Everton sink Tottenham with first-half blitz to hand David Moyes first win | Premier League

The final score indicates a bounce back from Tottenham, a spirited revival that saw Everton desperately cling to their first win under David Moyes and showed that spirit still thrives under Ange Postecoglou. The end result is misleading. Spurs paid the price for an abysmal first-half performance at Goodison Park as their winless streak extended to six Premier League games.

Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison struck in the final 15 minutes to lend some credibility to the score, but this was indeed a comfortable afternoon’s work for an Everton side in serious need of a jolt. Spurs and Moyes’ tactics gave them one.

The Scot had two days to work with the players ahead of Wednesday’s home defeat to Aston Villa, where the form, personnel and lack of quality in attack were all too familiar to Goodison’s regulars. What a difference the rest of the week made. For the second game of his second spell as Everton manager, Moyes handed a Premier League debut to Jake O’Brien on the right of a three-man central defence, switching to a 3-4-2-1 formation. The results were revealing. From Jesper Lindstrom’s performance at right wing-back to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s presence up front, Everton’s composure on the ball to their willingness to put bodies on the line, the hosts were unrecognizable.

The Everton cause was undoubtedly helped by a truly pitiful first-half performance by Tottenham. With Dominic Solanke injured, Postecoglou claimed he only had 11 fit players for the trip to Goodison, a ground where Spurs had not lost in the Premier League since December 2012, when Moyes was previously Everton manager. The most conspicuous absences from the visiting ranks were defensive organization and character. Spurs’ attitude was pathetic. The ‘We want Levy out’ chants emanated from the away section long before Everton strolled into a 3-0 interval lead, but a fundamental lack of fight and effort is not in the boardroom. The boos that followed Postecoglou’s team down the tunnel at half-time were the sound of Spurs’ fans confirming that.

Spurs helped Calvert-Lewin end his personal torment after 13 minutes. The centre-forward had gone 16 games without a goal prior to their visit and felt the wrath of Goodison after missing a brilliant late chance to equalize against Villa. There was no sign of a lack of confidence, however, when Calvert-Lewin received Idrissa Gueye’s slide-rule pass into the penalty area, Archie Gray turned one way, then the other, and slotted a cool finish inside Antonin Kinsky’s near post. The origin of Calvert-Lewin’s first league goal in 1288 minutes was a careless pass across from Pape Sarr to Lindstrom, who had already had a shot tipped away by Kinsky. Everton didn’t look back.

The hosts’ second was also well-worked and confidently dispatched. Iliman Ndiaye exchanged passes with Gueye, a dominant figure in midfield, starting from the halfway line against a retreating Spurs defence. Once inside the penalty area, he easily stepped over Radu Dragusin and struck an emphatic shot into the roof of Kinsky’s net. It was Ndiaye’s first Premier League goal at Goodison since his £16.9m move from Marseille.

Everton created several openings to register a third before it eventually arrived. Calvert-Lewin was played clean through on goal by Jarrad Branthwaite’s searching ball, but a heavy second touch from his third gifted possession to Kinsky. The forward teed up Orel Mangala for a first-time effort, which the Spurs keeper tipped onto a cross. Lindstrom kept the ball alive and crossed for Calvert-Lewin to head straight at Kinsky. James Tarkowski met a Lindstrom free kick with a diving header but aimed his effort straight at the keeper. Spurs initially handled the ensuing corner from Lindstrom. The on-loan Napoli winger got another bite though, delivering a deep cross to the far post where Tarkowski headed back across goal. Calvert-Lewin flicked on and the unlucky Gray sliced ​​the ball into his own net. Moyes’ name was finally ringing around Goodison again.

The threat from Tottenham had been minimal until then. Son Heung-min was offered sight of Jordan Pickford’s goal when he was played through by Ben Davies’ long ball over the top. Tarkowski intervened with a fantastic challenge inside the area. The Spurs captain should have equalized moments later when Pedro Porro dissected the Everton defense with a fine ball into Kulusevski and the striker teed up Son near the penalty spot. The striker looked certain to score but placed his shot too close to Pickford who gathered comfortably.

Postecoglou introduced former Everton striker Richarlison to Dragusin at half-time. The defender needed lengthy treatment for an eye injury just before half-time when he was caught by Calvert-Lewin’s raised arm, but the switch was necessary regardless. It sparked an improvement from Spurs, so did the later introduction of Mikey Moore, but it would be a stretch to suggest that the final scoreline showed them pushing Everton to the limit. Kulusevski reduced the arrears with a superb finish after Pickford came off his line to challenge the otherwise anonymous James Maddison. The ball broke to Moore and although his shot was deflected, Kulusevski lifted the rebound over several Everton defenders and in from close range.

Richarlison caused late palpitations among the home crowd when he headed home a Moore cross in the dying seconds, but this was no late charge from Spurs. Postecoglou appears to be in serious trouble.