Van de Ven at the double as Tottenham end Everton’s new home unbeaten run
Micky van de Ven's first-half brace of close-range headers set Tottenham on their way to a 3-0 victory that ended Everton's perfect start to life at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Pape Matar Sarr added a late third from a Richarlison nod across goal to seal Spurs' fifth unbeaten away league outing and move Tottenham into third, five points off leaders Arsenal.
Everton matched Tottenham’s approach play in a rain-lashed contest and briefly thought Jake O’Brien had headed an equaliser, only for VAR to rule that Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye were offside and impeding Guglielmo Vicario. The Toffees’ 34 crosses brought moments of jeopardy, including a spectacular overhead kick by Beto thwarted by Vicario, yet the visitors’ set-piece precision and clean-sheet mentality proved decisive.
Set-pieces decide the contest, and a captain rises.