Everton vs Tottenham preview, stats, team news, line-ups and prediction

Everton will look to alleviate their relegation woes when they host Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on matchday 23 of the Premier League.

Hit with a highly contentious 10-point deduction in November, Everton now grapple with an extended crisis in the Premier League. Amidst looming potential sanctions, Sean Dyche faces a monumental task at Goodison Park. Recently, Everton settled for a frustrating 0-0 draw against Fulham, amplifying their involvement in the relegation battle.

The match witnessed a flurry of chances for both sides. Fulham squandered opportunities, and Everton too missed significant chances, creating a recurring theme throughout the game.

Despite the absence of goals, the match proved to be an engaging and dynamic affair. Both teams displayed energy and creativity, especially in the attacking third. Fulham had a goal-line clearance in the first half, denying Everton from taking the lead, while Raul Jimenez missed a golden opportunity and Jordan Pickford made a remarkable save to deny Tosin’s header.

Late in the game, Beto missed two glaring opportunities, leaving Sean Dyche and Everton ruing what could have been a victory.

Despite amassing sufficient points to comfortably secure 12th place, Everton face a precarious situation due to the 10-point deduction earlier this season. Presently positioned 18th with 18 points, Everton trail Luton Town by just one point, as Luton recently leapfrogged to 17th following a commanding 4-0 triumph over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Dyche’s squad has endured a winless streak in their last four league matches, a stark contrast to their previous run of form, which saw only three defeats in 12 games, including notable victories against Chelsea, Newcastle, and West Ham.

On the other hand, Tottenham, under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou, continue to excel this season. Impressively performing since Postecoglou’s appointment last summer, Spurs have their sights set on clinching a coveted Champions League position for the next season.

With two wins in their last three Premier League fixtures, Tottenham climbed to fourth place, overtaking Aston Villa. Their latest triumph unfolded at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they secured a thrilling 3-2 victory against London rivals, Brentford.

Postecoglou’s bold decision to make a double substitution at halftime proved pivotal as Tottenham staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Brentford 3-2 in a captivating Premier League encounter.

Trailing to Neal Maupay’s 15th-minute opener in a fiercely contested match, Postecoglou’s tactical adjustments during the interval had an immediate impact. Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson found the net within a mere 72 seconds of each other, propelling Spurs into the lead.

Richarlison extended Tottenham’s advantage with a goal in the 56th minute, seemingly putting the result beyond doubt. However, a defensive lapse led to Ivan Toney capitalizing on a poor Udogie backpass in the 67th minute, keeping Brentford in contention.

Despite the late scare, Spurs managed to hold on for yet another thrilling victory, reclaiming their spot in the Premier League’s top four. They now sit in fourth place, eight points behind the league leaders, Liverpool.

Everton v Tottenham match details 

Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024

Location: Liverpool, England

Venue: Goodison Park

Kick-off time: 12:30 UTC, 7:30 am ET, 12:30 pm GMT

Referee: Michael Oliver

Assistant referee: Dan Cook, Wade Smith

Fourth Official: Andy Madley

VAR: Stuart Attwell

Tickets: Supporters can buy Everton tickets for the game against Tottenham through club websites and via trusted resellers such as seatsnet.com.

Match stats and head-to-head 

• Tottenham have maintained a scoring streak in their last 33 Premier League matches.

• Everton managed to score in five out of their last six home games against Tottenham across all competitions.

• In their recent encounters, Tottenham lost only one out of the last 22 Premier League matches against Everton, with 11 wins and 10 draws. However, the last four meetings at Goodison Park resulted in draws.

• Richarlison, Everton’s forward, has been prolific with six goals in his last eight appearances across all competitions, including opening the scoring against his former club in their most recent encounter.

• Jarrad Branthwaite has been a key figure in Everton’s defence this season but has also accumulated six yellow cards, the highest in the team so far.

• Tottenham have remained unbeaten in their last six matches against Everton, securing three wins and three draws, although they haven’t won at Goodison Park since December 2018.

• Spurs have garnered 10 points from their last four Premier League meetings against Everton.

• Everton have struggled recently, recording just a single victory in their last nine matches across all competitions.

• In their previous Premier League encounter on December 23rd, Tottenham clinched a 2-1 victory against Everton in north London.

• The first encounter between Everton and Tottenham took place on February 6th, 1904, with Spurs emerging victorious 2-1 in an FA Cup tie at Goodison Park. However, Everton avenged their loss with a 1-0 victory in the same competition on January 11th, 1908.

• Out of the 187 games played between Everton and Tottenham to date, Tottenham has secured 71 victories, Everton 57, and there have been 59 draws.

Team news

Idrissa Gana Gueye is currently representing Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations. However, the 34-year-old could feature in Sean Dyche’s squad following Senegal’s elimination in the round of 16.

On the injury front, Everton continue to face challenges, with Abdoulaye Doucoure expected to remain sidelined for the third consecutive match due to an injury setback. Additionally, veteran defender Seamus Coleman is unlikely to be available for selection this weekend.

Despite Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal drought since the end of October, the English striker is set to lead Everton’s attacking line at Goodison Park in their upcoming fixture.

Tottenham will be missing Yves Bissouma, who is currently away with Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations this month. Additionally, influential captain Heung-MinSon continues to lead South Korea’s Asia Cup campaign in the Middle East, extending his absence from the Spurs lineup.

Following Senegal’s elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations at the hands of hosts Ivory Coast in the round of 16, Pape Matar Sarr is expected to make a return to the Tottenham squad.

Having scored against Brentford in the midweek fixture and securing his eighth Premier League goal of the season, Richarlison will be at the forefront of Spurs’ attacking efforts in this match. With an impressive performance off the bench, former Nottingham Forest talent Brenan Johnson could step in to replace Timo Werner in the attacking third.

Tottenham’s injury list still includes Manor Solomon and Alejo Veliz for this match, while Giovani Lo Celso’s availability remains uncertain due to fitness concerns.

Predicted starting line-up 

Everton predicted starting lineup: Pickford; Godfrey, Tarkwski,Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Onana, Garner; Harrison, Beto Danjuma; Calvert-Lewin

Tottenham Hotspur predicted starting lineup: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Skipp, Maddison; Kulusevski, Werner, Richarlison

Prediction

Tottenham, eager to sustain their momentum after securing an immediate victory in their last outing, are poised to assert their dominance once again in this fixture.

Spurs approach their visit to Goodison Park with confidence and determination as they aim to cement their place among the Champions League contenders

Everton’s recent struggles having won just one of their last nine matches, add to the apprehension surrounding The Toffees as they head into this encounter.

However, Goodison Park is not a friendly ground for Spurs and a tense encounter is expected in this matchup.