Everton 0, Spurs 0 - post match analysis

Jan 31 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

FOR the second Wednesday in succession, Goodison was forced to lament a missed opportunity last night.

Having seen hopes of a first final in 13 years slip from their grasp last week, Everton spurned the chance to put clear daylight between themselves and the chasing pack in the race for fourth place.

The arms in the Goodison Park Press box that punched the air at the news of West Ham United’s injury-time winner against Liverpool were too often thrown into the skies in frustration as David Moyes’s side failed to break down a well-drilled Tottenham Hotspur defence.

So, instead of enjoying a four-point advantage in the final Champions League qualification place, Everton have eked to just two points ahead of Aston Villa and Manchester City with their Anfield neighbours a further point adrift.

Not that anyone at Goodison will be feeling in any way despondent this morning. Indeed, with Liverpool’s defeat coupled by City’s draw at rock-bottom Derby County, optimism abounds. Everton remain the form team.

Yet it could – and should – have been better. Seemingly primed to go for the kill after the interval after a dominant first-half performance, Everton’s intensity slipped and allowed Tottenham to work their way back into the game and earn a deserved point.

The nearest the home team came was on the hour when Andrew Johnson was put through by Manuel Fernandes but his shot was saved by Tottenham goalkeeper Radek Cerny.

It was that kind of evening for the striker. His commitment never wavered and his pace often ensured he found promising positions, but the final pass and finish was lacking.

With Yakubu soon to return from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Nigeria, Johnson knows he must make the most of this first team opening.

The England international had earlier been involved in mild controversy when he claimed a penalty for a foul by Tom Huddlestone, although television replays indicated referee Andre Marriner was right to wave away appeals with the forward appearing to fall over his own feet.

Tottenham, save a late burst of pressure in the closing minutes, rarely threatened, with Joleon Lescott and the again-impressive Phil Jagielka keeping dangerous duo Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov under lock and key.

With Goodison Park not having seen a goalless draw since the visit of Middlesbrough in December 2006, perhaps the home supporters were due a dour stalemate.

One concern for Moyes, though, will be the fact his team have now failed to win four of their last five home games.

Everton had set the tone for their season with a 3-1 win at Tottenham in August, but the Londoners had lost just two of their previous 15 visits to Goodison Park during the Premier League era.

Moyes’s side had a week to address the disappointment that last night’s fixture would not be a dress rehearsal for next month’s Carling Cup final, with Tottenham having won through to Wembley by virtue of their demolition of neighbours Arsenal.

That 5-1 thrashing was further evidence of the improvement Juande Ramos has engendered since taking over at White Hart Lane in October, guiding Tottenham away from the relegation zone and, like Everton, through to the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup.

Moyes already knew he would be without the suspended Tim Cahill and Tony Hibbert and Africa Cup of Nations trio Joseph Yobo, Yakubu and Steven Pienaar last night.

So the absence through injury of both Leon Osman and Thomas Gravesen further lessened the manager’s midfield options and saw the lesser-spotted Andy van der Meyde and Anderson de Silva among the home substitutes.

Indeed, van der Meyde – whose last appearance was more than nine months ago – has become such a peripheral figure at Goodison Park that the team-sheet spelt his name incorrectly.

Moyes was forced to break from his favoured 4-5-1 formation and pair Victor Anichebe with Johnson up front.

The manager later threw on James Vaughan but, as Moyes later conceded, no matter how much they tried Everton struggled to create clear-cut chances against a Tottenham defence for whom new £7million signing Jonathan Woodgate was hugely impressive.

But given such upheaval in tactics and personnel, this could prove an important point in the final analysis.

Following a forgettable low-key opening, Everton grasped the initiative midway through the first half with Tottenham at times hanging on desperately to maintain parity.

Leighton Baines, filling in admirably on the left of midfield, fired the first warning shot at Tottenham goalkeeper Cerny and Johnson narrowly failed to latch on to Anichebe’s knockdown from a Nuno Valente cross.

Woodgate was in the right place to block Baines’s goalbound shot after more good work from Anichebe, and Johnson then drew a smart save from Cerny with a volley from Phil Neville’s cross before the striker was involved in a moment of controversy on 33 minutes.

Chasing on to a long ball inside the area, Johnson fell to the floor under pressure from Tom Huddlestone. The crowd were infuriated that referee Marriner waved play on, although television replays suggested Johnson had tripped over his own feet after negligible contact with the Tottenham centre-back.

Tottenham, with the midfield supply lines to Berbatov cut off, could only respond with an ambitious overhead kick from Keane that Tim Howard safely guarded.

The second half began in the same vein, Mikel Arteta twisting his way through a clutch of Tottenham defenders inside the area only for his driven cross-cum-shot to evade Anichebe and flash wide.

However, Everton had a minor escape shortly afterwards when Neville gifted the ball to Berbatov outside the home area but the Bulgarian’s pass through to Keane was overcooked and Howard easily clutched the eventual shot.

Then came Johnson’s glorious chance on 59 minutes. A slack header from Jermaine Jenas in midfield was picked up by Manuel Fernandes and the Portuguese expertly played in Johnson, whose shot was partially stopped by Cerny before Woodgate hacked clear.

The openings dried up after that, though, as Tottenham began to gain a foothold in proceedings.

Everton were indebted to a resourceful block from Jagielka late on to prevent a Berbatov shot from threatening Howard’s goal, although Steed Malbranque should have been booked for his dive inside the area to try and win a last-minute penalty as Tottenham sought a late sucker-punch.

That would have been unmerited. But, as they continue to prove, Everton’s league placing is not.