Everton were intent on claiming a victory against Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on Sunday following their disappointing loss against Stoke City last time out but at the end, a 1-1 result against the high flyers should be construed as a good one.
In an exciting encounter, Aaron Lennon gave Everton the lead with a cracking finish in the first half but the Toffees were pegged back on the stroke of half time through a well taken Dele Alli strike.
Both teams had very good chances to claim the three points in the second period but at the end, a draw is perhaps the fairest result.
Here is an analysis of the performance of the Everton players on the day –
|
Player Rating |
Comment |
|
Tim Howard – 6.5 |
Tim Howard’s performance against Tottenham was a big improvement to the one he displayed a few days ago in the encounter with Stoke. Howard put in a solid performance and could not do much to prevent Alli’s fine strike. |
| Seamus Coleman – 7
|
Up against the in-form Erik Lamela, Seamus Coleman was touted to have a challenging evening and much to the delight of Everton fans, the Irishman was more than up for the challenge. Coleman did not allow Lamela freedom on the ball and despite not contributing much in attack, it was a good overall performance from the full back. |
|
John Stones – 7 |
John Stones has endured a difficult period over the last few months but the young man was arguably back to his usual standards with a very solid display.
Stones did not allow Kane too much joy and his distribution of the ball was top notch as usual. |
| Ramiro Funes Mori – 6.5
|
Along sides Stones, Funes Mori put in a very good performance at the heart of the backline and made some crucial interventions. The worrying part though was his poor passing and constant turnover of possession. |
|
Leighton Baines – 6.5
|
Baines was key in Everton’s first goal after showing a lot of determination to win the ball back in the build up to the strike. Apart from that though, it was a fairly average performance from the England international. |
|
Gareth Barry – 7.5
|
Barry has been a pillar of consistency at the middle of the park for Everton and the veteran put in another quality performance on the day.
The midfielder protected the backline brilliantly and his overall passing was impeccable. |
| Tom Cleverley – 7.5
|
Allaying fitness fears, Tom Cleverley earned a start during the clash and delivered another quality performance. Very good on the ball, Cleverley delivered a wonderful early pass to Romelu Lukaku which led to Lennon’s strike. |
|
Aaron Lennon – 7.5
|
Playing against his former side, Aaron Lennon was a man on a mission to prove a point and he certainly did so by grabbing a stunning goal in the first half.
Lennon’s influence began to wane in the second period but overall, it was a very good performance from the winger. |
| Arouna Kone – 5.5
|
Handed a start ahead of Kevin Mirallas and Gerard Deulofeu, Arouna Kone was once again unable to justify his selection with an ineffectual performance. |
|
Ross Barkley – 7
|
Dangerous on the ball as usual, Ross Barkley displayed a lot of attacking intent during the clash and always put the Spurs backline on their toes with his running power. |
| Romelu Lukaku – 7.5
|
Romelu Lukaku is looking like the leader for Everton despite his tender age and the Belgian star put in another very good performance, where he expertly set up Aaron Lennon with a fine lay off. Did look a bit frustrated at his teammates on more than one occasion though after failing to receive the desired pass. |
Substitutes
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Gerard Deulofeu – 6
|
Came on for Lennon on the hour mark and looked dangerous. |
| Muhamed Besic – 6.5
|
Besic replaced the ineffective Kone and managed to lift the crowd up with his combative cameo at the middle of the park. |
