SPURS KEEP ON RIDING THE WAVE
FoR Tottenham, this was always going to be a welcome home party and in Everton, they encountered visitors who were, by the end, very much in the mood to celebrate.
After the extraordinary night in Amsterdam in the Champions League, Tottenham returned to London still with a task of sorts to see through. Sitting fourth in the Premier League, they started the day three points ahead of Arsenal and needed to avoid an eight-goal swing to protect their slot in next season’s Champions League.
Even amid this chaotic week of comebacks, such a turnaround appeared unfathomable and despite a second-half lapse that saw Everton lead for all of three minutes, nobody disrupted the celebrations.
As such, this became an occasion where the two sets of supporters had their minds firmly elsewhere. Everton’s travelling band found enthusiasm in the misfortune of rivals Liverpool in the title race and common ground with Tottenham fans ahead of the Champions League final.
on the Seven Sisters Road, the stalls flogged scarves emblazoned with ‘European final 2019’ and the carnival atmosphere swept into the stadium. In the programme, chairman Daniel Levy described Tottenham’s season as ‘one of the most epic in the club’s history’.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino called the victory over Ajax simply ‘one of the best nights of my life’. He added: ‘We broke down all the doors when circumstances were against us with the new stadium. This is our best season in five years. Top four and the Champions League final. In time people will realise what we have achieved. If we can win we will write history and change the perception of this amazing club.’
Spurs rode the wave and were ahead inside three minutes when Yerry Mina failed to deal with a corner and the ball dropped kindly for Eric Dier to score.
The match rather meandered into a lull as both sides appeared, at different times, either out on their feet or plainly uninterested. There was a brief scare for Tottenham when Dele Alli was replaced at half- time but Pochettino confirmed afterwards that it was merely a precaution after the midfielder complained of pain in the warm-up.
As Liverpool’s aspirations seeped away at Anfield, the volume turned up in the Everton end. The teasing and the taunting began on the London Underground with renditions of Manchester City’s
Blue Moon anthem but as Pep Guardiola’s side enhanced their lead at Brighton, the Evertonians were emboldened.
‘We’ll all be having a party, when Tottenham win the cup,’ they sang, and the full stadium was soon in full voice to the same ditty. As the Everton supporters played through the songbook, their side grew in authority. It was a lovely equalising goal, as Gylfi Sigurdsson worked the ball wide to Theo Walcott. The former Arsenal winger drove inside and delivered a fine slide-rule finish with his left foot in the 69th minute. Everton were swiftly in front. Sigurdsson whipped in a corner, Michael Keane towered above Ben Davies and headed down towards the ground. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris saved well with his feet but Cenk Tosun forced the ball over the line. Yet Tottenham secured a point when Christian Eriksen dispatched a clinical free-kick into the bottom corner.