(Everton – Tottenham 1-1) The match between Tottenham and Everton was devoid of chances for almost 60 minutes. Then it caught fire: Both Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure and Tottenham’s Lucas Moura were sent off, and one minute before normal time Everton saved points in an incredible way.
Tottenham led 1–0 and had one more man on the field when two minutes of normal time remained against Everton, and everything depended on a decent victory. Then everything unraveled:
The London team’s substitute Lucas Moura was far too late in a duel and received a straight red card – and just under two minutes later came the dream goal from Everton’s Michael Keane, who saved the point for Everton. The centre-back clinched it from 20 meters and put the ball straight into the goal.
The match between the two teams was relatively uneventful for a long time, but it completely turned after Abdoulaye Doucoure’s header in the 60th minute of play. Then he and Harry Kane ended up in a duel, and the two of them smacked each other. It ended with Doucoure slapping Kane right in the face, and he was immediately given his marching order by the match’s referee.
– He loses it completely. Punch in the face. It’s a red card and straight out, said Viaplay commentator Andreas Toft.
Kane was left lying on the ground for a while after the tumults, which several people react to. Former Chelsea player Chris Sutton thinks little of the behaviour.
– It is embarrassing for Harry Kane that he is lying down like that, he writes on Twitter.
Henry Winter, football writer in the Times, thinks the same.
– Harry Kane milked it, and then he was lying down. Abdoulaye Doucoure was stupid, raised his hand and deserved the red, but Kane overdid the contact. Embarrassing.
Everton manager Sean Dyche also emphasizes to Viaplay that he believes it was right to give the red card anyway.
– You can’t raise your hand in football. We know that. I have no problem with that, that’s the way it is, says the manager.
Kane had already had the Everton fans against him for large parts of the game, even long before the red card. It all started when Kane was involved in some heated duels in the first half. The Englishman had to endure loud whistles against him every time he lost the ball.
He didn’t seem to be impressed.
After Everton had to manage with one less man on the pitch, there was plenty of room for Tottenham’s attacking star. When Everton’s Michael Keane missed inside his own penalty area and scored a penalty in the 65th minute, it was Kane who put the ball into the goal – to deafening whistles.
It was Kane’s fourth penalty goal of the season, and goal number 22 overall.
Most probably thought it was heading for a Tottenham victory then, but Everton did not give up and got paid through the one, but for them, important point. Everton are having a very difficult season and are in the middle of the relatively large and even bottom tier of the table, where six or seven teams are fighting to avoid the relegation places.
For Tottenham, it all meant that they squandered victory again: in Antonio Conte’s final game as boss, the Italian manager was furious when a seemingly certain 3-1 lead against Southampton was reduced to 3-3 in the final quarter.
Tottenham has left behind a messy period with both a change of coach and several sour points losses. The London team had one win, one draw and one loss in the last three games before the meeting with Everton – which was also the first game after Antonio Conte was sacked as Tottenham coach just over a week ago.
Assistant coach Cristian Stellini has taken over as interim manager for the rest of the season, with Ryan Mason as assistant.
After Manchester United’s 2-0 loss away to Newcastle on Sunday, it is now Tottenham who climb back up to fourth place in the table behind Arsenal and Manchester City – and ahead of Manchester United.
Tottenham have admittedly played two more games than the latter, but are seriously sniffing at a top four position and a possible place in next season’s Champions League.
Premier League
- Champions League
- Europa League
- UEFA Conference League
- Relegation
