Tottenham Hotspur will entertain Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday in what seems like a must-win game for both sides. The north London giants have endured a disappointing start to this campaign and are also coming into this encounter on the back of a defeat to Liverpool in their last game.
They will face an equally tricky test against Everton as well, and it’s almost needless to say that they need to be extra careful if they are to secure all three points. And in this article, we will talk about three Everton players Tottenham need to be careful of this weekend.
Lucas Digne
Lucas Digne is one of Everton’s primary sources of creativity. Since arriving from PSG, the Frenchman has made quite a mark in the Premier League with his technical prowess. His ability to march forward and link up with the attackers has helped Everton become more potent in the build-up.
And with Tottenham lacking the presence of a quality right-back, keeping an additional marker of Digne on the left flank could be imperative if Mauricio Pochettino wants to minimise Everton’s threat going forward. Deploying a three-man backline might not be a bad idea to counter this threat as the right wing-back will have an additional backup from the right-sided central defender.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
Speaking of creativity, Gylfi Sigurdsson will be tasked with the responsibility of crafting a few scoring opportunities for his team in the final third. The Icelandic international has flourished under Marco Silva, and his presence in the number ten slot could provide the Spurs backline with a wealth of problems.
Hence, Pochettino must deploy a fully-fledged defensive midfield if he wants to minimise the influence of Sigurdsson. Harry Winks may not be a good choice given his struggles dealing with an aggressive second line of press. But, Moussa Sissoko could certainly do that job due to his energy and enthusiasm.
Richarlison
Richarlison is by far the most potent attacker for Everton. The Brazilian, just like Sigurdsson, has done well under Silva. He could feature in several positions in attack, meaning it will be difficult for Pochettino to lay a particular trap to nullify the influence of the ex-Watford star.
Either way, Richarlison can cause damage with his aggression in the first line of press and has a knack for scoring goals. There’s a good chance he could even lead the Everton attack this weekend, in which case, the two Spurs defenders can isolate the forward, cutting off any potential supply lines.
