Micky van de Ven Brace Halts The Toffees' Run at Brand New Home Ground

Micky van de Ven celebrating

Micky van de Ven became the first defender to score twice in a Premier League match for Tottenham since Jan Vertonghen in March 2013.

At a glance

  • The Spurs defender nods into the net twice in first half

  • Everton's defender has equalizer ruled after VAR review

  • Pape Matar Sarr scores final goal in dying moments

  • This loss is Everton's initial at their new ground

Micky van de Ven scored twice as Tottenham extended their winning streak in away games in the Premier League and handed Everton their initial loss at their new home.

Everton were unbeaten in their five previous fixtures at their recently opened stadium at the dockside location, having left their historic home behind after more than a century at the conclusion of the previous campaign.

But Tottenham's leader Van de Ven struck twice from corners in the first half to place their impressive record at jeopardy, and they were failed to mount a comeback before Pape Matar Sarr - assisted by former Toffees attacker Richarlison - nodded in a final goal to seal the victory.

The Everton defender thought he had levelled the scores five minutes after Van de Ven's opener, directing a bullet header past Guglielmo Vicario from an set-piece.

The Portuguese striker, in the meantime, failed to convert a number of opportunities, while the Italian goalkeeper made a succession of fine stops to guarantee the London club went five matches on the road unbeaten in the Premier League.

But the VAR stepped in, instructing Craig Pawson to review the score on the pitchside monitor and the referee ruled that Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye were in offside positions and had interfered with the Spurs keeper.

This victory elevates Thomas Frank's side into third place in the division, five points off north London rivals and table-toppers Arsenal.

Everton remain in 14th position and sit six points clear of the drop zone.

Spurs breakdown: Van de Ven excels in duties at both ends of pitch

After a drab midweek display in the Champions League against Monaco, where they managed a mere attempts on target, Frank chose Randal Kolo Muani in attack instead of ex-Everton forward Richarlison.

The new arrival was unable to influence the game before being replaced for the substitute after an hour on the field, but it emerged he proved unnecessary in the end.

Centre-back Van de Ven transformed into an attacking force to be reckoned with.

Spurs' opening strike came from a cleverly executed set-piece play, with the midfielder heading the ball back across the face of goal for an free the defender to head home.

And the captain - filling in as captain in the Argentine's absence - notched his next goal in first-half stoppage time as he rose above the England keeper to nod in.

Van de Ven was just as outstanding in defence, partnering effectively with Kevin Danso as the pair dealt superbly with the 34 crosses sent their way by the opposition.

Everton analysis: Everton missing finishing touch

The club's new home had been a happy hunting ground, but it appears the freshness may have worn off slightly and fans headed to the gates after Sarr's final goal for Spurs.

The break in the team's unbeaten home run will not be a massive worry for David Moyes, but their attacking woes will be.

The forward and the other striker - the Everton's two established centre-forwards - had netted only one league goal between them before the weekend's outing.

And they were failed to contribute to that poor record on a wet and gloomy night on in Liverpool.

Beto's performance was summed up when he opted to bicycle-kick a clear chance from close range, despite having room and time to readjust for a simpler shot that would have challenged Vicario.

The substitute, as well, failed to influence the game after coming on for the starter in the second half.

It was not for a shortage of chance. The majority of the home side's offensive moves came through the winger and Ndiaye, who relentlessly whipped dangerous crosses into the Spurs penalty area.

What next for these two sides?

The Toffees: The team head to Sunderland in the top flight on early November at 20:00 GMT.

Tottenham: The London club go to St James' Park on Wednesday, 29 October for their fourth-round Carabao Cup match against Newcastle.

Penny Ramirez
Penny Ramirez

Cloud infrastructure specialist with over a decade of experience in DevOps and automation, passionate about scalable solutions.