Next Up: Everton v Spurs

The weekend fast approaches and Everton v Spurs provides the finalé to Sky's Super Sunday of top-class Premier League football.

Everton have had to assimilate the bad news about Jarrad Branthwaite requiring surgery so all hopes of him boosting the Blues defence with his vision, positioning and pace must once again be put on hold.

But Jack Grealish returns after an enforced furlough, thanks to the ridiculous loan rules, and will hopefully be buzzing to inflict serious damage on the Spurs defence with his expert control and trickery.

But the problem for Everton remains the much-discussed barn-door issue with our hapless strikers. When they do get to see the ball and the goal in the same field of vision, which is admittedly far too rare an occurrence, clarity of sight and fulfilment of scoring intent don't necessarily converge.

Spurs had been on an impressive seven-match unbeaten run under Thomas Frank up until things fell apart last Sunday when the visitors Aston Villa stole an impressive win at their still unsponsored stadium.

Former Everton favourite, Richarlison, will no doubt get a big reception from the fans packing out the Hill Dickinson Stadium: he has 3 goals already in the Premier League this season, which nicely matches the record of Iliman Ndiaye, current Everton favourite, going into this game.

Thankfully, we no longer have to endure the bi-seasonal torment from Son Heung-Min but Mohammed Kudus, who is no stranger to David Moyes, has done an impressive job in terms of galvanising the Spurs attack, with a goal and 4 assists... same as Jack Grealish.

It promises to be an intriguing game, with only 3 points separating the sides in the Premier League table as we approach the quarter-way mark of the season.

Reader Comments (25)

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Rob Hooton 2 Posted 22/10/2025 at 11:49:17

Spurs currently have impressive away form but are struggling at home, and it's a tough time to face them. I'm best mates with a couple of Spurs fans, so it's super important for us to beat them!

Surely our strikers have to score some goals soon, on the law of averages?

Clive Rogers 3 Posted 22/10/2025 at 12:44:05

Surely it is time to try something different up front.

Neither Beto nor Barry look like scoring anytime soon, so will Ndiaye be given a try or possibly Alcaraz?

Ian Wilkins 4 Posted 22/10/2025 at 13:16:37

Barry needs some confidence, some focussed coaching, probably more match time, though he's not currently showing first-team readiness.

I wonder if some one-to-one time with Thierry Henry would help him? Fellow countrymen (Henry commented positively on him on MotD early season) so sees potential. Henry has a wealth of Premier League experience to impart. Might be worth exploring.

Dave Abrahams 5 Posted 22/10/2025 at 13:41:20

Ian (4),

Yes, I think the lad needs backing, off the field and on it. A goal would bring a lot of confidence for the lad to build on. I think it is way too early to write the lad off so soon.

Same with Dibling, I understand the criticism because they haven't looked like they are ready for the Premier League yet, although Dibling has had a full year of it.

They are both in a new environment, young and away from the comforts of home, so I'm prepared to wait and see with these two.

Beto is Beto; I doubt he will improve as an all-round footballer but what he did last season I think he can repeat again and put some smiles on our faces -- starting on Sunday. A new season starting and a new beginning for the lad from Portugal, fingers crossed!

Michael Kenrick 6 Posted 22/10/2025 at 14:16:59

Just me trying to inject some positive vibes ahead of the game, Brian.

But I can ditch the positivity pills at the drop of a hat and reinforce the negativity that some think is endemic here?

Clive Rogers 7 Posted 22/10/2025 at 16:25:42

Barry looks miles off Premier League standard to me.

He has played most of his football at lower league standard with just one season in La Liga for Villarreal.

He certainly can't head the ball.

David Bromwell 8 Posted 22/10/2025 at 17:33:56

Of the 'new boys', Merlin Röhl is the only one who looks Premier League ready, and we have only seen him very briefly. So the Manager is likely to stick to his favoured 11 with Beto at centre-forward.

However, our likely bench looks so much better than previous seasons, but the manager's reluctance to use his substitutes fails to take any advantage of having a better squad.

Ajay Gopal 9 Posted 22/10/2025 at 18:12:34

Whom will Moyes drop to make way for Grealish - Alcaraz or Dewsbury-Hall? Or will he spring a surprise and drop Beto? The rest of the team practically picks itself.

Paul Hewitt 10 Posted 22/10/2025 at 21:37:46

Watching Spurs away to Monaco. They don't look very good. Really should be beating them on Sunday.

Brendan McLaughlin 11 Posted 22/10/2025 at 21:39:27

Are you new to Everton Paul?

Brent Stephens 12 Posted 22/10/2025 at 21:47:41

Brendan, naughty.

13 Posted 22/10/2025 at 22:03:00

Harrison Armstrong is apparently having a tremendous time at Preston, according to Paddy Boyland of The Athletic (I've excerpted the article to edit out all the basic stuff we all know):

Harrison Armstrong slumped to the Deepdale turf at full time, his shirt over his head. After being helped up by a member of Preston North End’s backroom staff, he initially stayed crouched over, a mixture of fatigue and frustration.

The on-loan Everton midfielder, 18, had given everything in an attempt to help his temporary club overcome a 1-0 deficit at home to Birmingham City, but those efforts were in vain. Preston had their chances, with Armstrong propelling them forward with characteristic energy and elegance, but they could not find the killer moment in front of goal.

[David] Moyes was a major factor behind Everton’s decision to send Armstrong, their great young hope, to Preston ahead of a slew of other interested Championship clubs. The idea was that he could keep a close eye on his charge’s development from his nearby home in Lytham. Moyes was at Deepdale to watch Tuesday’s game, with goalkeeping coach David Lucas, another former Preston player, also in attendance.

Armstrong was on the bench for his first three Preston matches, having been away with the England Under-19s for much of his first week. During that international break, he captained his country, replicating the feat in their recent 7-0 win over Wales, a game in which he also registered two assists.

Yet he has started the last four matches, including Tuesday’s defeat to Birmingham, and quickly made his mark. “Harrison is going to be a top-quality player, a Premier League player,” captain Ben Whiteman told the Lancashire Post, while also praising his fellow midfielder’s maturity at just 18.

Armstrong’s performance in the recent 2-0 win over Charlton Athletic also drew praise from the former Liverpool and Preston striker Neil Mellor, a regular at Deepdale. “When I watched him against Charlton, I was like: ‘God, who’s this? What a player’,” Mellor told the Lancashire Post.Nick Chadwick, Everton’s lead development coach, has attended games to track Armstrong’s progress, with positive reports relayed to Moyes and his staff.

Alongside regular minutes, Moyes has tasked the teenager with adding goals and assists to his game. Seven games in, he is yet to do either, but his impact on the Preston team is already clear.

Armstrong is becoming a reference point for team-mates, the one they pass to even when he is in tight areas. He is calm and composed in possession, making 13 passes into the final third against Birmingham. Late in the game, with Preston chasing an equaliser, he kept dropping deep to take the ball off goalkeeper Daniel Iversen and start attacks.

This was a good test, in the driving rain against a competitive Birmingham midfield featuring Tommy Doyle, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, South Korea’s Paik Seung-ho and Japanese international Tomoki Iwata.

Armstrong was tasked with marking Iwata when Birmingham had the ball. While the Birmingham man twice evaded his clutches in midfield, Armstrong more than held his own and dominated physically. No player on the pitch won more duels (11/12), with the teenager winning all five of his ground duels.

Tall and mobile, Armstrong is capable of covering vast swathes of territory across the whole 90 minutes. When Everton benchmarked his physical output last season, they found it was already comparable to players already competing at Premier League level, including those in their own squad. This was another tireless display. The only thing missing was a moment of magic to get Preston back into the game.

Still, there were subtle hints of potential to play beyond this level: drops of the shoulder or touches to evade opposition markers, physical dominance and a composure in possession that will stand him in good stead when he does return to Everton.

“I really like Harrison,” Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom said afterwards. “I think he can get better still. As I’ve seen him play more, there’s one or two things I want to challenge him on but I really like how he plays, what he’s like as a lad.

“He’s 18 and has got a really good future because he’s already a very good player at this level, but I can see where he can improve further.”

There is still a chance that Everton will need Armstrong this season. Idrissa Gueye’s likely participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, which runs from December to mid-January, opens up the prospect of a potential recall during the winter window. Replicating Gueye’s impact would be a tough ask for anyone, never mind an 18-year-old, but Everton are lucky to have a player of Armstrong’s ability coming through.

Stuart Sharp 15 Posted 22/10/2025 at 22:10:07

David #8In the last home game, his half time subs (yes, half time!) changed the game. Alcaraz especially.

John Chambers 16 Posted 22/10/2025 at 22:41:52

Brendan that wouldn't surprise me. I was surprised he was loaned for the season, given we are going to lose Gueye and Ndiaye to the African cup of Nations in December/January. I always thought that period would provide him with opportunities in the first team.

Kieran Kinsella 17 Posted 22/10/2025 at 22:45:47

Can you recall loan players at any time? I may be imagining things but I thought you could only do that if such a clause was agreed ahead of time during the January window. In which case he wouldn’t be here the whole time Ndyiae is gone. But I may be imagining things.

Brendan McLaughlin 18 Posted 22/10/2025 at 23:03:02

Kieran #17

There are regulations around loans which I simply can't recall on a sober October evening.

But nothing immediate was suggested in the article.

Brendan McLaughlin 19 Posted 22/10/2025 at 23:07:22

Brent #12

Been a long time since I was called that.

Mrs Stephens doing well?

Brent Stephens 20 Posted 22/10/2025 at 23:26:46

Brendan, I was being complimentary (as you know).

Thanks for your question. Perhaps text me and I can update you. 07702 654560.

Cheers.

Kevin Molloy 21 Posted 22/10/2025 at 23:37:57

Brendan yes I've heard that, he knows the club and he's treated like something the cat dragged in by the Leeds fans. I'm sure we can get him if we go in high.

Paul Kossoff 22 Posted 22/10/2025 at 23:39:37

Ian and Dave. "Barry needs some confidence, the lad,( 23.) needs some backing." This is why these so called Profession footballers are getting away with bloody fraud!Thierno Barry's Everton wages are approximately £50,000 per week, totaling about £2.6 million per year, with a total contract value of around £9.36 million over four years. Sorry Ian, Dave to call out your love for him, but I would think a contract like that he would be full of confidence, knowing his future is secure. Clubs should put safety measures in contracts to protect themselves from misfiring signings, as in the two blanks, Barry and Beto. Over fifty mill for the two. What's that old musical song, Who will buy? Who indeed. Lack of confidence, needs some backing, jeeeeez.

Mike Gaynes 23 Posted 23/10/2025 at 01:17:52

Having confidence in your financial future and having confidence in your performance on the pitch are two entirely different things.

Brian Harrison 24 Posted 23/10/2025 at 10:23:00

Michael 6,

I love the positive vibes.

Ian Wilkins 25 Posted 23/10/2025 at 13:09:28

Paul, to be clear, I'm not a Barry fan, I'm disappointed by what I've seen so far. But I would like us to get the most we can from him, or worst case get our money back on sale.

As you say, we've put a lot of money into this (on somebody's questionable recruitment); we need to get a return. So doing nothing, letting confidence drain, is not the answer in my eyes. That's why I suggested Thierry Henry mentoring to get more out of him.

I'm not convinced there's a future star in there, but I felt the same about Moise Kean and he now plays for Italy.