Everton analysis from Chris Beesley following the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at Hill Dickinson Stadium
ECHO Everton reporter Chris Beesley has covered Everton and Liverpool both in the Premier League and abroad since 2005. He cut his teeth in professional sports journalism at the Ellesmere Port Pioneer and then the Welsh edition of the Daily Post, where he also covered Manchester United. Prior to that he worked on the student newspaper Pluto at the University of Central Lancashire, a role in which he first encountered David Moyes. Chris is well-known for his sartorial elegance and the aforementioned Scottish manager once enquired of him at a press conference: "Is that your dad's suit you've got on?" while the tradition continued in 2023 with new Blues boss Sean Dyche complimenting him on his smart appearance.
Beto misses a chance during Everton's 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur
Beto misses a chance during Everton's 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur
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As overhead scissor-kicks go, it was hardly a glorious moment like Pele in Escape to Victory, but Beto’s acrobatic attempt to try and get his side back into the game summed up how things have been going for Everton’s number nine. With the Blues already two-nil down and facing a mountain to climb, Iliman Ndiaye, who went into this season with 11 goals to his name for the club – including their last two at [Goodison Park](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/goodison -park) – and then followed that up with the first at Hill Dickinson Stadium, again showed how of late he has become a potent provider from out wide, having been moved to the right flank.
In his maiden campaign on Merseyside, the Senegal international was a taker rather than a maker of chances – which was demonstrated in spectacular fashion by his solo strike in this corresponding fixture which brought David Moyes’ first three points since returning – but while he would often cut inside to have a shot himself, the crosses were in short supply.
Now Jack Grealish is operating on that side of the pitch, Ndiaye has moved over, and it seems to enable him to pick out team-mates. There was the first assist to tee up international team-mate Idrissa Gueye in the Merseyside Derby; Moyes name-checked his delivery that resulted in Grealish’s dramatic stoppage-time winner here last time out, and of course, he fed Beto twice in Everton’s prior fixture to this at Manchester City.
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Ndiaye had already put a chance on a plate for his Blues team-mates in the first half, but once more, his centre-forward failed to make a proper connection, and it was left to Grealish to see his effort cleared off the line by Pedro Porro.
Beto knows that he will ultimately be judged by his goal output, and while he’s the only Everton striker to have found the net so far this season, one goal in 567 Premier League minutes so far this season doesn’t make great reading.
But, for now at least, the striker who hit five in a four-game purple patch in the competition for Moyes last February is going to have to try and play his way out of the slump. Understudy Thierno Barry is not doing any better, and the Blues are in desperate need of some added cutting edge.
Soft centre
All of a sudden, Everton facing being without their most valuable player and defensive colossus Jarrad Branthwaite for a prolonged period came into sharp focus with a disjointed display at the back in the week that the England international underwent an operation after suffering a setback with his hamstring injury.
Going into the previous weekend, Blues boss Moyes was looking forward to having Branthwaite – who hasn’t kicked a ball all season – on the cusp of a return, but now he finds himself further away than ever, and boy was he missed here.
When asked about the recovery period in his pre-match press conference to preview this fixture, the manager refused to put a timescale on proceedings and insisted that his prize asset would not be rushed.
Writing in his programme notes, the 62-year-old said of Branthwaite: “We hope he won’t be out for too long because obviously he is a hugely important member of our team, and to be without him for such a long period was not what we expected. We wish him well and hope for a speedy recovery.”
David Moyes provided an update on Jarrad Branthwaite's fitness before Everton's defeat to Tottenham
David Moyes provided an update on Jarrad Branthwaite's fitness before Everton's defeat to Tottenham
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To be fair to James Tarkowski and Michael Keane, the pair of them – who previously played together at Burnley – have so far forged a solid partnership, but this was not an opportune time for the wheels to fall off in such spectacular fashion.
Once again, their general play, particularly that of Keane, who made a strong, well-timed interception on Xavi Simons in the penalty area early on, was mostly sound, but when it mattered most, they and the rest of the home defence were found badly lacking.
Everton couldn’t say they hadn’t been warned, with Spurs captain Micky van de Ven having already headed in the opener – when he’d already been left unmarked in the six-yard box – but somehow he managed to get himself between the Blues’ two centre-backs to do it again and double his side’s advantage.
Hopefully it proves to be a painful exception to the rule, but Everton’s defenders need to re-establish their solidity quickly.
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Home comforts
The citadel has been stormed by the banks of the Mersey.
Roma were the first visiting side here to taste victory in the inaugural senior game back in August, but once the competitive action got under way, Everton were, up until this point, undefeated in their new 52,769-capacity home.
Curiously, Tottenham Hotspur, the last incumbent Premier League team to move to a new stadium (Brentford’s switch was more recent in 2020 under current Spurs boss Thomas Frank, but they were still in the Championship at the time), went five games unbeaten, but now they have defeated the Blues, who went six.
Like anyone at this level, Moyes’ men have at times during that run had to ride their luck – especially in their Premier League opener against Brighton & Hove Albion, and then last time out when facing Crystal Palace, who could have easily been three-nil up themselves before Everton staged a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory to deny them going 20 games unbeaten – but this proved to be an emphatic unravelling in the new surroundings.
Ironically, this was originally due to be the match that fan group the 1878s, who added spark to the final days at Goodison Park, were due to have their first display, but instead the previous evening was used as a fundraiser when they released their set of flags and banners that had filled the stands at ‘The Grand Old Lady’ now required some serious super-sizing.
It’s not often that Moyes’ team are beaten by such margins, following his return, only Manchester City – twice – had beaten the Blues by more than a single-goal margin in a Premier League game, but despite what was a bright start here, Spurs would highlight the hosts’ lack of a cutting edge.
Hill Dickinson Stadium can still be a daunting place for visitors to come to, but it must be remembered that last season Everton enjoyed just five home wins in the league, the joint lowest in their history, along with 1957/58.
As the manager cautioned in his programme notes, “Everton was never going to be a quick fix.” However, he hopes: “We are still pressing all the right buttons to try and fast-forward that process,” and the supporters can play a big part in that.
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