Dominic Calvert-Lewin reaps rewards of David Moyes' magic but Everton not out the woods
EVERTON 3-2 TOTTENHAM: David Moyes got his first win back as Everton manager with help from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who ended his four-month wait for a Premier League goal
by David Anderson · The MirrorDavid Moyes insists he is not a magician - but he still managed to find some fairy dust to sprinkle over Everton.
Everton were totally unrecognisable as they ran riot in the first half against an abject Tottenham team to turbo-boost their survival hopes. With one wave of Moyes’ magic wand, they were transformed and gone was the team that had only won one of their previous 11 Premier League games, scoring in just two matches.
In their place was an attacking, confident Everton, who created chance after chance. Moyes has even worked his magic on Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the striker bagged the opening goal with his first strike in 17 games. He monstered Tottenham and was a real handful as he won aerial challenges and put himself about.
The cynics may say he needed to sparkle to boost his options when he leaves on a free transfer this summer, but he looks determined to leave them in the Premier League. Everton’s display comes with an asterisk and as good as the Blues were, Tottenham were awful.
Yes, they have 10 injuries and lost Dominic Solanke on the eve of the game, but they did not compete and made one of the worst attacks in the Premier League look like its most potent. Inspired by 17-year-old Mikey Moore, they staged a late fightback to give the scoreline a flattering look.
But the bottom line is Ange Postecoglou has lost 12 of Spurs’ 22 Premier League games and they are languishing in 15th place, just four points above Everton. The statistics are damning and Tottenham have won just one of their last 10 league games - and that was against hapless Southampton.
It just seems a question of when and not if, they sack Postecoglou and it is only the Cups that are keeping him in a job. This was only Everton’s second Premier League win over Spurs in 25 games, although Moyes must wonder what all the fuss is because he was in his final season of his first spell when the Blues last beat Spurs in the league at Goodison Park.
Will David Moyes keep Everton in the Premier League? Give us your prediction in the comments section.
After the damp squib of Moyes’ return against Aston Villa on Wednesday, the Blues were bang on from the first minute as they recorded the first win of his second spell in charge. Idrissa Gueye fed Calvert-Lewin and he turned Archie Gray one way and then the other before slotting home only his third goal of the season.
Calvert-Lewin could have had a second, only his poor second touch allowed Antonin Kinsky to collect the ball, before the Spurs keeper tipped Orel Mangala’s shot wide. Tottenham were pitiful and on the half hour, Iliman Ndiaye ran unchallenged from the halfway line to go past Radu Dragusin’s pathetic attempt to stop Everton’s top scorer scoring his sixth goal of the season.
It was far too easy for Everton and Kinsky saved Tarkowski’s header before they scored their third in first-half stoppage time. Calvert-Lewin’s touch from Tarkowski’s back-post header went in off Gray for an own goal in the seventh minute of added time.
Postecoglou sent on Moore and the youngster had a hand in Spurs’ first on 77 minutes, laying the ball back for Dejan Kulusevski to finish with a measured chip. The talented teenager created their second in the second minute of stoppage time when former Everton striker Richarlison scored at the back post.
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