On five minutes, a clattering challenge by Wanayama gave the Toffees a free-kick in an attacking position, and while Ross Barkley’s looping delivery was aimed at a cluster of onrushing heads, no one got a touch and a hefty bounce took the ball past Lloris’s despairing dive and into the far corner.
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Defensively, Spurs were solid at the back, conceding only 35 goals and with Harry Kane once again ably supported by the ever reliable Christian Eriksen, Delle Ali and the emerging Erik Lamela, the Lilywhites should certainly go close, and a top four finish is certainly once more within reach for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
FC’s Craig Burley and Alison Bender evaluate Ronald Koeman’s debut as Everton manager in a 1-1 draw with Spurs.
Kane, who won the Premier League Golden Boot with 25 goals last season, returned to training for Spurs three weeks ago but was left out of the preseason trip to Australia – in common with all-but-one of the club’s 11 Euro 2016 representatives.
Pochettino expressed the confidence that he and his squad have coming into the new season, despite the end to their previous campaign. When you play a team playing five at the back they are going to make it hard switching the ball.
“We learned a lot from last season”, said the defender.
Tom Power is a 28 year old trainee journalist and assistant editor of NSNO. We were a young team so that’s good for us.
“I think teams look at us in a different way now”.
I think in the first 45 minutes we showed a lack of energy and they were better.
“The big teams made some great signings, changed managers and look very good. It will be a very interesting Premier League this year”. However, a 4-0 loss to already-relegated Newcastle on the final day of the season put paid to that, and they came home third in a two horse race.
Vertonghen said: “He is right”.
Last season included two draws between these sides; the first a goalless affair, and the latter a 1-1 stalemate punctuated by two of those English talents; Aaron Lennon and Dele Alli. Hugo Lloris got injured and that was a big impact on us. “We just had to be quicker switching the ball and I thought we did that in the second half”. That is what they did. They tied the game with a Erik Lamela header midway through the half, and were on the front foot after that. “Next time we’ll fight and get the win”.
He added: “My ankle feels good”.
“He will bring leadership, experience, he knows the Premier League for a long time but he is still not available for the weekend because he started late because of the Euros”.
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Stekelenburg played under Koeman at Ajax and Southampton and insists the boss will be “straight and fair” with Everton’s players this season.
