Van de Ven Double Halts Everton's Run at New Stadium

Micky van de Ven celebrating

The Dutch defender became the initial defender to net twice in a Premier League match for Tottenham since Jan Vertonghen in spring 2013.

Match summary

  • Micky Van de Ven heads into the net twice in first half

  • The home side's defender has equalizer disallowed after VAR review

  • Senegalese midfielder scores final goal in dying moments

  • This loss is Everton's first at their new ground

Micky van de Ven scored on two occasions as Tottenham prolonged their winning streak in away games in the top division and delivered the Toffees their initial loss at their new home.

Everton were unbeaten in their five previous fixtures at their new ground at the dockside location, having left Goodison Park behind after more than a century at the end of last season.

But Tottenham's leader Van de Ven pounced on two occasions from set-pieces in the opening 45 minutes to put their strong form at risk, and they were unable to mount a comeback before Pape Matar Sarr - set up by ex-Everton forward the Brazilian - headed home a final goal to seal the victory.

The Everton defender believed he had levelled the scores five minutes after Van de Ven's opener, glancing a bullet header past Guglielmo Vicario from an Everton corner.

The Portuguese striker, meanwhile, missed a handful of opportunities, while the Italian goalkeeper made a succession of excellent saves to ensure Tottenham went five away games unbeaten in the English top flight.

But the video assistant referee intervened, advising the match official to check the goal on the screen and the official ruled that Jack Grealish and the attacker were in an illegal position and had interfered with the Spurs keeper.

The win elevates Thomas Frank's side into third place in the Premier League, a handful of points off north London rivals and leaders Arsenal.

The Merseyside club stay 14th and are half a dozen points clear of the relegation zone.

Tottenham analysis: The defender excels in duties at both ends of pitch

After a drab midweek display in the European competition against Monaco, where they managed a only attempts on target, Frank opted for Randal Kolo Muani in attack instead of ex-Everton forward Richarlison.

The new arrival was unable to influence the game before being substituted for Richarlison after 60 minutes on the pitch, but it turns out he wasn't needed in the end.

Defender the Dutchman transformed into an attacking force to be reckoned with.

Tottenham's opening strike came from a cleverly executed set-piece play, with the midfielder heading the ball back across the face of goal for an free the defender to score.

And Ven de Ven - filling in as skipper in Cristian Romero's absence - notched his next goal in first-half stoppage time as he outjumped the England keeper to head home.

Van de Ven was just as impressive in defence, combining effectively with Kevin Danso as the duo dealt excellently with the 34 crosses sent their way by the opposition.

Toffees breakdown: Everton missing striker's instinct

Everton's recent stadium had been a fortress, but it seems the novelty may have worn off slightly and supporters headed to the exits after the midfielder's final goal for Tottenham.

The break in Everton's winning streak at home won't be a massive concern for David Moyes, but their striker situation will be.

Beto and Thierno Barry - the Toffees' two established strikers - had scored just a single goal combined before Sunday's outing.

And they were unable to add to that poor record on a wet and gloomy evening on in Liverpool.

Beto's performance was epitomized when he chose to bicycle-kick a golden opportunity from close range, even with having space and opportunity to reposition for a simpler shot that would have tested the keeper.

Barry, as well, failed to influence the game after replacing the starter in the 65th minute.

It wasn't for a shortage of chance. The majority of the home side's attacks came through Grealish and Ndiaye, who tirelessly delivered threatening crosses into the Spurs box.

Upcoming fixtures for these two sides?

The Toffees: The team head to the Stadium of Light in the top flight on Monday, 3 November at 8 PM.

Tottenham: The London club travel to St James' Park on Wednesday, 29 October for their fourth-round Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle.

Sherri Joyce
Sherri Joyce

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in online casino trends and slot machine strategies.