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Everton face ‘six-pointer’ against Spurs

By Matt Townsend

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 10: Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur battles for possession with Lucas Digne of Everton during The Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on February 10, 2021 in Liverpool, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 10: Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur battles for possession with Lucas Digne of Everton during The Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on February 10, 2021 in Liverpool, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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Well here we go again Everton face another match on Friday that they simply must win – wait a minute haven’t we said that before this season!?

Everton take on Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park and yet again there is really no alternative but to win if the Toffees want to have any real chance of playing European football next season.

After two consecutive draws which have cost the Blues four vital points in the pursuit of that elusive European football, they must get back to winning ways in a match that has the feel of a sort of six-pointer.

I am personally not convinced Everton will get Europe this season even if they win on Friday night, but if the Toffees don’t get all three points it will surely be game over as it were.

After Monday’s match it is hard to see how the Blues will win this game as they showed nothing in attack on Monday and left the south coast having managed a paltry single shot on target in the whole game.

A repetition of that kind of shot-shy performance isn’t likely to bring about a win against a Spurs side who are most probably going to take a relatively defensive approach.

That’s because after Everton’s failure to win those two games and a four-match winless run, it’s the home side that has to go for the win most of all, although both ideally need the points.

Looking at it though Spurs have a point more and so can come to Merseyside and play more cautiously and look to nick it while the home team have to go for it. Overall, that scenario will suit Jose Mourinho to a tee.

Mourinho’s team has been typically underwhelming this season occasionally playing some good football, especially early in the campaign, but they have stumbled recently and I think that like Everton they have left themselves too much to do to qualify for the Champions League.

Spurs have lost three of their last five games and Mourinho has been under fire this season for his defensive tactics in some recent games.

Obviously Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are the north London club’s biggest threats. Kane is enjoying another superb season and has become an outstanding provider as well as a great finisher, as he has been for a long time.

There are increasing rumours he will consider leaving Tottenham this summer if they don’t get a Champions League place.

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Carlo Ancelotti has indicated that he expects Jordan Pickford, Allan, Andre Gomes and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be fit again to play. After an extraordinary run of injury problems that is welcome at least.

But we also found out this week that Jean-Philippe Gbamin has again got hurt in training just days after making his first Blues appearance in over eighteen months!

Did Gbamin run over a black cat or smash a mirror just after he signed for Everton!? Anyway, he and Yerry Mina who went off at the Amex Stadium, are out for the match.

I don’t have a clue how Ancelotti will set up the team but as the Toffees have to win so he will surely have to be positive.

These two teams are neck-and-neck with only a point separating them in the race for the Europe League. So this match is important for both to try and secure the points and keep pace with the sides just above them and enough distance over those just below.

A repeat of the FA Cup madness earlier this season is highly unlikely but another one like the opening day result would be welcome, although I feel Everton will probably need to score more than one goal on Friday night to win.