Spurs, Toffees share spoils
A SUPERB header by Argentine Erik Lamela earned Tottenham a 1-1 draw at Everton on Ronald Koeman’s English Premier League debut as the Toffees coach, after Ross Barkley gave the home side an early lead at Goodison Park yesterday as the league season began.
England midfielder Barkley provided Koeman with a perfect start to the season after floating in a fifth-minute free kick which evaded everyone in the penalty area and beat Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris at the far post.
Lloris limped off with a hamstring injury in the 36th minute and his replacement Michel Vorm kept the visitors afloat with a fine save on the stroke of half time, denying Gerard Deulofeu, who was sent clear by an awful back pass from Danny Rose.
Tottenham dominated after the break and got a deserved equaliser on the hour mark when Lamela turned in Kyle Walker’s cross.
Everton keeper Maarten Stekelenburg rescued his side in the closing stages when he thwarted livewire Lamela and substitute Vincent Janssen.
At Turf Moor, Dutch midfielder Leroy Fer struck eight minutes from time to give Swansea City a 1-0 win at newly promoted Burnley. The match looked to be heading for a goalless draw before Fer popped up in the 82nd minute, firing home a rebound after a Tom Heaton save.
Fer, who made his loan move from Queens Park Rangers into a permanent transfer over the summer, was joined in the Swans’ starting lineup by Spanish striker Fernando Llorente, the recent recruit from Sevilla.
At London’s Selhurst Park, striker Salomon Rondon nodded the only goal to give West Bromwich Albion a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.
The Venezuelan, who had a fine chance saved by the diving Wayne Hennessey early in the first half, steered a glancing header from substitute James McClean’s free kick inside the bottom corner of the net in the 74th minute.
Palace deserved a point but, despite having two-thirds of possession, they picked up where they left off last season when they struggled to turn dominance into goals.
At Riverside Stadium, Xherdan Shaqiri’s dazzling second-half free kick rescued a point for Stoke City at newly promoted Middlesbrough, who marked their return to the league after seven years with a 1-1 draw.
Debutant Alvaro Negredo scored with his first chance in a Middlesbrough shirt as he rose above two Stoke defenders in the 11th minute to send Gaston Ramirez’s looping header beyond 40-year-old Shay Given following a teasing cross from Albert Adomah.
Newly promoted Middlesbrough had the best defensive record in the Championship last season, conceding just 31 goals, but were beaten in the 67th minute when Shaqiri struck a low free kick in off the post.
At St Mary’s, the battle between new Southampton manager Claude Puel and his equally fresh Watford counterpart Walter Mazzarri ended in a 1-1 draw.
Etienne Capoue put Watford ahead early on, but Nathan Redmond levelled on his debut for Southampton following his move from relegated Norwich City.
Mazzarri, Watford’s Italian head coach, was probably more satisfied with the point after his substitute, Ben Watson, was sent off for pulling back Shane Long to leave the visitors with 10 men for the last 15 minutes.
In the late match at the Etihad, Manchester City beat Sunderland 2-1. Sergio Aguero’s fourth-minute penalty was cancelled out by a typical finish from Jermain Defoe in the 71st minute. This is the 16th Premier League season in which Defoe has scored. A Paddy McNair own goal in the 87th minute gave City the points. —