Antonio Conte’s Tottenham earn draw after VAR rules out Everton penalty
The anticipation of Antonio Conte’s first Premier League game in charge of Spurs proved more captivating than the reality, though an education for the new manager all the same. It is 227 minutes and counting without a shot on target in the Premier League for a team containing Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura. The heart on display appeased their new manager; the creativity remains an obvious work in progress.
Everton had the edge in a feisty draw high on incident but low on quality. Rafael Benítez’s team had a strong penalty awarded and then overturned after a review and Mason Holgate sent off for serious foul play eight minutes after his introduction, also after a pitchside review by the referee, Christopher Kavanagh.
Their performance was a marked improvement on recent efforts and, despite surviving a scare when Giovani Lo Celso struck a post in the 88th minute, they comfortably contained a Spurs team that has failed to register a shot on target in two consecutive Premier League games. That is the first time they have drawn such an extended blank since the data was introduced in 2003-04.
“I have to be happy for different reasons,” Conte said. “The first is that Goodison Park is not an easy place to come to play, especially after a very intensive week for the players and club. emotionally. Then we played on Thursday and today I have to be happy because I started to see some tactical situations [develop]. For sure we can improve and we have a lot of space for improvement – tactically, physically and mentally. But today I have seen the heart of my players, the passion, the will to fight and to sacrifice.”
Conte stuck with the same per
sonnel and 3-4-3 formation that opened his reign with a chaotic win against Vitesse. There was certainly greater energy from Spurs than in Nuno’s final game against Manchester United and an urgency to find Kane as quickly as possible.
In case of any doubt over the new manager’s instructions, he spent most of the first half with his left arm raised in the air and his index finger pointing towards the upper Gwladys Street end. More intensity, however, did not produce more of a threat.
The more concerted pressure came from Everton, although they too failed to test the opposition goalkeeper in the first half bar a Ben Godfrey drive drilled straight at Hugo Lloris. Their reaction to three successive Premier League defeats and alarming displays against Watford and Wolves was, however, what Benítez and Goodison had demanded.
Fabian Delph was rewarded for stemming the Wolves tide as a secondhalf substitute on Monday with his first start since December. The 31-yearold, who has endured an injury-plagued career at Everton, made another positive impact. His composure on the ball and aggression without it underpinned a much improved performance from Benítez’s side. There was some consternation in the crowd when he was replaced by Tom Davies in the 60th minute but three months out with a shoulder injury prior to Molineux – and a yellow card – explained that decision.
Delph created one of Everton’s few first-half opportunities with a floated cross that Michael Keane headed wide. The defender’s header, Godfrey’s shot and a Demarai Gray effort that wascharged down by the Spurs defence constituted the home side’s chances before the break.
Everton were in the ascendancy for much of the second half, however, and a flat game erupted into life moments after Delph’s departure.
Kavanagh awarded a penalty when Richarlison, racing on to Anthony Gordon’s header into the area, appeared to be clipped by Lloris as he attempted to round the Spurs’ keeper. VAR advised Kavanagh to take another look on the pitchside monitor, where he adjudged Lloris to have played the ball before the man and overturned his decision. “If that happened in the middle of the pitch it would be a foul and so it should be the same in the penalty area,” argued Benítez. Conte countered: “It is impossible to make a mistake after looking at the VAR. The referee made the right decision.”
Richarlison claimed a second penalty for a nonexistent handball by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, leading to an argument with three irate Spurs players and a booking for both the Brazilian and Cristian Romero.
Davies scuffed a shot straight at Lloris and Gray steered a first-time effort wide followingafter a neat exchange between the substitute and Lucas Digne.
Conte’s team were on the back foot yet almost won the game on the counterattack when Holgate, introduced for Allan, who has flu, was dispossessed by Oliver Skipp. Spurs’ subThe Spurs substitute Lo Celso took over, cut inside the Everton defence and curled a powerful shot beyond Jordan Pickford from 25 yards. Lo Celso was into his celebratory run when the ball cannoned off a post to safety.
A pitchside review cost Everton again when Kavanagh was advised to reassess the yellow card he had shown to Holgate for a foul on Højbjerg. It was upgraded to a straight red when the match official had a clear view of the defender’s horrible lunge on the midfielder’s knee. The often reckless Holgate could have no complaints. In the dying moments against 10 men there was no sign of a breakthrough from Spurs. Their wait for a shot, and Everton’s for a win, continues.