What: English Premier League
Who: Tottenham vs Everton
When: Sunday 7th April, 2013, at 14:05 UK Time
Where: White Hart Lane, London, England
Gareth Bale Injury Rocks Tottenham’s Top Four Push
Tottenham’s win at Swansea last week got them back on track after their fine form was checked by Liverpool and Fulham. But boss Andre Villas-Boas, unlike last year, has a team playing for him and fulfilling the tactical instructions he has set them superbly well. Tottenham’s strength lies in an underrated defensive solidity and fluid counter attacking.
No team have opened the scoring more often than Tottenham this season, underlining their consistency across matches. However, they are stuck in a desperate battle for a place in the top four with Chelsea and Arsenal. Their consistency makes them the most likely to finish third, but with only four points separating themselves and fifth placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand, there is no room for error as the season enters its final weeks. And Tottenham have form for tailing off towards the end of a campaign.
Key will be Gareth Bale, whose form shows no sign of letting up. The Welshman’s virtuoso brilliance has echoes of Robin van Persie’s brilliance for Arsenal last season that carried them to third place. And so it must have sent fear through the spine of Villas-Boas when Bale turned on his ankle against Basel in midweek. It would be unfair to label Tottenham, or any team for that matter, a one-man side, but clearly Bale’s influence on them is tremendous. How will the club respond without their talisman for the next fortnight?
Everton Keep Champions League Hopes Alive
Although much talk has been of how Everton’s form has slipped in the second half of the season, it is worth noting that the Toffees have won three successive league games for the first time in the current campaign. However, all three have been at Goodison Park and Everton’s last three away games have featured two defeats and a draw. David Moyes’ men need to find a way to transform their home form into away wins if they are to stay in the race for a Champions League spot. However, there is much to play for. Everton are six points adrift of Tottenham with a game in hand and play all of their direct top four rivals before the end of the season.
Everton’s form usually improves towards the end of the season after a slow start and Moyes will hope that he can get his side to pick up momentum as they look to make this a memorable season. It was in danger of fizzling out a few weeks ago after defeat to Wigan in the FA Cup, but this is a team who do not give up easily and can be sure to fight hard as the season enters its final furlong.
The future of Moyes himself has been an unwelcome distraction for the Toffees, but it looks as though the Scot may stay beyond the end of this season after all. That will be a relief for all concerned at Goodison Park, who continue to punch impressively above their weight in the Premier League – and arguably get more per pound than any side in the league. The big issue for the club at the moment is the issue of a regular goalscorer. Nikica Jelavic has forgotten how he performed so well last year, Kevin Mirallas is injury prone, Victor Anichebe is unable to put together a consistent run of form and Marouane Fellaini looks like leaving this summer. It all threatens to put Moyes back at square one again in terms of rebuilding his squad, whether they make the Champions League or not.
Recent form
Tottenham Hotspur:
Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Fulham (17/03; Premier League)
Swansea City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur (30/03; Premier League)
Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Basel (04/04; Europa League)
Everton:
Everton 0-3 Wigan Athletic (09/03; FA Cup)
Everton 2-0 Manchester City (16/03; Premier League)
Everton 1-0 Stoke City (30/03; Premier League)
Key absences
Tottenham Hotspur: Younes Kaboul (doubt); Gareth Bale; Jermain Defoe; Sandro; Aaron Lennon
Everton: Kevin Mirallas (doubt); Marouane Fellaini; Steven Pienaar
Players to watch
Tottenham Hotspur – Moussa Dembele: With Bale and Lennon out, expect Gylfi Sigurdsson and Clint Dempsey to play out wide; which will make Dembele’s role in the centre, alongside Lewis Holtby, crucial. The Belgian’s quick feet and accurate passing are integral to so much of Tottenham’s attractive free flowing football. He rarely scores but his ability to create will be essential if Tottenham are to win this game.
Everton – Leighton Baines: The left-back has continued to further enhance his reputation this season. The former Wigan man has been brilliantly consistent and a constant menace for opponents. Baines has created more goalscoring opportunities in fact than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. His overlapping runs are integral to much of Everton’s best play and particularly with Steven Pienaar and Marouane Fellaini suspended, he is the key to a positive result at White Hart Lane.
Match Prediction
This is a game which has been deprived of two of the stars of the season – Bale most notably, but also Fellaini. The fuzzy haired Belgian has not quite been himself since getting banned for an incident at Stoke before the new year, but remains a key figure when on the pitch.
Pienaar is another big absentee for the visitors, which is a real blow as his link play with Baines is key to so much of their good play usually. Tottenham are deprived themselves of Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon, but Scott Parker continues to impress in Sandro’s absence. Ahead of him Holtby and Dembele will look to dictate play for Tottenham and they should have the edge against Everton.
The visitors will rely on the ever-creative and industrious Leon Osman to inspire them going forward and Mirallas can be a tricky customer when fit and on form. Moyes may play Anichebe up front as well and his physical presence he can cause nightmares for defences. But Michael Dawson should be well suited to dealing with his threat. Ultimately, these are two good defences, and with attacks shorn of key influences at both ends of the pitch, it should be a low scoring game. But Tottenham will be out to prove that they are no one-man team and they have enough attacking threat anyway to make that point well. Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Everton.
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