Everton need to maintain focus and try to grab three more points

On Monday Everton finally return to Premier League action with another vital game against Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park.

After securing a welcome point late on at Chelsea in their last match before the international break, the Blues’ ideally need to return to winning ways on Monday.

While they gear up for their next game, Everton are facing huge distractions off the pitch as well as all the usual endless pressures on it.

The Premier League has now referred the club to an independent commission over alledged breaches of the League’s FFP regulations.

Meanwhile the Toffees’ have just announced more heavy losses, news which will possibly make the chances of the commission recommending some sort of punishment more likely.

Everton also face the prospect of having their shirt sponsor banned as Premier League clubs are discussing new regulations to remove gambling companies from club’s shirts.

It does sometimes fell as though this football club really is cursed as the number of things that go wrong just never seems to end.

However, perhaps it’s not just the Blues’ who have all the bad luck, as their opponents on Monday are also undergoing a mini-crisis of their own.

Spurs’ have had another underachieving season in terms of the ambition of the club. After bringing in their latest high-profile manager in Antonio Conte and spending heavily in the summer, things haven’t gone as well as was hoped for on the pitch.

Despite another standout season from Harry Kane and some impressive performances and results, Tottenham have once again failed to win a trophy and seem as usual, to flatter to deceive.

Although they are still in contention for the Champions League, results have been frustratingly inconsistent for fans and their manager.

Conte finally lost his patience after Spurs’ threw away a two goal lead late at Southampton to leave the South Coast with a point instead of all three.

The Italian rounded on his players in an extraordinary press conference following the 3-3 draw at St Mary’s.

He claimed many weren’t interested in fighting for the shirt and lacked the ambition that both he and the supporters want to see.

Meanwhile, to make matters worse, Spurs’ bitter North London rivals Arsenal are closing in on the Premier League title.

Well, in the end Conte’s comments were too much for the club’s hierachy (who were also implicitly criticised in his remarks) and the Italian was sacked leaving Tottenham looking for another new manager with just a few weeks of the campaign left.

All this looks remarkably similar to what has happened at Everton over the last few years.

A series of high-profile managers, huge sums spent of players year-after-year, inconsistent and disappointing results, no trophies won and a feeling that too many of those well-paid players simply don’t care enough.

The Blues’ are even following Spurs’ model of building a brand new state-of-the-art stadium to try and compete better with the Bramley Moore Dock ground almost completed.

Returning to Monday’s match and both teams have injury worries up front. The Toffees’ are once again without their main striker as Dominic Calvert-Lewin is absent once more.

Sean Dyche has several other options and while there is a case for starting the player who scored the Blues’ equaliser at Chelsea, he might well opt for continuing with Demarai Gray.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are probably missing the forward they signed from Everton last summer as Richarlison seems certain to be unavailable.

I think it’s very likely Dyche will continue to employ his 4-5-1 formation against Tottenham and look for another of those tight one-goal wins he has achieved so far at Goodison.

Spurs’ though despite their problems, are certainly still a tough opponent and have a very good record at the Grand Old Lady in recent years.

But, Everton have beaten both league leaders Arsenal and in-form Brentford at home under Dyche and so should be quietly confident that they can compete and get something from the match.

A point really is a minimal requirement and ideally all three are needed with games and points to secure the Toffees’ Premier League status, running out fast.