Everton were held to a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last night and dropped more points in their pusuit of European football so let’s look at how all the players did.
Defence
Jordan Pickford
The England keeper returned to the Everton team after a lengthy absence and had a relatively uneventful game overall. In additon although he let two goals in he wasn’t at fault for either of them scored by Spurs Harry Kane as his international team-mate capitalised on two awful defensive errors in front of him and gave Pickford no chance.
7/10
Ben Godfrey
The ex-Norwich City player was operating on the right of the defensive three or four and had a solid enough game covering and defending well. Going forward he wasn’t very effective but then that’s not his strength is it.
6/10
Mason Holgate
Holgate had an erratic match again last night during what has been a very inconsistent season for the defender. He seems to be unable to find any solid form perhaps partly because he’s been playing in several different positions switching between centre-back and right-back.
He was at least partly at fault for the first goal Kane scored and wasn’t tight enough on the England striker for the second, although that came as a result of Micheal Keane’s poor header which bounced off Holgate and fell to Kane.
5/10
Micheal Keane
This was a very poor game for Keane who again looked a fish-out-of-water playing in a defence that was a kind of hybrid back four becoming a three. Unfortunately his qualities don’t suit playing in this formation as he is an old fashioned centre-back with those traditional strengths.
He’s most comfortable if the action is happening in front of him, so he can get set and has pace alongside him. Keane is strong at clearing the ball and winning it in the air, but lacks the speed and ability to cope with quick forwards who have good movement. Last night he struggled with Son who was running rings around him at times.
Keane’s header in the run-up to Spurs equaliser was very poor and that unforced individual error directly contributed to a goal which cost his team two precious points in the battle for Europe.
3/10
Lucas Digne
The Frenchman had a quiet match again as he has more often recently. He didn’t have too much influence but was lively in attack but was solidly consistent all-round as you would expect from him.
6/10