Everton

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The entire Everton team acknowledged the travelling support after another heavy defeat away at Tottenham.

In fairness, the majority who stayed applauded their players back, which might simply be an acknowledgement that they hardly have the quality to play at this level in the 2024-25 season.

Even Sean Dyche simply stood there in acceptance of a heavy 4-0 defeat, not ranting or raving at his players as they were well-beaten by a slick Spurs side.

Tottenham did a lap of honour to celebrate their win, in what was their first home game of the season.

And former Toffees striker Richarlison offered his match-worn shirt to a young Everton fan.

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham have beaten Everton by four goals or more for the fourth time in the Premier League. They have done so against no other side more often in the competition's history (also four times against Aston Villa and Stoke City).

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Nineteen-year-old defender Roman Dixon deserves some praise for his Everton debut.

He is coming out of it having won a fair few one-on-one duels versus Wilson Odobert and Son Heung-min.

It has been a real baptism of fire, without any protection in front of him, but he can hold his head high.

It is understood that he may still go on loan before deadline day, but this performance might have given manager Sean Dyche food for thought, after he stepped in as an enforced change with Ashley Young suspended.

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Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week two, he takes on Make Me A Mixtape hosts Clara Amfo and Jordan Stephens.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Spurs could have been eight up at half-time against Leicester but didn't take the chances and that will have been a bit of a sickener - it will have felt like a defeat.

There are high hopes for Ange Postecoglou in his second season and they made great progress last year.

Everton played well for the first 20 minutes against Brighton and are a team who will sit and frustrate the life out of Tottenham and then counter.

They ran Tottenham close last season but I will say Spurs at home, in front of their own fans, need to be more clinical and will be.

Amfo's prediction: 2-1

Stephens' prediction: 3-0

I want to say 17-0 to Everton but I've gone for a Tottenham win, which makes me feel a bit sick. I do think Dominic Solanke is a really good signing for them though.

Read the full predictions and have your say

This season, English top-flight clubs are trialling a new financial system that limits spending based on the earnings of the bottom side, designed to "protect the competitive balance of the Premier League".

Football finance expert Rob Wilson tells The Football News Show why, if permanently introduced, it could make the top Premier League sides less competitive against their European counterparts.

Watch The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer

Maheta Molango, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association tells The Football News Show why he is concerned at the current and potential future financial rules in the Premier League.

Watch The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer

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Everton fan Peter MacFarlane from The Blue Room podcast has been speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside about the latest developments in the club's takeover saga.

Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor said he will turn his efforts to selling his 45% stake in Palace "so that we can pursue a relationship with the Everton club and community".

This is after he tried "everything possible" to buy the remaining shares in Palace, but he said his bid did not receive a response.

"I think it's just typical of Everton Football Club at the minute to be honest with you," said MacFarlane. "It never seems to be simple.

"You see other takeovers happen and they tend to happen on the quiet behind closed doors. With Everton it seems to be the opposite and everything seems to play out in the media and very publicly.

"Obviously we're still licking our wounds from the goings on with 777. That was a situation I think every Evertonian can agree that we were all so worried about but they still seem to have some sort of cloud hanging over them with the loans they gave to the club.

"I think we just want this to be resolved one way or another, for the football club to move on with the new stadium opening up next season, with all of the financial constraints we are under, with all the PSR calculations and everything from last season.

"We just need a resolution now and if Textor can get this over the line, I think we just have to back him.

"It's not a simple task given that he has to somehow sell his shares in Palace as well just to then move forward with this purchase of Everton."

Listen to the full chat from 01:51:00 on BBC Sounds

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Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic says he wants to "set standards" after rejoining "special" Everton.

The 37-year-old has signed a one-year contract until June 2025, having previously been with the club between 2021 and 2023.

The Bosnia-Herzegovina international made 10 appearances during his first spell on Merseyside and will now add experienced back-up to number one keeper Jordan Pickford.

"I'm delighted to be back," Begovic told club media. "It was an easy decision when the call came. I had two really good years here before and built special relationships with the staff and players.

"Everton has a way of leaving an imprint on you. The relationship I have with people here, how special the club is, the amazing fanbase, and with it being such a significant last season at Goodison means it's a great time to be at the club.

"I want to help be a leader, set standards, be a pro every single day and pass on my experience. I can't wait to be a part of it again and help the club any way I can."

Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell added: "We obviously know Asmir very well from his previous time with us at the club, and his long standing as an excellent goalkeeper was underlined by him being first-choice at QPR last season.

"Asmir is a top-class professional and, as well as given us experienced back-up for Jordan, his attitude and commitment will again be invaluable for our crop of younger goalkeepers to learn from.

"His return also gives an opportunity for some of our young keepers to go out on loan and gain valuable experience for their development."

Image source, Everton FC

Everton have released their 2024-25 third kit inspired by an exhibition baseball game hosted at Goodison Park 100 years ago between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants.

The shirt's colour and pinstripe style "lend from a classic baseball look" and to mark the launch Everton players modelled the kit alongside vintage baseball paraphernalia.

Tom Beahon, co-founder of kit provider Castore, said: "We have used Goodison as our inspiration for all three of this season's kits.

"This kit is about acknowledging Goodison's versatility and the stage it has provided over more than 130 years.

"We wanted to remind people that it has not only hosted the great Everton teams of decades gone by but been a part of the wider sporting fabric and story."

Everton boss Sean Dyche has been discussing the club's latest injury issues as the Toffees prepare to face Tottenham on Saturday, and speaks about why it is important to make sure young players, when given the opportunity, are ready for the demands of top-level football.

Everton, AC Milan, Bayern Munich and a number of clubs in Turkey are interested in signing Newcastle United and England defender Kieran Trippier, 33. (Talksport, external)

Liverpool are set to offer the Blues £63m plus £7m in add-ons for defender Jarrad Branthwaite. (Sun, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manager Sean Dyche was open and honest with the situation in front of him at Everton.

Injuries and suspensions means he only has 14 first-team players to call upon, while there is little money in the bank to bring in new recruits.

It is understood any further incomings between now and the end of the transfer window next Friday would only likely be loan deals.

After a miserable start to the season last weekend, losing 3-0 at home to Brighton, the Toffees travel to Tottenham on Saturday knowing they need a positive result to kickstart the campaign.

While Everton have an outlay of around £40m on new signings this summer, Spurs have been splashing the cash with around £126m on acquisitions - £60m of it going on striker Dominic Solanke alone.

"They are all big games, every game is a big one since I have been here," said Dyche.

"People always laugh at me for saying that but it is, this is Everton Football Club - the rules and reasons all go out of the window, I have learnt that.

"It is about winning, taking on the next challenge, reacting and the storyline changes very quickly here.

"We have to correct it, we go down to a very strong Tottenham side that has invested heavily and they had a good season last season."

Everton boss Sean Dyche is asked about what he knows regarding club owner Farhad Moshiri granting a period of exclusivity to Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor, who is aiming to purchase a majority stake.

Dyche added: "It only really affects the possible future budgets but our job primarily is to still win football matches."

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Everton boss Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Tottenham (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He said "we are stretched" as he confirmed no injured players will be fit enough to feature on Saturday. Centre-back James Tarkowski is also a doubt.

• Jarrad Branthwaite "is not close to a return" yet, but Seamus Coleman and James Garner "are getting a bit closer and have just come back into training with the group".

• In response to having a depleted squad : "We are down to about 14 recognised first-team players, so that is not perfect. But the challenge is right in front of us as always."

• On the Kieran Trippier transfer rumour: "He is just one of many players names touted."

• Dyche said "it is unlikely" there will be any further incomings because there is "not much more wiggle room" and "the club seem steadfast" with the business that they have done.

• On the opening home defeat by Brighton: "The positives were that it was a very through performance until two very big mistakes."

• On his post-Brighton comments about the empty seats at Goodison Park at full-time: "I have never criticised the fans here. I was just giving the reality that I could understand why supporters might have wanted to leave early."

• He said Saturday's game "is about reacting" to that loss, but "Tottenham are a tough task because they are very strong and have invested heavily".

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Sean Dyche spoke about the "calmness" around the squad in his first news conference of the season, but it did not last long.

A heavy 3-0 home defeat by Brighton has thrown the team into chaos once more and when Dyche faces the media shortly there will be questions asked about the manner of the defeat.

Also on the agenda will be finding out who will play right-back and whether Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom will get starts.

One thing I'm keen to ask is whether Dyche will ditch the tracksuit and bring back his traditional suit to show people he means business.

Come back to this page later for all the key lines from Dyche, and follow our live text for the best bits of all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences

Mike Hughes
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter

It is impossible to sugar-coat the inevitable fall-out that follows the sort of first-day defeat that Everton suffered against Brighton at Goodison Park.

That it happened is bad enough. That it happened on the day Everton were opening up their Premier League campaign at the beginning of a season of long goodbyes to their famous old stadium made the suffering even more painful for the fans.

But it is also worth remembering that there were some really encouraging signs in the first-half performance, even despite getting caught cold by a devastating Brighton counter attack midway through the opening period.

Jack Harrison looked bright and lively and came close to a goal on a couple of occasions and Everton caused major problems for Brighton's defensive line with a high press that was aggressive but disciplined. They were very much in the game despite the half-time deficit.

When VAR overturned a penalty award at the start of the second half, it almost sucked the life out of the team.

Dreadful mistakes by Idrissa Gana Gueye and Ashley Young turned a difficult situation into an impossible one and the stage was set for an interminably long last 25 minutes.

Sean Dyche knows the dance and the criticism aimed in his direction will not have come as a surprise to the Everton manager. His decision not include new signings Iliman Ndiaye, Jake O'Brien and Jesper Lindstrom in the starting line-up led to pre-match groans. They had increased markedly in number and decibels by the final whistle.

However, it is worth bearing in mind that the manager's style of play and fitness requirements that are needed to fulfil them do not come easily and particularly to players without Premier League experience. Dyche has worked miracles to keep Everton in the top flight in the past 18 months or so and has won the right to be trusted to "do things his way".

All that does not disguise the fact that it could get worse before it gets better. Tottenham away is a tough test at any time given their attacking potential and when the Everton squad are without four recognised right-backs, as well one of the best central defenders in the country, the problems are multiplied.

The transfer window closes within a matter of days. Everton still need to strengthen the squad - whether they have the financial capacity to do so remains open to question.

The squad depth and quality has been improved during the summer, but the lurking menace of a key figure being snatched away before August is out is still a massive worry for Everton fans.

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham have scored more Premier League goals against Everton - both overall (102) and at home (63) - than they have against any other opponent.