Goodison Park will record Premier League match time when Tottenham travel to face Everton on January 5, in match week 22.
The first leg between the teams, hosted by Redknapp’s men at White Hart Lane on 23 October, ended in a 1–1 draw. The match was played during an active phase of the Champions League, and having to juggle both tournaments, Tottenham seemed jaded.
Modric played a good game, but Bale disappointed, following the expectations derived from his exploits in the Champions League. Van der Vaart, who scored the equalizer for Redknapp’s charges three minutes after Baines had put the Toffees ahead, was not at his best. Crouch was especially disappointing and wasted a lot of long balls. Despite his enormous height, Crouch isn’t the best header.
Everton played well before the break and Baines’ goal was brilliant. Pienaar, returning from injury, was excellent in midfield. Moyes’ men have humiliated the most powerful teams all season, and this game was a prime example.
Head to head, in the last 20 league games between the two sides, Spurs have enjoyed a 12-3 lead over the Toffees.
Sitting 13th in the league table, Everton have won just one of their last five games, this season, with 3 draws and one loss completing the tally. Their last game on matchday 21 away from home against Stoke ended 2-0 in favor of the hosts.
Fourth-placed Tottenham have won 6 of their last 8 games, including the last 3 in a row, with the other 2 ending in a draw. In their last match, at home to Fulham, the White Hart Lane squad recorded a 1-0 verdict.
In their current form, Everton should be happy to snatch a point from Wednesday’s game.
The following men made up Everton’s starting eleven against Stoke on Matchday 21: Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Fellaini, Cahill, Arteta, Pienaar and Saha. Anichebe, Beckford and Osman played as substitutes.
Tottenham’s starting eleven against Fulham on matchday 21 consisted of Gomes, Hutton, Gallas, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Modric, Bale, Pavlyuchenko and Van der Vaart. Corluka, Crouch and Jenas were substitutes.