Both out to right the wrongs of the opening Premier League gameweek, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton square off in North London on Saturday afternoon.
The Lilywhites failed to make the most of their early dominance in a 1-1 draw with newly-promoted Leicester City on Monday, while the Toffees were torn apart in a 3-0 home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Match preview
© Reuters
At the ripe old age of 37, Jamie Vardy's penchant for scoring against the Premier League's Big Six remains alive and well, as the Leicester City talisman - who was not even expected to make the squad on Monday - made Tottenham pay for their wasted chances and woeful defending at the King Power Stadium.
Ange Postecoglou's men deservedly broke the deadlock when ex-Foxes playmaker James Maddison found the run of Pedro Porro with a sublime inswinging cross, but Vardy then capitalised on some horrendous marking from the visitors to nod home the leveller in the second half.
The low-scoring draw was overshadowed by a sickening head injury to Rodrigo Bentancur, although that lengthy stoppage actually aided Tottenham in a way, as Leicester were building up a head of steam and threatening a second before the Uruguayan was given oxygen and stretchered off.
Failure to overcome last season's Championship winners means that Tottenham now have just two victories to show from their last eight top-flight contests, although not since the 2015-16 campaign have Saturday's hosts failed to win their opening two games of a Premier League season.
Furthermore, Spurs have triumphed in their first home game in five of the last six top-flight seasons, the outlier being a slender defeat in September 2020, although there will be no big prize for guessing who inflicted that loss on the North London crop.
© Reuters
On that day, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the hero for Everton behind closed doors at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but he and his teammates were all powerless to quell Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton juggernaut at a gloomy Goodison Park last weekend.
Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck and Simon Adingra all managed to breach Sean Dyche's backline, and insult was added to injury when veteran defender Ashley Young was given a straight red card for a last-man foul midway through the second half.
On account of suffering the heaviest defeat of the opening weekend, Everton are already residing in 20th place in the Premier League table on goal difference, and Dyche could only describe the Brighton battering as a "horrible game" to witness.
That 3-0 humbling prolonged an August hoodoo for the Merseyside club, who have now gone three years without winning a Premier League match in the current month, losing each of their last four without finding the back of the net in any of them.
Another statistic that makes for unpleasant reading, Everton are still without an away Premier League victory in the whole of 2024 - losing seven and drawing four of their last 11 on the road - and despite fighting back to earn a creditable 2-2 draw versus Spurs earlier this year, that stalemate stretched their winless run in this fixture to seven matches.
- D
- L
Team News
© Imago
Before the final whistle blew in Tottenham's clash with Leicester, there was reassuring news on Bentancur's condition, as the Uruguayan was confirmed to be conscious and talking and did not need to be taken to hospital.
However, in line with concussion protocols, Bentancur will certainly miss Saturday's game, where Yves Bissouma - banned for Monday's draw after filming himself inhaling laughing gas - could be a straight swap in the middle of the park.
Bentancur joins Fraser Forster (foot) in the treatment room, while goalscorer Porro also sustained a foot/ankle issue of his own in the second half at the King Power, but Postecoglou has confirmed that the right-back is fine.
That is more than can be said for Dominic Solanke, though, as Spurs' record signing will miss this game with an ankle injury, allowing Richarlison the chance to haunt Everton once more after he scored three goals in two games against his old club in 2023-24.
While Porro could therefore be fit for the weekend, Everton will definitely be forced into a change at right-back due to Young's red card, which he has incurred a one-match ban for, and Dyche is now stretched incredibly thin at the back.
Nathan Patterson (thigh) is guaranteed to miss out, while James Garner and Seamus Coleman are also missing with calf injuries, so Dyche may have no choice but to bring in Mason Holgate for the trip to North London.
The visitors' defensive dilemma is further complicated by Jarrad Branthwaite's groin operation, as well as a fresh knock for James Tarkowski, while Chermiti is weeks away from recovering from a foot procedure.
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Richarlison
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Holgate, O'Brien, Keane, Mykolenko; Harrison, Iroegbunam, Doucoure, Gueye, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin
We say: Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Everton
Tottenham should have been out of sight by half time in their clash with Leicester, only to be their own worst enemies in front of goal, but the Lilywhites should rectify those mistakes with ease on Saturday.
Working around a rearguard crisis and also boasting a distinct lack of senior midfield options, Everton should be no match for Postecoglou's men - even with Solanke missing - as the Toffees' terrible start continues.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
