Tottenham host in-form Everton in the Premier League this weekend, where a win would take the Lilywhites back into Champions League places.
Ange Postecoglou’s men can leapfrog champions Manchester City, who are away at the Club World Cup, with a win, while Everton are hunting for a fifth successive Premier League victory following their 10-point deduction.
Here’s everything you need to know about this Saturday’s clash.
Form
Tottenham: LDLWW
Following a run of four losses in five games which caused the Lilywhites to slip out of the top four, the North London club have got back to winning ways with successive victories, including a 2-0 success away from home against Nottingham Forest last time out.
Richarlison was on the scoresheet for the third time in two games as he scored the opener before Dejan Kulusevski, who had assisted the first goal, netted mid-way through the second half in a Man of the Match performance to secure the three points.
Oh no Deki, that’s disgusting ???????? pic.twitter.com/E44RN8owH0
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 16, 2023
Ill-discipline has been one of the major problems for Postecoglou’s side this campaign. Yves Bissouma saw red for the second time this season at the City Ground as Spurs held on for a win with ten men for the second time.
No team have accumulated more red cards in the league than Tottenham’s four, all of which have come in their last 10 games. Destiny Udogie’s fifth yellow card of the season means he will miss this weekend’s clash.
Also out are injured summer signings James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Manor Solomon while Brennan Johnson is a doubt with a face laceration.
Maddison and Van de Ven ‘nowhere near’ Spurs returns
Everton: WWWWL
Only Aston Villa have picked up more Premier League points than Everton in their last six games, and their winning run continued when Sean Dyche returned to Burnley last time out.
First-half goals from Amadou Onana and Michael Keane were enough to secure all three points to move the Toffees into 16th place and seven points clear of the drop zone, following their 10-point deduction.
Only Arsenal and Liverpool have conceded less Premier League goals than the Merseyside outfit’s 20 so far this campaign, and England number one Jordan Pickford has kept four successive clean sheets in the league.
Chalking up another clean sheet. ????@JPickford1 ⛔️ pic.twitter.com/Sd6DVtP21b
— Everton (@Everton) December 17, 2023
Jarrad Branthwaite will return to the squad following a one-game suspension. The 21-year-old has played 90 minutes in 14 of the Toffees’ 17 matches this campaign since returning from a loan spell at Dutch outfit PSV.
Abdoulaye Doucoure will face a late fitness test ahead of the Spurs clash after he picked up a thigh injury while veteran duo Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman will hope to be available for the festive period.
Last Meeting
Everton 1-1 Tottenham, April 3rd 2023
A late Michael Keane screamer was enough to drag Everton out of the relegation zone as the Toffees salvaged a late draw the last time the sides met at Goodison Park back in April.
In a bad-tempered game which saw two red cards, firstly to Abdoulaye Doucoure for violent conduct, Harry Kane slotted away a second-half penalty past Jordan Pickford to make the game 1-0.
With two minutes left on the clock, Lucas Moura became the second man to receive his marching orders following a late challenge on Keane to set up a blockbuster finish.
The defender stepped up in stoppage time and unleashed a thunderbolt of a strike past Hugo Lloris from range to take the home side to 15th in the Premier League table, while Spurs went fourth with a point.
Predicted Lineups
Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Royal, Davies; Sarr, Hojbjerg; Johnson, Kulusevski, Son; Richarlison.
Everton: Pickford; Patterson, Keane, Tarkowski, Branthwaite; Gueye, Onana; Harrison, Garner, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin.
Who is the referee?
Stuart Attwell.
Is Tottenham v Everton on TV?
UK and Ireland: Not televised live in the UK and Ireland.
USA: Peacock
What time is kick off?
Saturday 23rd December, 15:00pm GMT.
Odds
Tottenham – 3/4
Draw – 16/5
Everton – 3/1
Read – The Premier League substitutes with the most goal involvements this season
Read also – The Premier League players with the highest percentage of their team’s goals
