LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 6: Everton's Ainsley Maitland-Niles thanks the fans at the end of the match during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Everton and Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 6, 2026 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Ainsley Maitland-Niles thanks the Everton after he marked his debut for the club with a stunning injury-time equaliser against Manchester United(Image: Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Everton head to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening (5.30pm) looking to extend their unbeaten start to the Premier League season to four matches. But the Blues would have already tasted defeat twice had it not been for their never-say-die spirit.
David Moyes' side were heading for undeserved losses away to Bournemouth and at home to Manchester United until James Tarkowski and debutant Ainsley Maitland-Niles struck dramatic injury-time equalisers to earn 1-1 and 2-2 draws respectively, which came on the back of the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium on the opening day of the campaign.
And Everton are likely to have to show similar resilience against an expensively assembled Tottenham team who are looking for their first goal and first win of the Premier League season after they followed 3-0 and 2-0 defeats to Brentford and Newcastle United respectively with a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest.
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But given the talent at Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi's disposal, Moyes will not be taking his opponents lightly. So what line-up should the Blues boss select?
Our Everton writers have their say here...
Last Sunday was a watershed moment for Tyrique George and Everton as he scored his first goal for the club – and he did it while playing in the right-wing position.
After turning his loan move from Chelsea into a permanent switch over the summer, George had been one of the Blues’ most promising prospects throughout pre-season, but that was predominantly while operating on the left flank. Grealish’s transfer deadline day return to Hill Dickinson Stadium threatened to block the 20-year-old’s path, but just as Iliman Ndiaye, now of Manchester City of course, did when the first £100million English footballer arrived at Everton last summer, George has shown that he is a viable option on the right.
His breakthrough provides the exciting prospect of starting with both himself and Grealish – which I’d now do at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – which means that Brennan Johnson drops back down to the bench against the club for whom he scored the winning goal in the 2025 Europa League final. As encouraging as Merlin Rohl’s form has also been over the summer, he was given a rough ride by Marcus Rashford of Manchester United while continuing as a square peg in a round hole in the right-back berth.
I’d therefore take him out of the firing line here and hand a first start to Ainsley Maitland-Niles who enjoyed a dream end to his debut against the Red Devils. Hopefully the former Arsenal player will be fired up to face Spurs and can stay focused when it comes to the defensive side of his game, having allowed Luke Shaw to put in the cross for United’s second goal before he came up trumps himself at the other end of the pitch for his last-gasp equaliser.
My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Armstrong; George, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry.
Joe Th
I would start Ainsley Maitland-Niles. I like Merlin Rohl as a player but not as a right-back and I though Marcus Rashford caused him all sorts of issues last week. In fairness, Maitland-Niles was on the pitch for Manchester United's second, which came from a cross from his side, but was fresh onto the pitch at a new club and surrounded by new players.
Having had another week to settle in and being able to do so against the backdrop of his stunning stoppage-time equaliser, he should be in a position to start. The club needs a right-back at right-back so I would take this opportunity to introduce him to the starting XI.
My instinct is to keep the rest of the team the same. I thought Tyrique George was great on the left last week and I quite liked Brennan Johnson on the right. That would give David Moyes the opportunity to introduce Jack Grealish from the bench.
BUT and it is a big one - that plan would mean that all three forward options would start the game on the pitch. That is a lot of work for Thierno Barry to do in a difficult role for 90 minutes. Alternatively, it would be a lot for George or Johnson to pivot to the front after 60 minutes spent down the wings.
So I think - and I think he unlucky - Johnson has to start on the bench. Grealish on the left, George on the right and then the option of Johnson to replace Barry if needed and Dibling to replace one of the wingers. This is the problem Moyes has been left with.
**My team (4-2-3-1):**Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Armstrong; George, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry.