Dyche is used to dealing with flak and bullets... now his Blues can too
SEAN DYCHE keeps telling his players to forget about the 10-point deduction that has left Everton fighting another relegation battle.
But there is no doubt that the deep sense of injustice at Goodison Park is driving his side to keep fighting even when all appears lost.
It was anger that prompted young defender Jarrad Branthwaite to steam in at the far post, deep into injury time, to head home the goal that rescued a point that may prove decisive in the final analysis.
Just as it was when Dominic Calvert-lewin had showed a willingness to duck bravely into the muck and bullets of Tottenham’s six-yard box for the vital touch that saw Jack Harrison claim Everton’s first equaliser an hour earlier.
Home celebrations at the end were manic. But Evertonians feel hard done by – from the boardroom, to the fans who pay their money at the gate. And it says much about Dyche and the team spirit he has fostered that his players are turning any negative energy into a positive force. Seamus Coleman, Dwight Mcneil and Harrison all mentioned the swingeing Premier League punishment for failing profit and sustainability rules, in interviews published in the match-day programme.
And the sight of 35,000 oversized yellow cards being waved by home fans as a protest in the 10th minute illustrated that their fury still hasn’t subsided three months after the verdict was announced.
Everton were already losing this game by then.
And the irony wouldn’t have been lost on anyone of a blue persuasion inside Goodison that it was Richarlison who had expertly put Tottenham ahead.
The Brazil striker was sold to Spurs for £60million in the summer of 2022 when financial clouds were starting to gather.
When Destiny Udogie crossed low from the left in the fourth minute, the way Richarlison emphatically swept his shot into the roof of Jordan Pickford’s net suggested Everton should have asked Daniel Levy for a few more quid.
Rather than celebrate, the striker raised a hand of apology to the fans in the Gwladys Street. The gesture was much
appreciated. Richarlison scored again on 41 minutes to send Ange Postecoglou’s team into the break in the ascendancy.
It was another expertly worked goal, James Maddison nudging Timo Werner’s pull-back into the Brazilian’s path 18 yards out, and Richarlison’s curling shot leaving Pickford wondering why he’d even bothered to dive.
It was Richarlison’s ninth goal in his past eight Premier League appearances.
And, at that juncture, it seemed inevitable that Spurs would be moving to within five points of Liverpool, and level with Arsenal and Manchester City. During the week, Postecoglou had taken exception to the idea that Tottenham’s wait for a trophy would likely stretch into a 17th year, after their exit from the FA Cup. Big Ange has big expectations – and he wanted to know how anyone could rule his team out of the title race. Now he knows why. Maddison, back after three months out with an ankle injury, grew in stature as the game went on, while the returning Micky van de Ven also showed why he had been missed during his time in the treatment room.
But keeper Guglielmo Vicario’s susceptibility under the high ball will be a big cause of concern for the Spurs boss.
The Italian’s flapping against Manchester City ended any hopes of a trip to Wembley.
And it was a weakness Everton threatened to exploit even before Calvert-lewin’s header flicked off Harrison to bring Everton their first leveller after Vicario was exposed by Mcneil’s in-swinging corner.
Postecoglou knew what was coming when eight minutes of injury time were signalled, and had sent on giant Romanian Radu Dragusin to help deal with the inevitable bombardment.
Dyche was booked for protesting too loudly about one Dragusin challenge on Beto.
And the Toffees manager was still shaking his head as a James Garner free-kick flicked off Cristian Romero’s head – and Branthwaite leaped to claim the first goal at Goodison Park of his Everton career.