Everton Suffer Frustrating Defeat To Spurs

Everton's unbeaten start to life at Hill Dickinson Stadium came to an end in – but not without controversy – in a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

After a bright start from the Blues, Spurs captain Micky van de Ven opened the scoring against the run of play, heading home Mohammed Kudus' in-swinging corner from close range on 19 minutes.

The Toffees responded with a headed goal from a corner of their own five minutes later, Jake O'Brien thundering Kiernan Dewsbury-Hill's inviting delivery past Guglielmo Vicario, however, after a lengthy VAR check, referee Craig Pawson contentiously adjudged Iliman Ndiaye to have been interfering from an offside position and the goal was chalked off.

Everton continued to look the more dangerous side and went close again when the ever-dangerous Ndiaye dug out a cross from the right, only for van de Ven to intervene with a crucial touch to deny Beto a tap-in.

Spurs rubbed salt into the wounds in first-half stoppage time, when van de Ven notched for the second time of the contest – another header from Pedro Porro's whipped corner.

Vicario pulled off an acrobatic stop nine minutes into the second period to keep out Beto's bicycle kick following another excellent cross from Ndiaye.

Former Blue Richarlison was then presented an opportunity moments after being introduced from the bench, but former teammate Jordan Pickford stood tall to keep out the Brazilian's effort in a one-on-one situation.

Everton continued to pour forward as the rain swirled around Hill Dickinson Stadium, Vicario again on hand with a smart save to keep out Ndiaye's deflected strike from the edge of the penalty area.

In a rare second-half attack, the visitors then sealed the result by adding a third with a minute remaining when substitute Pape Matar Sarr nodded in Richarlison's header back across goal.

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