney)  Radio 2  -  1611AM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 12.45 Match
Singapore Media Corp Radio  -  93.8 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
South Africa  SABC (Radio 2000)  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
Uganda  Radio 1 (English) 90.0 FM, Radio 2 (Lugandan) 87.9 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
North America (USA, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean)  Sirius Satellite Radio  Live transmission: Saturday - 12.45, 15.00 (TWI) & 17.15 (BBC) Sunday - 14.00 & 16.05 (BBC) Mon, Tue, Wed - Various times (BBC)

Internet :
www.spurs.co.uk   Live webcast  - subscribers only
Planet football -
http://play.www.planetfootball.servecast.net/downloads/sky/spurs-pl04-kean0.ram (free - only available when match is on.)
BBC London -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/10/12/live_commentaries_feature.shtml click on link to "Listen to Tottenham Hotspur live commentary" on top right hand menu.

 
 
 

 

 

Everton  1   Tottenham Hotspur  2       (Half-time score : 1-1)

Premier League
Venue : -  Goodison Park
Wednesday 21st February 2007
Kick Off :  8.00 p.m.
Crowd :   34,121
Referee :  Uriah Rennie (Sheffield)
Weather :  -  Chilly, dry
Teams : - 
Everton :

Howard

Neville
Yobo
Stubbs
Lescott

Osman
Carsley
Fernandes (Hibbert 86)
Arteta

Anichebe (Naysmith 46 [Vaughan 90])
Beattie

Unused subs
Wright
Anderson

Tottenham Hotspur :

Robinson

Chimbonda
Dawson
Gardner
YP Lee

Lennon (Malbranque 81)
Jenas
Zokora
Tainio

Keane (c)
Berbatov

Unused subs
Cerny
Stalteri
Ghaly
Defoe

Colours : -  (kits courtesy of http://www.colours-of-football.com)
Everton

Tottenham Hotspur
Scorers : -  
Everton

Arteta 43

Tottenham Hotspur

Berbatov 35
Jenas 89

Cards : -  
Everton

     
Anichebe (foul)
Neville (foul)  

    

Tottenham Hotspur 

     
Dawson (foul) 42  
 

     

Match Report : -  
At last, a dramatic last gasp goal went Tottenham's way for their second win on the road in the North-West this season thanks to Jermaine Jenas.

The first half started with Spurs having to defend a number of corners, which luckily were not too threatening.  What was threatening was the Everton tackling, with Anichebe going into Uriah Rennie's book for a clattering of Gardner, while Phil "Pretty BOY" Neville followed suit for going in late on Berbatov.  From the latter's free-kick, Chimbonda got around the back, but was too deep to head goalwards and his header nestled in the side-netting.

Most of the shooting opportunities in the first period seemed to be from distance, with Anichebe Fernandes and Leon Osman firing wide at the Spurs end and Robbo making a low save to another Osman effort, while Aaron Lennon hit Howard from 25 yards at the other.  It was Spurs who took a 35th minute lead when Teemu Tainio won the ball in midfield, as it was hoped he would against the hard-working Everton middle four.  The ball was picked up by Lennon, who attacked the line and pulled the ball back low to Dimitar Berbatov, who struck the ball into the top right hand corner past Howard for 1-0.  It was a well-crafted goal and one which gave Spurs confidence.

However, what didn't give Spurs confidence was Rennie's reading of his linesman's flag.  The assistant ref was clearly signalling for a foul by Anichebe on Dawson, but the referee gave the decision the other way and then booked the Tottenham centre-half for the privilege.  To add further insult to injury, Arteta whipped in the dead ball from 20 yards out and his shot was powerful enough to beat Robinson into the bottom corner of the goal.  Coming three minutes before the break it was a blow, but Tottenham had played well in the first half and should have taken  that forward into the second half.  However, bringing Naysmith on for Anichebe freed Osman to push forward more and this gave Spurs problems.  His shooting brought a good stop from the Spurs keeper and then another flew just wide, while Mikel Arteta twice tried his luck again from free-kicks but got it too high and then too wide.  That was something Chimbonda did when he won another header in the Everton box from a corner, but got underneath it to put it over the crossbar.

The game was opening up a little and Spurs hit on the break with Berbatov bringing a save out of Tim Howard before Osman once more had a chance, but put his header wide of the goal from around the penalty spot.  Malbranque was introduced to replace the tiring Lennon and his astute play helped the side settle down and start moving towards the opposition's goal.  Berba hit a shot from the edge of the box that went wide, then Robbie missed the target when put in just six yards out.  However, the missed chances were not going to be rued tonight, as Steed passed through to Jenas, who showed his scoring prowess with a curler from 20 yards past Howard and in for the winner.  Coming just after David Moyes had taken Manuel Fernandes off and put on a defender in the shape of Hibbert, it sent the crowd into a chorus of boos as the Spurs fans cheered the goal that came late enough to prevent the Toffees getting anything back.

A good win and one which was most unexpected, but hopefully, it will launch a good run-in to the end of the season to push the team up towards the top six places in the league.

MEHSTG TOP MAN : - DIMITAR BERBATOV

BRUCE GROVE

 

 

 

 

Other scores this mid-week :
Watford 1 Wigan Athletic 1 Wednesday

   

 

League Table
  P W D L F A Pts GD
1 Manchester United 27 21 3 3 63 18 66 +45
2 Chelsea 27 18 6 3 48 19 60 +29
3 Liverpool 26 15 5 7 40 19 50 +21
4 Arsenal 26 14 7 5 48 22 49 +26
5 Bolton Wanderers 27 14 5 8 32 28 47 +4
6 Reading 27 13 4 10 41 34 43 +7
7 Portsmouth 26 11 8 8 37 26 41 +11
8 Everton 27 10 9 8 33 25 39 +8
9 Newcastle United 27 10 6 11 34 36 36 -2
10 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 27 10 6 11 32 39 36 -7
11 Blackburn Rovers 27 10 4 13 30 38 34 -8
12 Middlesbrough 27 8 8 11 30 33 32 -3
13 Aston Villa 27 7 11 9 28 33 32 -5
14 Fulham 27 7 11 9 29 41 32 -12
15 Sheffield United 26 8 6 12 24 36 30 -12
16 Manchester City 26 8 6 12 20 32 30 -12
17 Wigan Athletic 27 7 5 15 28 44 26 -16
18 West Ham United 27 5 5 17 18 42 20 -24
19 Charlton Athletic 27 5 5 17 20 47 20 -27
20 Watford 27 3 10 14 16 38 19 -22

 

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