Everton skipper Phil Jagielka has conceded that Tottenham Hotspur were deserved winners in this afternoon's Premier League meeting at White Hart Lane.
The Toffees took a first-half lead through Kevin Mirallas's strike, although they were unable to hold on with Christian Eriksen and Roberto Soldado winning the game for Spurs.
Both sides faced gruelling Europa League ties on Thursday night to secure their progression through to the next round, but Jagielka does not believe that his side's trip to Germany offers a valid enough excuse for today's performance.
"There were a few tackles flying in that weren't punished, but fair play to Tottenham because they deserved the win," he told Sky Sports News. "I'm not sure playing away in the Europa League on Thursday affected us. We had a few faces that didn't play or travel to Germany.
"We're not going to make it an excuse. We played quite well and kept the ball, but didn't keep the lead long enough. We played well for large spells but unfortunately gave the second goal away especially and after that we were chasing it. Christian Eriksen managed to mis-hit the shot and send three of our players the wrong way.
"The fixture list was maybe a bit kinder to them in that we had two away games back to back. You would rather sleep in your own bed and have a bit more of a lie in, but we are not making excuses about it. That is part and parcel of playing in two competitions. We played pretty well but didn't keep the 1-0 lead long enough to make them nervous."
Next up for Everton in the Premier League is a home meeting with Hull City on Wednesday night.
Daniel Lewis
