🏟️ Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton preview.
🤔 Strengths, weaknesses and what to expect from Saturday.
🧵 Thread written by @FootballOllie
🤔 Strengths, weaknesses and what to expect from Saturday.
🧵 Thread written by @FootballOllie
Tommorrow's match against Everton, Spurs’ first Saturday 15:00 kick-off since their late comeback over Sheffield United back in September, is not the same assuring and comfortable fixture that we imaged it might be a few weeks ago.
Seemingly fuelled by the 10 point deduction that sent them crashing back down into the relegation zone, Everton have responded heroically, and are currently on a remarkable run of four consecutive victories, all without conceding.
In fact, since their bruising derby defeat to Liverpool in October, the Toffees have won six of their eight Premier League matches and so will come into the Saturday's match with their tails up.
Seemingly fuelled by the 10 point deduction that sent them crashing back down into the relegation zone, Everton have responded heroically, and are currently on a remarkable run of four consecutive victories, all without conceding.
In fact, since their bruising derby defeat to Liverpool in October, the Toffees have won six of their eight Premier League matches and so will come into the Saturday's match with their tails up.
So what can we expect to see when the two sides meet?
Well, this may sound odd, but there are far more similarities to be found in the footballing philosophies of Dyche and Ange Postecoglou than you may initially expect.
Both share the following three integral principles that are evident in their respective styles of play.
- Intensity
- Physicality
- Verticality
Well, this may sound odd, but there are far more similarities to be found in the footballing philosophies of Dyche and Ange Postecoglou than you may initially expect.
Both share the following three integral principles that are evident in their respective styles of play.
- Intensity
- Physicality
- Verticality
Intensity
Just like Postecoglou, Dyche wants his sides to relentless in everything that they do.
Everton are one of the most aggressive pressing sides in the league. They always look to create chaos among opposition defences and will often benefit from turnovers high up the pitch.
This season they rank third for the combined number tackles, interceptions and blocked passes in the final third in the Premier League with 108 - only behind Arsenal (138) and Spurs (112).
They also rank joint first with Spurs for defensive actions to lead to a shot with 13 (FBRef).
Just like Postecoglou, Dyche wants his sides to relentless in everything that they do.
Everton are one of the most aggressive pressing sides in the league. They always look to create chaos among opposition defences and will often benefit from turnovers high up the pitch.
This season they rank third for the combined number tackles, interceptions and blocked passes in the final third in the Premier League with 108 - only behind Arsenal (138) and Spurs (112).
They also rank joint first with Spurs for defensive actions to lead to a shot with 13 (FBRef).
Let's see this in action. Below are a couple of good examples of Everton's relentless high press, the first which results in a shot on target from the cross (versus Burnley) and the second which leads to a goal from the turnover (versus Newcastle).
I have also selected these two clips because they are from opposite points in the match, showing that Everton will keep at you and apply pressure regardless of the period of the match.
I have also selected these two clips because they are from opposite points in the match, showing that Everton will keep at you and apply pressure regardless of the period of the match.
Physicality
Dyche's Everton are an extremely aggressive and physical side and have committed the third most fouls of any side in the Premier League this season, with Spurs eighth in that list.
Everton's biggest physical strength of the team is their aerial dominance, both in attack and defence.
Perhaps unsurprisingly they have won the most aerial duals so far this season with 313, 155 more than Spurs who rank third from bottom for this metric.
Dyche's Everton are an extremely aggressive and physical side and have committed the third most fouls of any side in the Premier League this season, with Spurs eighth in that list.
Everton's biggest physical strength of the team is their aerial dominance, both in attack and defence.
Perhaps unsurprisingly they have won the most aerial duals so far this season with 313, 155 more than Spurs who rank third from bottom for this metric.
Spurs are one of only two teams yet to concede from a corner in the Premier League this season, although this match against Everton will be Spurs' biggest test to keep that record in tact.
Everton have had tremendous success from corners since Dyche's arrival and boast the impressive record of having the most goals per 100 set pieces taken this year, two more per 100 than next best.
Everton have had tremendous success from corners since Dyche's arrival and boast the impressive record of having the most goals per 100 set pieces taken this year, two more per 100 than next best.
Part of the reason Everton do so well from corners is because of the pressure they apply to the opposition goalkeeper, something Guglielmo Vicario and his teammates must be alert to.
Here a several examples of Everton applying significant pressure to the opposing goalkeeper, leading to parries, spills and often goalscoring situations.
First we see Dwight McNeil backing into Matt Turner forcing him into an awkward parry which Beto is there to meet, his shot sails over but it easily could have been a goal.
In the third and fourth images we see pressure on the keeper lead directly to a goal, firstly a similar example to Beto's chance against Forest from which Lewis Dobbin scores, and then Amadou Onana from a corner after the 'keeper is blocked from punching clear.
Here a several examples of Everton applying significant pressure to the opposing goalkeeper, leading to parries, spills and often goalscoring situations.
First we see Dwight McNeil backing into Matt Turner forcing him into an awkward parry which Beto is there to meet, his shot sails over but it easily could have been a goal.
In the third and fourth images we see pressure on the keeper lead directly to a goal, firstly a similar example to Beto's chance against Forest from which Lewis Dobbin scores, and then Amadou Onana from a corner after the 'keeper is blocked from punching clear.
Verticality
Central to Dyche’s idea of football is verticality.
During his successful tenure at Burnley we perhaps associate this with longer, direct balls up the pitch, but at Everton it has been more nuanced, with Dyche still demanding verticality but with more intricate, measured play.
According to Opta Everton have the highest direct speed of ball progression from their own defensive third to the attacking third of any team in the Premier League this season, moving the ball just over two metres towards the opposition goal for every second they are in possession.
Central to Dyche’s idea of football is verticality.
During his successful tenure at Burnley we perhaps associate this with longer, direct balls up the pitch, but at Everton it has been more nuanced, with Dyche still demanding verticality but with more intricate, measured play.
According to Opta Everton have the highest direct speed of ball progression from their own defensive third to the attacking third of any team in the Premier League this season, moving the ball just over two metres towards the opposition goal for every second they are in possession.
Indeed, one of Everton's biggest strengths is their wide variety of chance creation and ball progression.
As mentioned, they look to play forward with purpose and pace. Sometimes that will be as simple as utilising Jordan Pickford's elite long distance passing and playing a ball up to Calvert-Lewin or into the channels, entirely bypass the opposition press.
In this scenario, Everton's attack will sit quite narrow, with the likes of McNeil, Jack Harrison, and Abdoulaye Doucoure quite close to Calvert-Lewin in readiness of a flick on or knock down.
Spurs need to be wary of these off the ball runners, especially in transition.
As mentioned, they look to play forward with purpose and pace. Sometimes that will be as simple as utilising Jordan Pickford's elite long distance passing and playing a ball up to Calvert-Lewin or into the channels, entirely bypass the opposition press.
In this scenario, Everton's attack will sit quite narrow, with the likes of McNeil, Jack Harrison, and Abdoulaye Doucoure quite close to Calvert-Lewin in readiness of a flick on or knock down.
Spurs need to be wary of these off the ball runners, especially in transition.
In more settled, patient build up, the wingers will pull wider as both Harrison and McNeil are superb crossers of the ball and in Calvert-Lewin and Beto, Everton have two physical forwards with immense aerial presence and ability in the box.
Taking advantage of their forwards' physicality, Everton will also often look to create by punching a pass into the striker, who holds it up and waits for the forward run of a teammate.
Here we see exactly this in Everton's win over Forest, with the line of press easily broken and Forest's fullbacks caught high and out of position, with McNeil and Aurier both circled.
Spurs need to be very wary of this, but there is a solution.
Taking advantage of their forwards' physicality, Everton will also often look to create by punching a pass into the striker, who holds it up and waits for the forward run of a teammate.
Here we see exactly this in Everton's win over Forest, with the line of press easily broken and Forest's fullbacks caught high and out of position, with McNeil and Aurier both circled.
Spurs need to be very wary of this, but there is a solution.
Enter Cristian Romero. One of the Argentine's best qualities is his reading of the game and his ability to get his body in front of the opposition forward to intercept any attempted pass into their feet.
Romero will no doubt be required to do this on several occasions against Everton, and it is where the match could be won or lost, with the space likely left by Spurs' inverted, high fullbacks.
Romero will no doubt be required to do this on several occasions against Everton, and it is where the match could be won or lost, with the space likely left by Spurs' inverted, high fullbacks.
To conclude, Everton have a lot of strengths, and they are currently riding a wave of momentum fuelled by extraordinary circumstances, which only enhances and strengthens their game.
However with the absence of Vitaliy Mykolenko and Doucoure, they are much weaker side.
Doucoure especially has become integral to the way Dyche looks to play. He operates as almost a second striker, staying close to Calvert-Lewin and so effectively provides those third man runs off the ball, often capping off moves by his attacking position.
In fact, since Dyche's appointment no midfielder has scored more Premier League than Doucoure's 11, so he will be a huge loss.
However with the absence of Vitaliy Mykolenko and Doucoure, they are much weaker side.
Doucoure especially has become integral to the way Dyche looks to play. He operates as almost a second striker, staying close to Calvert-Lewin and so effectively provides those third man runs off the ball, often capping off moves by his attacking position.
In fact, since Dyche's appointment no midfielder has scored more Premier League than Doucoure's 11, so he will be a huge loss.
With Everton's strength aerially, Spurs will have little joy through crosses, however the fullbacks are better going forward than they are defensively and could be got at, making cut backs perhaps Spurs' best route to scoring.
Here are my expected lineups. It will be a difficult match for Spurs given their own injuries and suspensions and so I would predict a closely fought 1-1 draw.
Here are my expected lineups. It will be a difficult match for Spurs given their own injuries and suspensions and so I would predict a closely fought 1-1 draw.
End of thread. Thank you reading. If you enjoyed it be sure to follow @FootballOllie and @LilywhiteLab for more analysis and content on Spurs. #THFC #COYS
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