Everton

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Everton are the latest crisis club to seek a cure for their ills in the healing hands of 'Dr Tottenham' and their manager Ange Postecoglou - and come away feeling reinvigorated and revitalised.

David Moyes was the biggest beneficiary as Everton secured their first win since his return as manager with a 3-2 victory, but Spurs counterpart Postecoglou's position will come under even closer scrutiny after a seventh defeat in 10 Premier League games.

'Dr Tottenham' is the latest cruel jibe aimed in the direction of Spurs - the theory being if you are a team or manager in desperate need of a tonic, then look no further than the surgery in north London.

Among the satisfied patients this season have been Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town - both of whom secured sorely needed first league wins against Postecoglou's side.

Everton may have had a new (or old) manager in Moyes, but they took a list of ailments as long as your arm into Sunday's match after the 61-year-old Scot's first game ended in a home defeat by Aston Villa.

That made Spurs - admittedly in desperately reduced circumstances of their own because injuries - the ideal opponents.

Read more here

Leon Osman
MOTD2 pundit & former Everton midfielder

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Some of the hallmarks of the best Everton teams I played in under David Moyes were aggression, energy, intensity and desire.

He would get us so fired up that we believed we could beat anyone, and I could see elements of all of that when I watched Everton beat Tottenham on Sunday.

It was a huge result for Moyes, the players and the fans - everyone at the club - for him to get his first win in his second game back, but the way they got it was even more important, especially for the manager.

The way they started the game was pretty much everything you could ask for from this Everton team. They were on the front foot and took the game to Tottenham, scored two goals from open play when they have been so hard to come by, and could have had even more if things had fallen their way.

Yes, it was a typically nervy finish when Spurs got a couple of late goals back, but the first half was probably the most exciting we have seen at Goodison Park all season, and you could absolutely see this team can do what Moyes asks of them.

Read more from Leon Osman's column here.

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Vitaliy Mykolenko says early in his Everton career, the "pressure" of being in a relegation battle would sometimes stop him from sleeping, and that he still struggles with the club scrapping for survival.

Everton sit in 16th place in the Premier League, only two spots above the relegation zone and talking about it to BBC Radio Merseyside's reporter Giulia Bould, Mykolenko said: "It's very tough and mentally hard - when you play three years and every year you've got a relegation battle, it's not very easy for me.

"I struggle with it, but I'm coming on the pitch every time and trying to be a better player and to help us not be in a relegation battle."

The Ukrainian also said it's difficult for him to switch his focus away from the football, and was asked if he thinks about it when he's at home, stating: "Of course, I'm trying to change my mind but my wife said 1or 2 years ago when we were in the relegation zone for some games - I woke up every morning and was in one area and she said don't worry it's all OK.

"I'm worrying about it especially at the end of the season in the first season. I couldn't sleep some times because of this pressure - but it's OK."

The 25-year-old also spoke about Everton's fans, stating: "I understand them, if they are supporting us every game and we don't get the result. It's so annoying if we're losing or drawing.

"I understand them, but as a player I'm trying to do a better job to get points and win games, especially at Goodison."

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's four Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brentford 0-2 Liverpool

• Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal

• Everton 3-2 Tottenham

• Man Utd 1-3 Brighton

• Ipswich 0-6 Man City

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Everton manager David Moyes talking to BBC Match of the Day after today's game: "It feels fantastic. It has been a relatively difficult week with two games against difficult opponents. We didn't do too bad in midweek but we did a really good job today, especially in the first half. Once they got one it was a little bit scary I have to be honest.

"Dominic [Calvert-Lewin] had three big chances in midweek and was a little bit unlucky. If they get chances you are saying 'come on, it is your job to score it' so maybe confidence is coming back into his game. He played more like a traditional centre forward today and was a real handful for them. He probably could have scored another one today but that is a good start for him.

"Sometimes centre forwards just need goals and then can start to work on things they need to do better. He doesn't feel like he's been getting chances but the past couple of games he has been.

"Everybody has to chip in because goals have certainly been difficult to come by here.

"I thought we played well today. The three points will give us a lot of confidence. It was unlike us to concede goals but you can't take away from what Tottenham do."

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Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been talking to Sky Sports after today's victory: "I am really pleased. It has been a tough patch for myself. I'm delighted with how we went today, we needed a win for the lads and the club.

"Everything clicked today. You go through periods where you're not hitting the back of net or getting the rub of the green. We were defensively solid and built from that.

"I have been in the Premier League a long time now so it is not my first rodeo."

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Dominic Calvert-Lewin's goal was his first in the Premier League since September 2024 (v Aston Villa), putting an end to a 16-match run without one in the competition. His goal was also his 57th in the Premier League overall, moving him above Tim Cahill (56) and into third for Everton, with only Romelu Lukaku (68) and Duncan Ferguson (60) scoring more in the competition for the Toffees than him.

Everton led by 3+ goals at half-time in a Premier League match at Goodison Park for the first time since going in at the break 3-0 up vs Bournemouth in February 2017 under Ronald Koeman.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the first Everton player to score a Premier League goal under David Moyes since Steven Naismith netted 11 years and 245 days ago for the Toffees vs Chelsea (May 2013).

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Have your say on Everton's performance

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There are four Premier League fixtures on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you all the action.

• Everton v Tottenham

• Man Utd v Brighton - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Southampton

• Ipswich v Manchester City (16:30) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Sean Dyche was accused of being too defensive-minded before he got sacked last week, but Everton got a little bit stuck between being hard to beat and pushing for a goal when they lost to Aston Villa on Wednesday.

It meant they were quite open and, although David Moyes' side had chances, Villa really should have won by more than one goal.

I think it will be a similar story here, where Everton's approach will be different because they are at home.

If they were away, I think they would be happy to sit in and soak up pressure, but they might be a little bit more expansive at Goodison Park, and I don't see it ending well for them.

Everton's lack of goals - they have scored only 15 in their first 20 games - is pathetic. It cannot continue but, while it does, it looks like the weight of the world is on Dominic Calvert-Lewin's shoulders.

It should not be a case of him or bust in terms of Everton finding the net but that's how it felt against Villa and he is struggling. I have been there myself, when the goals are not flowing, and he looks hesitant and clunky in front of goal.

As a striker you have got to want chances to come your way but Calvert-Lewin looks like he is on the back foot in front of goal, and also that he's lacking the clarity of mind you have when you are flying form-wise, and you just finish those chances without thinking about them.

So, it's hard to make a case for Everton to beat Tottenham, even though Ange Postecoglou's side are on a poor run too.

Antonin Kinsky did not have a great game in goal against Arsenal but it was a disappointing display by the whole team.

Spurs have fallen so low in the table - 14th - that they need a win, and quickly. This might be the boost they need, although I am not convinced they will keep a clean sheet, even against Everton.

Sutton's prediction: 1-3

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Everton have won just one of their past 24 Premier League games against Tottenham, beating them 1-0 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2020.

Everton boss David Moyes has been speaking to the media about what the club would like, and can do, in the January transfer window.

Moyes only rejoined the club a week ago following the departure of Sean Dyche and has been trying to learn about his current squad, while also attempting to work out business they might need to do before deadline day.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Everton boss David Moyes has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Tottenham (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• James Garner is back on the pitch training but Dwight McNeil and Tim Iroegbunam are further back in their recovery, while Seamus Coleman picked up "a slight injury" in training.

• On Armando Broja potentially returning to parent club Chelsea: "His injury is now going to take a lot longer than initially thought. It is one of the options that might be available but people around the club are talking about it with Chelsea."

• He said he has "enjoyed" his busy start to the job but he was "disappointed" to not get something out of the Aston Villa game.

• On the performance: "A goal might have made us feel slightly different. We had a few chances but didn't finish them. We had more of the ball than we've had for a while but we need to make that special moment count."

• He said the club are "looking really closely" at the transfer market and he is "trying to spend a few hours in the recruitment room."

• He appeared to rule out an imminent deal for Lyon winger Ernest Nuamah, confirming only that "he is a player who I know we have been looking at."

• Moyes is hopeful a set-piece coach will be finalised soon, after "a lot of very good people" registered their interest including Charlie Adam.

• On what his side need to show to ignite their fight against relegation: "Team spirit, togetherness, individuals to stand up and be counted and to not hide. Quite simply it is about continuing to show desire. That's the minimum you hope you're going to get out of them."

• He accepted "winning is a problem" so that is his first priority and after that "there will be plenty of time" to implement his "ways".

• On how it feels to take over as manager midway through a season: "Trying to take over a job is never easy. This one feels easier because I've been here before but ultimately I've come into a situation that has been difficult and I've got to try and turn it around."

• He said he has been "hugely impressed" with 17-year-old midfielder Harrison Armstrong: "We've only had a couple of days training but I think he's got a bit of personality as well."

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

Everton are considering a move for former Chelsea and Brazil attacker Willian, 36, who is a free agent after leaving Olympiakos in December. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

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

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