Spurs v Everton Preview: five areas to analyse
By Rob Fisher
Pace will be a key going forward for Everton depending on Gray’s fitness
4. Would Lampard be wise to leave DCL out for this one?
In his pre-match conference for the Spurs match, Lampard seemed happy that Calvert-Lewin would be back available for Everton and able to start on Monday night.
Having missed the last two games with another niggle since his four month absence earlier in the season, Calvert-Lewin hardly gave Lampard a selection headache with a poor performance at Southampton and questions have to be asked whether he should be handed an instant return.
This will depend a lot on whether Gray has recovered from a virus he picked up on the eve of the FA Cup tie on Thursday as Lampard admitted he was going to start.
Richarlison did a great job in the central striker role against City last weekend and his link up play with Anthony Gordon is now bearing fruit.
These three offer you different options than when Calvert-Lewin is in the team, but pace and direct running could be the key for Everton to cause the most defensive issues for Spurs on Monday night.
Gray and Gordon have also linked up well prior to Gray’s injury against Newcastle a month ago, they offer unpredictability and both love to be direct and also have a go on goal from any distance.
While Calvert-Lewin’s goal scoring record has been fantastic so far at Everton, there is no question he has not seemed as mobile and physical since his four month lay off earlier this season.
A rather abject and weak performance at Southampton has certainly meant Lampard as looked at other options and this had to be the case last week against City when he was missing.
Even Rondon has put in a useful case for playing some role after his winning two goal performance against Boreham Wood in the FA Cup on Thursday.
It is unlikely he would find himself in front of Calvert-Lewin, but certainly Rondon looked fitter and sharper than for sometime, or his whole Everton career to date, in midweek.
Evertonians I don’t think would question much seeing Calvert-Lewin on the bench on Monday night, but only if Gray is fit and ready to return. If not then Richarlison and Gordon supporting Calvert-Lewin would surely be Lampard’s only option.