The lesson that Pep Guardiola taught was evident in Everton’s comeback against Tottenham.

Just as Everton’s previous mistakes appeared to be affecting them on and off the field, they showed the determination needed to escape their current dangerous situation. Richarlison, who had been crucial in securing their safety in 2022, returned to Goodison Park and scored two goals, initially appearing to contribute to their potential relegation in 2024.

Tottenham was once again left disappointed as they were denied by a last-minute goal from a center-back for the second season in a row. In April, it was Michael Keane who scored a stunning goal, and now it was Jarrad Branthwaite with a header from close range. Despite being behind twice and not having won a league game since December, Everton managed to secure a crucial point.

The way in which they did this should be concerning for Tottenham. Both of Everton’s goals were scored from set pieces, with Guglielmo Vicario, who has not performed well since joining English football, showing signs of weakness. With 27 goals conceded in 14 games, it appears that Spurs may have a vulnerable defense, despite Micky van de Ven’s strong performance. They also failed to capitalize on the lead given to them by Richarlison.

Branthwaite’s first strike of the season was touched in from close range after James Garner’s free-kick flicked off the head of Cristian Romero. Ange Postecoglou had made defensive substitutions, introducing Radu Dragusin as a third centre-back, but arguably his changes weakened his side.

Sean Dyche, visibly frustrated, received a caution shortly before Branthwaite’s goal. This may have caused him to do something he never thought he would do as a manager: emulate Pep Guardiola. Though their styles may be vastly different, Manchester City was the first team to recognize that Vicario could struggle with corners when under pressure from an opponent. This tactic resulted in Nathan Ake’s winning goal in the FA Cup and Jack Harrison’s goal in this match.

During the match, Everton’s skilled players in set pieces and tall players repeatedly attempted to take advantage. They focused on targeting the Italian player. With Harrison causing annoyance and disrupting the goalkeeper’s view, a deep corner from Dwight McNeil was headed back by James Tarkowski for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score. However, it was later determined that the ball had touched Harrison before going into the goal, so the goal was credited to him instead of Calvert-Lewin. It was a diverse game for Harrison, who unintentionally blocked a shot from McNeil that could have been a goal earlier. Unfortunately, Calvert-Lewin’s frustration continues as he has not scored in his last 27 attempts and has now gone 17 matches without scoring.

It felt all the crueller that his old sidekick should score within four minutes of his first return to Goodison Park. Richarlison now has twice as many goals on Everton territory as Calvert-Lewin this season. His tally of nine in eight league games a dramatic turnaround after only mustering two in his first 39 outings. An unsuccessful understudy to Harry Kane, he is now proving a fine successor. The theory had been that Tottenham needed a striker, but they bought one a year before their record scorer left.

Everton was unhappy with the price. They had originally valued Richarlison at £80m on their records, but were forced to accept a £60m offer before the end of their fiscal year. This amount was not sufficient to avoid failing Financial Fair Play regulations, but it did serve as one of their reasons for leniency, which the Premier League’s independent commission ultimately denied. However, Richarlison had not shown himself to be worth £60m, let alone £80m, for Tottenham until recently. Now, he certainly does.

He established the atmosphere during a busy afternoon. Everton’s matches have a record of both teams keeping clean sheets, while Tottenham’s do not, so a change was inevitable. It came quickly, with Everton giving up a goal.

Dyche utilized a strategy of having two players cover his right-back positions, with Ashley Young positioned ahead of Ben Godfrey. However, neither player kept up with Destiny Udogie as he executed a quick exchange with Timo Werner and dashed towards the goal line to pass the ball back to the Brazilian for a shot. Richarlison’s second goal was skillfully curved into the net from outside the box after James Maddison made a slight pass to him. Once again, Everton allowed him too much space.

Richarlison, a skilled streetfighter, possesses many qualities that Everton desires. Despite Dyche’s team’s struggles to generate chances, they displayed their resilience. Despite not scoring a league goal since 2024, they managed to score two. This result had implications for both ends of the table as it was only their third point in six games. While Tottenham missed the opportunity to join City and Arsenal in points, they have no one to blame but themselves. However, while Richarlison used to embody the Blues’ spirit, now he may regret it.

Source: independent.co.uk