Everton took the lead inside five minutes but it was significant the goal came from a dead-ball situation – Ross Barkley’s free kick finding its way past Hugo Lloris without Phil Jagielka or Ramiro Funes Mori managing to get a touch. “After the first goal, things went a little bit less than before and maybe we were a little bit exhausted but we will analyse it”.
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When then asked about talk Lukaku is to be offered a new contract by Everton, Koeman said: “The club is doing everything to keep all the players we’d like to keep in the team”. “Stekelenburg looks back to his best after a superb performance against a rejuvenated Tottenham, who seem to have recovered from a shameful display against relegated Newcastle in the last game of the previous season”. We are training hard, getting fitter every week, so I’m looking forward to the games ahead.
It was a positive response from Mauricio Pochettino’s men as they piled on some pressure by moving the ball quickly around the edge of the box, with Kyle Walker, Lamela and Christian Eriksen exchanging passes.
“I am very happy with the way that we handled the game, how we managed it and how we finished it”, he said.
“But at least we showed what we like to see, and you could see the reaction of the fans, really supporting the team, and that is good to show today”.
“How you assess or measure the percentage of how your team is – for me it is very hard”. It is the first game of the season and there is a long way to go.
It would not have flattered Everton’s dominance, but it was a different story in the second half, with Pochettino giving Janssen a chance to show his worth.
Tottenham dominated proceedings late on and, if not for two world-class saves by Maarten Stekelenburg that denied Vincent Janssen and Lamela respectively, would have sealed the three points.
Pochettino expressed the confidence that he and his squad have coming into the new season, despite the end to their previous campaign. The big teams have made some great signings, changed managers and look very good.
Goodison Park welcomes home side Everton and visiting outfit Tottenham Hotspur this weekend – but will the sides feature drastically different line-ups to those seen past year?
Seamus Coleman and Romelu Lukaku were doubts going into this game, and disappointingly for Koeman, neither has been able to regain fitness for this game.
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Spurs have no injury worries, but Moussa Dembele is suspended following a suspension at the end of last season. “We wanted to finish second, we did not so he was disappointed just like us”.
