After Tottenham lost an away lead in his final game before the international break, Antonio Conte called them selfish. The Spurs may have been hurt by the criticism, but they did not learn their lesson. Michael Keane’s remarkable 90th-minute equalizer allowed Everton’s ten men to salvage a crucial point in their battle to avoid relegation.
A Harry Kane penalty, awarded minutes after Abdoulaye Doucouré was shown a straight red card for foolishly elevating his hand to the England captain’s face, appeared to have given Spurs’ new interim head coach Cristian Stellini a victory in his first game since Antonio Conte’s dismissal. Two minutes later, with Everton facing a defeat that would have landed them in the relegation zone, the recalled defender unleashed a 25-yard shot that sailed past Hugo Lloris to salvage a deserved point for Sean Dyche’s squad.
Evertonians marched against the board of directors again before kickoff, their concerns over how poorly the club is run heightened by the grave warning in the latest accounts that the club’s “going concern” status will be in jeopardy should it be relegated. Away fans’ calls for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to resign demonstrated that discontent is not limited to clubs contending for Premier League survival.
And Dyche’s squad displayed it in abundance.
The home side pressed Tottenham for most of the first half. Everton lacked the finesse to convert sustained pressure into distinct opportunities. But the effort and determination displayed by the home side were unquestionable. Demarai Gray’s shot from outside the penalty area was supported by Doucouré. Even though the front-runner was frequently isolated against Spurs’ central defensive trio.
Stellini’s squad attempted to penalize Everton on the counter and created better opportunities before halftime. Eric Dier launched Pedro Porro into space down the right side of the screen. The wingback’s low shot was denied by Jordan Pickford’s outstretched leg. Kane appeared to have defeated his fellow Englishman when Everton’s calls for a foul on Alex Iwobi were disregarded and Oliver Skipp drove toward the home defense. The ball broke to England’s all-time leading scorer inside the box, who, after gaining his footing, swept a shot wide of Pickford before Keane made a superb clearance in front of the goal.
Kane also missed a free header from close range after Ivan Perisic’s exquisite cross found him in space between James Tarkowski and Ben Godfrey. The striker’s agonized reaction indicated he realized he should have scored.
After stopping Porro’s header from a left-footed Perisic pass, Dwight McNeil saved parity.
The referee, David Coote, halted play in the 26th minute to allow Idrissa Gana Gueye. Doucouré, and Amadou Onana, who are observing Ramadan, to drink and consume.
Stellini substituted Lloris three times in Spurs’ 3-3 draw at Southampton, Conte’s final match as boss. Despite Everton’s pressure and set-piece threat, the veteran custodian. Who replaced Fraser Forster upon his return from injury, was rarely challenged. Gueye explained shortly after the resumption when Onana dispossessed Dier and the central midfielder surged forward. Gueye missed a free Doucouré to his right in the penalty area after shooting.
The game’s turning point occurred shortly before the hour mark. Kane tripped Gray and then wrestled with Doucouré near the Everton bench, grabbing the midfielder’s shirt. Doucouré responded by punching the Spurs’ striker in the face for no discernible reason. Kane fell to the ground in a dramatic heap. But the referee had no choice but to issue a clear red card to Doucouré.
Everton struck themselves in the foot by conceding a cheap penalty shortly after hearing chants of “cheat, cheat, cheat” directed at Harry Kane, who was booked for his involvement in the incident.
Keane reacted a fraction of a second later than Cristian Romero when both players attempted to corral a Perisic header back across the Everton goalmouth, sending the Spurs defender to the ground.
Kane sent Pickford the wrong way from the penalty spot, which Coote quickly awarded.
