Australia midfielder Tim Cahill scored a late equalizer and Tim Howard saved Jermain Defoe’s stoppage time penalty as Everton came from two goals down to snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw against Tottenham on Sunday.
David Moyes’ injury-ravaged side looked dead and buried with 12 minutes to go at Goodison Park after second half strikes from Defoe and Michael Dawson put Spurs firmly in control.
However, Louis Saha came off the bench to reduce the deficit and Cahill headed home four minutes from full time.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Defoe had a chance to win it from the penalty spot, but the England striker’s kick was kept out by American goalkeeper Howard.
After three successive league defeats, Everton’s great escape will feel like a victory, although the Toffees are still just three points and three places above the relegation zone.
Tottenham would have gone third with a win, but stay fourth after a meltdown that capped a dispiriting week that also included a League Cup exit at Manchester United.
Everton’s lengthy injury list had deprived Moyes of nine potential first-team regulars including defenders Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka, so right-back Tony Hibbert had to play at center-back alongside Joseph Yobo.
It wasn’t long before Tottenham began to turn the screw on Everton’s under-manned defense. Peter Crouch fired over after Aaron Lennon’s pass cut open the home back-four, then Defoe completely wrong-footed Hibbert and brought a fine stop from Howard.
Nigeria international Yobo had been passed fit after a hamstring injury, but he lasted just 15 minutes before limping off with a recurrence of the problem as Moyes’ injury woes continued.
The lack of options at Moyes’ disposal became clear as he sent on Seamus Coleman, 21, for only his second Premier League appearance in place of Yobo.
Defoe always looked capable of tormenting the Everton defense and he took Niko Kranjcar’s clever pass in stride before poking his shot narrowly wide.
Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto was lucky to escape with a yellow card after appearing to scrape his boot down the back of Cahill’s head as the pair lay on the floor and then pushing the Australian and Marouane Fellaini.
Fellaini was also cautioned in the same incident and the Belgium midfielder could have been sent off seconds later for elbowing Crouch.
Defoe gave Tottenham the perfect start to the second half as he opened the scoring in the 47th minute.
Lennon whipped in a cross from the right and Defoe got ahead of Hibbert at the near post to turn in his 13th goal of the season.
Dawson made it 2-0 as he escaped Lucas Neill’s attentions to meet Kranjcar’s 59th minute corner with a diving header that flashed past Howard for his second goal in successive games.
But substitute striker Saha set up a dramatic finish when he volleyed in Coleman’s cross at the near post in the 78th minute.
Everton had been given a lifeline and Cahill equalized in the 86th minute with a low header from Leighton Baines’ cross.
That wasn’t the end of the drama. In the second minute of stoppage time, Crouch headed down to Wilson Palacios and Hibbert conceded a penalty with a clumsy barge on the midfielder.
A lengthy delay followed while Palacios received treatment and when Defoe finally stepped up to take the spot-kick his low strike was pushed away by Howard’s legs to cap a remarkable finale.
English Premier League
Team | P | GD | PTS | |
1 | Chelsea | 15 | 27 | 36 |
2 | Manchester United | 15 | 21 | 34 |
3 | Arsenal | 14 | 20 | 28 |
4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 15 | 14 | 27 |
5 | Aston Villa | 15 | 11 | 26 |
6 | Manchester City | 14 | 8 | 25 |
7 | Liverpool | 15 | 11 | 24 |
8 | Fulham | 15 | 3 | 22 |
9 | Birmingham City | 15 | -1 | 21 |
10 | Sunderland | 15 | 0 | 20 |
11 | Stoke City | 15 | -4 | 20 |
12 | Blackburn Rovers | 15 | -12 | 18 |
13 | Burnley | 15 | -14 | 17 |
14 | Wigan Athletic | 15 | -17 | 17 |
15 | Everton | 15 | -8 | 16 |
16 | Hull City | 16 | -17 | 16 |
17 | West Ham United | 15 | -6 | 14 |
18 | Wolverhampton | 15 | -14 | 13 |
19 | Bolton Wanderers | 14 | -12 | 12 |
20 | Portsmouth | 15 | -10 | 10 |
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two