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Live Commentary: Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Everton - as it happened

Relive the goalless draw between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton as Spurs are left still looking for their first win of the season.
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Tottenham Hotspur's winless start to the season was extended to four matches this afternoon as they were held to a goalless draw by Everton at White Hart Lane.

The hosts created the best chance of the match in the first half when Harry Kane raced through on goal, only to be denied by Tim Howard.

The Everton stopper was by far the busier of the two keepers and was called into action again after the break to deny Ryan Mason from close range.

Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.


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Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's late Premier League kickoff as Tottenham Hotspur host Everton at White Hart Lane. Mauricio Pochettino's side are still looking for their first win of the season, while Everton will be aiming to bounce back after their unbeaten start came to an end at the hands of early pacesetters Manchester City last time out. It should be a very interesting clash in North London! Let's start with a look at some team news...

TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Bentaleb, Dier; Chadli, Mason, Dembele; Kane

TOTTENHAM SUBS: Vorm, Davies, Trippier, Alli, Carroll, Lamela, Pritchard

EVERTON STARTING XI: Howard; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Oviedo; Barry, Cleverley, McCarthy, Barkley, Kone; Lukaku

EVERTON SUBS: Robles, Mirallas, Naismith, Besic, Deulofeu, Pennington, Browning

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, the hosts make two changes to the side that drew with Leicester last time out, with the first of those seeing Danny Rose return at left-back in place of Davies, who drops to the bench. He makes up the back four alongside Vertonghen, Alderweireld and Walker, the latter of whom continues to keep summer signing Trippier out of the starting XI.

The other change sees Nabil Bentaleb join Dier in the middle of the park at the expense of Mason. Bentaleb enjoyed something of a breakthrough year last season and will be hoping to carry that into the other campaign, but it is a new partner in there for him. Dier spent the majority of last season playing in defence for Spurs, but he featured in defensive midfield against Leicester and fills the role once again today.

Mason instead moves into a more attacking role for the hosts, demoting Lamela to the bench. Christian Eriksen, who normally plays there for Spurs, is still sidelined with a knee injury, and Mason will have a job on his hands replacing the creative Dane. He is another who impressed last season, however, and you can be sure that he will bring plenty of energy to that area of the field at the very least. He is joined behind the striker by Chadli and Dembele.

That striker is Harry Kane, who is yet to get off the mark this season having taken the Premier League by storm in 2014-15. In fairness, the England international has not exactly had many chances to break his duck yet this season, but he will be eager to prove that last term was not just a flash in the pan. He has only two goals in his last 11 Premier League games having netted 14 times in the 11 prior to that.

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur reacts after missing a chance during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at The King Power Stadium on August 22, 2015© Getty Images


As for Everton, their most notable inclusion is that of John Stones, who submitted a transfer request earlier this week amid speculation that he is off to Chelsea. That request was turned down by the club, who have remained stubborn in transfer negotiations so far. The youngster has started the season impressively on the pitch despite all of the uncertainty surrounding him, and there is no doubt that he would be a major loss for Everton should he leave by the time Tuesday's deadline comes around.

Roberto Martinez has made just the one change to his side from last weekend's defeat to Manchester City, and it is an enforced one. Galloway is sidelined with a knee injury, which means that Bryan Oviedo, who returned from an injury of his own in midweek, starts. It is a timely return to fitness for the Costa Rican given Everton's lack of options at the back, but Martinez surely would have wanted to ease him back in a little slower than two starts in a matter of days.

In midfield, the Toffees are unchanged, with Gareth Barry, who had one cleared off the line against City, anchoring alongside McCarthy. Barkley has started the season brightly and already has two goals to his name, and he could prove to be important again this afternoon if he links up with those in front of him like he has been doing recently. Cleverley also maintains his spot in midfield.

Kone is expected to play wide on the right like he did against both Southampton, when he set up Everton's first goal, and Man City. He may not have been expecting to be a regular starter this early in the season, but his performance off the bench against Watford and subsequent displays from the start have convinced Martinez to play him ahead of the likes of Mirallas once again. Lukaku will be the main striker again, however, with the big Belgian already giving a glimpse of what he can do in the win over Southampton recently.

Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring the opener for Everton against Southampton on August 15, 2015© Getty Images


For Tottenham, today is another chance for them to get their first win of the season, and they will be desperate to do so after what has been a very disappointing start to the campaign. They played fairly well in defeat to Manchester United on the opening day, only going down to a Kyle Walker own goal, but squandering a two-goal lead in the final 15 minutes to draw against Stoke would have been hard for Pochettino to take.

Indeed, they have now blown leads to drawn their last two matches having been held by Leicester last time out as well. There wasn't too much to separate the two sides for much of the match, but it appeared that Spurs would get that elusive first victory when Dele Alli nodded them ahead in the 81st minute. The lead lasted less than 60 seconds, however, before Riyad Mahrez hit back to rescue a point for his side. It could have been even worse for Spurs too, with Mahrez having already hit the post in that game.

It probably should be two wins from three for Spurs, then, and they certainly can't afford to let those winning positions slip very often if they are to challenge for a top-four place this season. For some time now, it is the mentality of Spurs that has been questioned, and those problems seem to remain on the basis of the last two games. Today's match, against a side expected to be close to them at the end of the season, is a real acid test for their European credentials.

Their run of three without a win at the start of this season means that, stretching back to last term, they have now won just two of their last eight Premier League and only three of their last 11. Interestingly, though, they have not gone four consecutive Premier League matches without a win since August-September 2009, so they will be keen to extend that six-year streak with their first victory of the campaign today.

They haven't had the best of times at White Hart Lane in recent years either, though. It can feel like quite a nervy stadium at times, with the home fans often quick to get on the back of their team if things aren't going well. They have only won one of their last four Premier League games at White Hart Lane, although that does follow a run of 10 without defeat. Home form is an area that needs improvement if they are to challenge for Champions League football, though.

Indeed, Pochettino's winning percentage at home stands at just 50%, which is significantly below a few of his predecessors. Tim Sherwood (73%), Harry Redknapp (64%), Andre Villas-Boas (52%) and Martin Jol (59%) have all fared better than the former Southampton boss during their time in charge at White Hart Lane.

Mauricio Pochettino manager of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on August 8, 2015© Getty Images


They have kept just one clean sheet in their 10 Premier League home games so far this calendar year, but it is at the other end of the field where they are looking to strengthen in the transfer window. Son has just arrived from Germany for a substantial fee, while Spurs have also had two bids rejected from West Brom for Saido Berahino.

Everton have their own worries in the transfer market at the moment, with the next few days set to see a tug of war emerge of John Stones. Everton's lack of other options at centre-back will no doubt play a part in any discussions, and the Toffees are unlikely to be able to get anyone in who is quite at Stones's level with so little time left in the window. The youngster, as mentioned, has been in brilliant form so far this season, even managing to keep Sergio Aguero relatively quiet last week.

There was plenty of concern surrounding the club going into this season after what was an unconvincing pre-season and underwhelming transfer window. It is safe to say that it has been a mixed start for the Toffees, but generally their performances will have eased the worries of many fans. That was not the case on the opening day, when they were twice forced to come from behind to draw against newly-promoted Watford, but a 3-0 away victory over Southampton suggested that they could be a force again this term.

Manchester City were the most recent opponents in the Premier League, and despite losing the match, Everton had their moments. Lukaku clipped the crossbar with a free kick and had a goal disallowed for offside by the narrowest of margins, while Barry had one cleared off the line too. There is little doubt that the right side won that game, but even in defeat there were positives for the Toffees to take from that game.

They did get back to winning ways in the League Cup on Wednesday night, although that wasn't the most convincing result they will achieve this season. Barnsley were their opponents, and Everton needed to come from behind twice to force extra time. In the end, they scored twice more in the additional 30 minutes to seal a 5-3 victory, but to have shipped three goals to Barnsley will be a concern, particularly as some of the defending left a lot to be desired. Three of today's back four played in that match, incidentally.

Romelu Lukaku of Everton scores his team's third goal during the Capital One Cup second round match between Barnsley and Everton at Oakwell Stadium on August 26, 2015 in Barnsley, England.© Getty Images


Going into today's match, Everton have won just two of their last seven Premier League games, although both of those have come away from home, where they have been beaten just once in five games following a 10-match winless streak that included eight defeats. They managed just a point per game on the road last season, losing 10 of their 19 outings, but Martinez appears to be rectifying that now.

I mentioned earlier that Everton have defended well so far this season, with Stones and Jagielka both enjoying decent games in their last two, but Tim Howard was forced into more saves during the first three games than any other keeper. He was at fault for both Manchester City goals last weekend, but many of his 16 stops so far this season having been important, and impressive, ones.

Roberto Martinez's record against Tottenham, and indeed against Pochettino, is not the greatest, it must be said. The Everton boss has only recorded two victories over Spurs in his managerial career, with both of those coming during his time in charge of Wigan. Against Pochettino, meanwhile, he has lost three and won just one of their five meetings.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at White Hart Lane, which means that it is time for a prediction! This one is a tough one to call as both sides have been fairly unpredictable this season. It should be a fairly entertaining game, though, and I can see a few goals. I'm going for a 2-2 draw.

Have a listen to what the Sports Mole sofa had to say about this match in our video preview below:


Spurs have had the better of this fixture in recent years, winning the last three Premier League meetings - the first time they have done that since April 2006. Their unbeaten streak against the Toffees here at White Hart Lane stretches out to six games, four of which have ended in home wins. Everton have not beaten Spurs since a 2-1 victory in December 2012, while they have failed to even score in three of the last four meetings.

Spurs have actually also won more games (22) and scored more goals (66) against Everton than against any other side, with two of those victories coming last season. The most recent meeting came on the final day of the campaign as Harry Kane scored the only goal at Goodison Park, while even Roberto Soldado managed to get on the scoresheet in the corresponding fixture last term as Spurs won 2-1.

The players are out, and we're just about ready to get going here in North London. Spurs are bidding to avoid going four games without a win at the start of the season for the first time since 2008-09, a run that cost Juande Ramos his job.

KICKOFF: Everton get us underway here as they look to avoid becoming the first side to lose to Tottenham this season.

Bright start to the match from Everton, who have seen more of the ball in these opening exchanges. They produce a slick move down the left that eventually sees Lukaku pick it up inside the box, but he is crowded out before he can get a shot away.

Spurs are beginning to settle now, keeping possession inside the Everton half for the first time so far in this match. Dier eventually looks to drive one towards goal from a good 30 yards, but Barry is in the way.

This has been a relatively low-key start to the match, with both sides feeling each other out in the opening exchanges. Martinez will be marginally the happier of the two managers, but nothing much to speak of so far.

Spurs make their brightest break forward so far, but it ends in disappointing fashion. Chadli leads the charge and has space to shoot, but instead feeds it out wide to Mason. The midfielder's cross is poor, however, and goes all the way through for a throw.

SHOT! This is a bit more like it from Spurs. Dembele wins the ball back well in midfield before feeding the ball to Kane, and he only has one thing in his mind. He lets fly from 25 yards, but drags his effort comfortably wide.

Really good defending from Coleman as he covers in behind his centre-backs to snuff out a dangerous-looking attack. The ball was chipped over the defence for Mason to run on to, but Coleman got his body in front of the Tottenham man and shepherded it out of play.

Spurs are growing into this game now. They are beginning to see more of the ball and it is they who look most like scoring at the moment. The end product at both ends of the field is not quite good enough at the moment, though.

CLOSE! Spurs come the closest to scoring so far! Chadli picks the ball up on the left and squares up Coleman before laying the ball back for Bentaleb. The midfielder tries to steer a low effort into the bottom far corner from the edge of the box, but it is always curling away from goal and ends up a yard or so wide.

CHANCE! Everton respond with a chance of their own as Walker mis-controls an interception, allowing Cleverley to steal the ball and advance on goal. He cuts inside before firing an effort in from around 20 yards, but Lloris responds well to tip it over the top.

This is end-to-end stuff at the moment! Spurs break quickly from the resulting corner and the ball is played back in towards Mason, but his volley from the edge of the box is blocked by Stones.

SHOT! You can tell that Kane wants to get that first goal this season. Again he lets fly from range having been given a yard of space around 30 yards out, but his powerful effort is never troubling Howard.

Another long-range effort arrives, this time from Barkley, but his strike ends up high and wide of the Tottenham goal.

CHANCE! Kane won't get many better chances than this to end his drought this season! Mason plays a long ball forward, and Kane times his run to perfection to beat the offside trap. He only has Howard to beat and has plenty of time to decide what to do with it but, having delayed his shot, he sees the eventual effort well saved by Howard. Glorious chance, and you have to think that he would have finished it last season. Great ball from Mason too.

This match has come to life a little in the last 10 minutes or so after what was a slow start. Spurs really should be ahead, but Everton have looked dangerous at times too. It is very nicely poised right now.

CHANCE! Another big chance for Spurs, but once again Howard comes to Everton's rescue! Chadi cuts inside and slides a fine pass down the left channel for Mason, who looks to roll the ball under the Everton keeper. He spreads himself really well, though, to make another crucial stop.

SAVE! Howard is most certainly the busier of the two keepers here. He is forced into action again by Bentaleb, although this is a more straightforward stop for the American. Bentaleb's low effort looked like it could sneak in to the bottom corner, but Howard got down well to push it away.

Nice work from Kane on the right as he fakes a shot before driving past Jagielka, who is left on the floor by a dip of the shoulder. Oviedo is covering, however, and behind it goes for a corner.

SAVE! Howard had made more saves than any other keeper in the first three games, and that tally is being substantially boosted here. From the corner, Alderweireld wins his header really well, turning the ball goalwards. It is fairly central, though, and Howard is able to flick it over the top.

Better from Everton as they keep the ball for a decent length of time - something they have struggled to do in the last five minutes or so. They will know that they are a little fortunate to still be level in this one.

Composed work at the back from Chadli as he is penned into his own area, but keeps his head to escape one blue shirt and complete the clearance.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the afternoon is shown to Barry, who pulled Kane back from behind having carelessly given the ball away.

SAVE! We've already seen Barkley fire in two good goals this season, and he looks to make it a third by collecting a Cleverley pass, cutting inside and firing it towards goal. He doesn't quite catch it, however, and it is relatively easy for Lloris to collect.

Painful one for Cleverley, who goes down under the challenge of Dier. It was actually a good tackle from the Tottenham man, but he followed through and Cleverley twisted his ankle under the challenge. That looks like a nasty one.

This looks like it is a serious one for Cleverley. On comes the stretcher and the makeshift cast, which suggests that it could be either a break or ligament damage. He certainly won't be able to continue here, and he could be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this first half due to that injury.

EVERTON SUB: Cleverley is carried off to be replaced by Kevin Mirallas.

Another minor worry for Everton as Jagielka goes down before the ball even arrived at him, but he is back to his feet without play stopping. Strange one, but there doesn't seem to be any lasting damage.

HALF TIME: Tottenham 0-0 Everton

The first half comes to an end at White Hart Lane, and we're still goalless between Tottenham and Everton. The match started fairly slowly, but it soon caught fire and there were no shortage of chances in the opening 45 minutes. Most of those fell to Spurs, but Everton have had their moments too.

The best chance of the half undoubtedly fell to Harry Kane, but the misfiring striker failed to take it despite having all the time in the world to decide what to do with it. The striker was played clean through on goal by Ryan Mason, but Howard stood up well and made a crucial stop. Kane simply had to score, however, and last season you would have put your house on him breaking the deadlock.

That was one of a number of big saves Howard made in the opening 45 minutes, and without the American in such good form Spurs would be ahead at the interval. His second best stop came just five minutes after that save from Kane as this time the keeper denied Mason. The Tottenham midfielder was played in on goal by Chadli, but Howard spread himself really well to make an important stop.

Alderweireld and Bentaleb have both also tested the keeper, while the latter has come close with another effort from the edge of the box too. Everton's best moment came through Tom Cleverley, who pounced on a Kyle Walker error before driving forward to the edge of the box. He cut inside before letting fly, but Lloris was equal to it.

There was bad news for Tom Cleverley, however, as he was stretchered off with an ankle injury at the end of the half. It was after a Dier challenge but, despite the Tottenham man winning the ball, Cleverley's ankle got caught under his body, resulting in what looked like a serious injury.

KICKOFF: Spurs get us back underway for this second half as they go in search of that elusive first win of the season.

Kane thinks for one moment that he has another glorious chance to break the deadlock, but the linesman's flag denies him on this occasion. It was Dier's cross into the middle that created the opening, but Coleman stepped up well.

Vital interception from McCarthy to deny Kane! It was really good play from Dembele down the left channel before he cut the ball back into the middle, but McCarthy gets a foot in just before Kane can pull the trigger.

The stretcher is back out, and this time it is for Dembele, who seemed to twist his ankle when cutting that ball back. He is in agony led behind the goal, and it doesn't look like he will be able to continue. That looks fairly similar to the Cleverley one at the end of the first half.

TOTTENHAM SUB: Indeed, there is the change as Dembele is stretchered off and replaced by Dele Alli.

CHANCE! Oh my word, what a chance this is for Spurs to break the deadlock! Everton make a right mess of dealing with a cross into the box, and it is a poor touch from Barry that allows Alli to poke the ball through to Mason. He only has Howard to beat, but not for the first time today the keeper comes up with a stunning save to keep the scores level.

YELLOW CARD! Alli goes into the book for preventing Barry from taking a quick free kick.

CHANCE! Another chance for Tottenham, and again it comes after a poor touch from Barry inside his own area. The Everton man diverted the ball right into the path of Alli, but he doesn't catch his shot right and Howard makes another save.

YELLOW CARD! Bentaleb becomes the latest player in the book for a cynical shirt tug on Kone. No complaints there.

YELLOW CARD! He is swiftly followed into the book by Dier, who upended Barkley as the Everton man looked to slalom his way past a couple of challenges.

This one is very finely poised going into the final 30 minutes. Spurs still look like the most likely to score, but with Howard in this form Everton will be confident of holding on for at least a point.

Kane looks to go for goal from range once again here, but this time his effort is blocked and loops harmlessly into the arms of Howard.

CHANCES! More chances for Spurs, but they just can't find a way through! It is good work from Chadli initially as he cuts inside from the left before teeing up Kane, but his shot is blocked right in front of goal. It comes back to Kane and eventually breaks to Chadli, but he leans back and puts it well over when he had to at least hit the target.

PENALTY SHOUT! The pressure is really starting to build on the Everton defence now. Rose makes a great run down the left and is picked up by Vertonghen before pulling the ball back for Alli. He goes down in the area following a sliding challenge by Stones, but there didn't appear to be much contact on first viewing. He still manages to get the ball across towards Kane, but a vital interception prevents it from reaching the striker at the back post.

YELLOW CARD! Lukaku is the latest name in the book for a foul on Dier, who he has had a running battle with over the last 10 minutes or so.

EVERTON SUB: That is Lukaku's last action as he is replaced by Steven Naismith.

SHOT! Brilliant play from Vertonghen as he strides forward from defence, taking on a number of blue shirts as he carries the ball all the way to the edge of the area. He eventually gets a powerful shot away, but it is too high to trouble Howard.

Chadli has had a good game for Spurs, and again he acts as the creator to flick the ball back for Dier. You can see what he is thinking as he lines up a curler towards the far corner, but the execution is woeful and the ball ends up well off target.

CLOSE! Everton almost nick a winner having been hanging on for much of this match! Oviedo puts a cross into the box and Kone gets in front of his man really well to glance one a whisker past the far post.

Naismith is a little fortunate to get away with one here. Following a tussle with Rose, the ball breaks into a 50-50 with Bentaleb, who goes sliding in. Naismith also goes in hard and follows through on the Tottenham midfielder, but it is Everton who get the free kick.

DISALLOWED GOAL! Kane finally does have the ball in the back of the net, but it won't count! The striker lent the ball to a teammate before looking for the return pass, but it arrives later than expected and he has just strayed offside.

Naismith is lucky again here - he seems to have it in for Bentaleb. He leaps to win a header against the midfielder, but his leg was a lot higher than natural and he caught Bentaleb in the back with his knee.

Good defending from Vertonghen to deny Barkley! The Everton man burst into the box and looked to have got away from the defender momentarily, but Vertonghen stayed strong and held Barkley off to allow Lloris to claim.

Rose is the latest to have a go from range, but he blazes his shot well off target. Everton, meanwhile, have started to show more of a threat in the final third over the last 10 minutes or so.

Dier concedes a soft free kick for a foul on Barkley inside shooting range, but Mirallas's effort is disappointing. He curls it over the bar, and Lloris would have had it covered anyway.

Barkley is trying to make something happen for the visitors, but his end product is lacking here. He twists and turns to create space to shoot, but the effort is dreadful.

EVERTON SUB: The third change of the afternoon for Everton sees Gerard Deulofeu replace Kone.

TOTTENHAM SUB: Spurs respond with a change of their own as Alex Pritchard comes on for Mason.

Bentaleb is working a bit of a tightrope at the moment. He has already been booked and has made a couple of challenges that may have got the referee considering a second yellow.

Just one minute plus stoppage time remains in this one, but still neither side have been able to find a breakthrough. Spurs will be wondering quite how they haven't won this one given the chances they have had.

These two sides have three added minutes to find a winner here.

YELLOW CARD! Chadli goes into the box for throwing the ball to the ground in anger after Pritchard had been harshly penalised for a foul on Mirallas.

FULL TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Everton

The final whistle sounds at White Hart Lane and the spoils are shared between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton after a goalless 90 minutes. Spurs are still without a league win this season, and they will feel that they should have ended that winless streak today. They certainly had the chances to do so, but they found Tim Howard in inspired form.

Kane had the best chance of the match in the first half when he was played clean through on goal on Mason, but he failed to find a way past Howard, who stood up well to get the best of the one-on-one situation. Mason had a great chance of his own in the second half, but once again was thwarted by the Everton keeper.

That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was an entertaining clash despite the lack of goals at White Hart Lane. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!

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Harry Kane of Spurs scores his team's first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on May 24, 2015
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014


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