Chris Sutton predicts Tottenham v Everton Premier League result in ‘sickener’ verdict
Chris Sutton has predicted that Everton will suffer back-to-back defeats when they travel to Tottenham on Saturday.
The former Premier League striker claimed in his BBC Sport prediction column [22 August] that the Toffees will come up short against a Spurs side he expects to be more “clinical” than last Monday, when they drew with Leicester City – he described the point as a “bit of a sickener”.
For Sean Dyche’s men, Sutton anticipates a lower block with an aim to play on the counter-attack, but believes Spurs will take all three points in a 2-0 win.
He reasoned: “Spurs could have been eight up at half-time against Leicester but didn’t take the chances and that will have been a bit of a sickener, it will have felt like a defeat. There are high hopes for Ange Postecoglou in his second season and they made great progress last year.
“Everton played well for the first 20 minutes against Brighton and are a team who will sit and frustrate the life out of Tottenham and then counter.
“They ran Tottenham close last season but I will say Spurs at home, in front of their own fans, need to be more clinical and will be.”
Everton up for Tottenham challenge
Make no mistake, it gets no easier for Everton after last weekend’s dismal defeat than to travel to a Tottenham side still baying with frustration off the back of being held on Monday at the King Power.
Dyche will drill his team to be organised and resolute, defend in numbers and, as Sutton said, look to hit Ange Postecoglou’s men on the break, especially should they play their expected high defensive line.
A point would be ideal for the Toffees in the capital and can be a springboard for better results to put the opening weekend to the back of their minds.
Whilst there remain question marks over Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s long-term future, he will be expected to start and may not initially have too much to feed off – but the attacking players in blue must take their chances when they arrive.
Tottenham have at times under Postecoglou been defensively suspect; they are also waiting on £65m recruit Dominic Solanke to score his first goal for the club.
Everton will be hoping to absorb as much of the Spurs attacking output as possible, and could well nick a result in N17.
In other Everton news, there could be a solution to the Dele Alli saga.
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