Everton beats Tottenham in the opening encounter of EPL 2020-21
by Rohit GuptaTottenham began their 2020-21 Premier League campaign by slumping to a 1-0 defeat against Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
The result gives Jose Mourinho’s men a disappointing start to the new season, while Carlo Ancelotti’s side will be buoyed by the impressive result after a number of new signings in the off-season.
The match was goalless at half-time, with Everton, spurred on by new star James Rodriguez, especially unlucky to find a breakthrough in the first 45 minutes.
But it didn’t take long for the visitors to grab a deserved lead after the break. From a set piece near the left touchline, forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin rose to meet Lucas Digne’s cross and fired home a thumping header from the middle of the box to put the Toffees up 1-0 in the 55th minute.
The goal was his 20th league strike since the start of 2018-19, which is second most among English players 23 years or younger, trailing only Marcus Rashford’s 27.
The assist, meanwhile, marked left-back Digne’s 12th since 2018-19, which put him behind only Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold (25) and Andrew Robertson (24) for most by a defender in that span.
Mourinho responded by sending out Steven Bergwijn and Tanguy Ndombele. But the hosts couldn’t find an equaliser and must wait at least another week for their first league win.
Tottenham will play a Europa League qualifying match midweek before visiting Southampton in Premier League play on Sunday. And Everton will host West Ham on Sunday, three days after an EFL Cup second-round match at Salford City.