Key events<\/p>\n
Show key events only<\/p>\n
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n
HALF TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Everton<\/p>\n
A deserved lead for Spurs on the balance of play. Will it stop the nerves jangling in the second half? Of course it won\u2019t! But the mood is a whole lot better since Palhinha headed against the post and rammed home the rebound. A whole lot better.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min +5: Mykolenko requires some treatment after being caught late by Spence. But with the half-time whistle so close, he\u2019s staying on, for now at least.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min +3: The sub keeper Vicario is in a very strange mood this afternoon, incidentally. That row with Seamus Coleman, and now there\u2019s footage of his celebrating the goal by taking De Zerbi in a headlock from behind.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min +2: The stadium is now bouncing, by the way, like that\u2019s breaking news given what\u2019s just happened! Roberto De Zerbi reacted to the goal by wheeling around in a heightened state. Can you blame him?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min +1: The first of four additional minutes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min: A long Everton<\/a> throw comes in from the right. Bentancur barges into the back of Tarkowski, but though VAR has a quick look, there\u2019s not going to be a penalty. Garner drags a poor shot wide right.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 44 min: That goal was a proper mess, but Spurs won\u2019t care! Barry had hooked Palhinha\u2019s shot from just behind the line. Danso followed it up, ramming home, but that\u2019s Palhinha\u2019s goal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Everton (Palhinha 43)<\/p>\n After a shaky few minutes, Spurs are finishing the half strongly. Richarlison dribbles down the left and wins an actual corner this time. Tel sends it to the far stick. Palhinha heads against the right-hand post. The rebound falls to him, and he pokes over the line. Bedlam!<\/p>\n Photograph: Andrew Couldridge\/Action Images\/ReutersJoao Palhinha scores! Photograph: Andrew Matthews\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.48 EDT<\/p>\n 41 min: Gallagher is going nowhere near the left-hand corner flag. But Rohl gifts him a free kick by needlessly barging into his back. A free kick that\u2019s almost the same as a corner. Porro sends it long \u2026 and Pickford punches it clear likewise.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 40 min: Tel, just inside the Everton<\/a> box on the left, drops a shoulder and looks for the top-right corner with a curler. It\u2019s heading in, and it\u2019s not clear that Pickford will get to it, so Tarkowski does exceptionally well to block. Tel spins around in frustration, suggesting he knew he\u2019d hit a good one there, and the shot was on its way.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 38 min: Ndiaye wins the ball and makes good down the right. His cross is deflected into the air. Palhinha tries a weird back-flicked header across the face of his own box that nearly drops to Barry. He\u2019s fortunate it doesn\u2019t, and Everton<\/a> clear their lines. Those anxiety levels are rising and rising.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36 min: Rohl finds Dewsbury-Hall down the left. A ball\u2019s slipped into the box along the channel in the hope of finding Barry. Kinsky claims. Everton<\/a> are beginning to grow as an attacking force, albeit from a very low starting point.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35 min: Palhinha romps down the inside-right channel and shoots. Deflection. Corner. The set piece is sent in, and Danso wins a free header on the penalty spot. He flaps a weak effort down and straight into the arms of Pickford. Spurs have had their chances. Danso has now had two of them. Will they end up regretting these misses?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33 min: Dewsbury-Hall swings the corner into the six-yard box. Spurs let the ball sail all the way through. They\u2019re fortunate that there\u2019s nobody in blue to poke home. Eventually Spence clears. Audible anxiety as the volume dropped through all of that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 32 min: Dewsbury-Hall tries a curler towards the top left from the right-hand edge of the Spurs box. It\u2019s blocked. But Spurs come again, Ndiaye dribbling in from the right but not quite making enough space to get a shot away. He makes do with winning a cornner. From which \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30 min: The xG so far: Spurs 0.38, Everton<\/a> 0.03. Which tells quite a few stories, on both micro and macro levels.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all a bit cagey from both sides. Photograph: Vince Mignott\/MB Media\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.38 EDT<\/p>\n 28 min: \u2026 though having said that, Everton<\/a> have just spent a couple of minutes in Spurs territory, and there are a few frustrated groans from the home fans as a result. All of which will be music to the ears of David Moyes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 27 min: Dewsbury-Hall advances down the left and wins a throw, which Mykolenko prepares to hoick long \u2026 but then throws short to Ndiaye. There goes another chance to dispatch the ball into the Spurs box. What on earth are Everton<\/a> up to?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 26 min: The game restarts. \u201cIt\u2019s partly cloudy and 20 degrees in Dundee, Scott, which qualifies as a heatwave in my book,\u201d begins Simon McMahon. \u201cFear not, though, as I am having regular drinks breaks while watching the drama unfold, including a single malt every time the \u2018as it stands\u2019 table is shown. It\u2019s been a long hard season, so why not? Good training for the World Cup too.\u201d<\/p>\n Hey, have a nippy sweetie on us.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 25 min: A drinks break, and it\u2019s time for some tactical instruction as well. Roberto De Zerbi talking ten to the dozen. A lot of beneficial advice to impart.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 23 min: Spence gets the run on Mykolenko down the right. He crosses, hoping to find Richarlison in the middle for a tap-in. Pickford reads the danger and punches clear. Spurs looking far more dangerous than Everton<\/a>, though that won\u2019t stop the nerves jangling.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 22 min: Everton<\/a> finally put a set piece into the box. Garner curls it in; Tarkowski tries to flick it goalward but only manages to send the ball sailing harmlessly wide left. \u201cWhite Heart Danes is a great name for a Scandinavian supporters\u2019 club. Much better than Mads It\u2019s Tottenham.\u201d Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He\u2019s here all season. Try the water.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 20 min: Rohl advances down the right and competes for a loose ball with Van de Ven. Both fall to the floor. Rohl is awarded the free kick, even though he\u2019s caught Van de Ven on the follow-through, studs on shin. Spurs think that should be a sending off, but the VAR doesn\u2019t. You\u2019ve seen them given. It didn\u2019t look great.<\/p>\n Micky van de Ven is caught on the shin by Merlin Rohl. Photograph: Richard Heathcote\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.36 EDT<\/p>\n 18 min: O\u2019Brien has another nibble at Tel, who appears to have the easy beating of him. At this rate the Everton<\/a> defender won\u2019t be lasting the 90 minutes, one way or another.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 17 min: Spurs have already taken eight attempts at goal. Everton<\/a> none. The home side have done pretty much everything except score.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 15 min: Before the free kick, there was a minor brouhaha in the dugout involving Vicario and Seamus Coleman. We only see the aftermath, both men gesticulating at each other while effing and jeffing. It\u2019s very hot. Tempers can fray.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 14 min: The free kick comes in from the left by Porro. Everton<\/a> don\u2019t deal with it, and the ball ends up at the feet of Palhinha, on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box. He slices wildly off target. Two big chances, both falling to players Spurs wouldn\u2019t have hand-picked to convert them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 13 min: Tel rolls O\u2019Brien down the left and is hauled back by the shoulder. The Everton<\/a> right-back goes into the book. Another Spurs free kick in a dangerous position.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 12 min: Gallagher comes through the back of Garner out on the right. Free kick, and another chance to send one into the mixer. But again they turn down the opportunity, Dewsbury-Hall trying to find Rohl with a too-cute pass down the inside-right channel. Kinsky claims with a yawn.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 10 min: Spence, wearing a protective mask over his jaw, backs himself in a footrace with Mykolenko and wins a corner down the right. Tel swings it in. Danso wins a header, which clanks off his team-mate Palhinha and back to him. He pulls a fierce snapshot wide left. That was a really good chance, albeit one Spurs would have preferred to fall to a striker.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8 min: Mykolenko loses the ball on the Spurs right touchline. Porro gets another chance to cross. Blocked. But the Everton<\/a> defence is suddenly looking rather jittery. All good signs for Spurs.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 6 min: Gallagher bustles his way down the inside-right channel but can\u2019t make it into the box. Positive run, though. The ball\u2019s laid off to Porro, whose shot is blocked. But Spurs win a throw, from which Porro swings a cross in from the right. Pickford and Keane run into each other while attempting to clear, and the ball drops to Gallagher on the left-hand edge of the six-yard box. He lashes a shot from a tight angle into the side netting. Some in the crowd think it\u2019s a goal. It\u2019s not a goal. But this is a lively start by Spurs, and Gallagher in particular.<\/p>\n Conor Gallagher goes close for Spurs Photograph: Dylan Martinez\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.14 EDT<\/p>\n 4 min: Unlike Everton<\/a>, Spurs put it in there. Porro sends the free kick long, and Tarkowski is forced to flick behind for a corner. That leads to a brief game of head tennis, which Keane wins. It\u2019s fast and frantic.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 3 min: \u2026 and now Bentancur draws a foul from Ndiaye, 30 yards out on the left flank. Now it\u2019s Tottenham\u2019s turn to have an early chance to put something into the mixer.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2 min: The corner\u2019s played short, which is a surprise. Dewsbury-Hall floats a cross in the hope of finding Iroegbunam, but Bentancur heads clear. Everton<\/a> let Spurs off a bit there, because you could sense the anxiety when that corner was won in such short order.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 20 sec: Ndiaye barges down the right touchline and wins the first corner of the game off Udogie. Nerves jangling already? Nerves jangling already!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Spurs get into a huddle \u2026 the home fans holler \u2026 and Everton<\/a> get the ball rolling. What an atmosphere. What high stakes.<\/p>\n Photograph: Richard Heathcote\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.07 EDT<\/p>\n The teams emerge from the tunnel. A febrile atmosphere as sun flickers across the glorious Tottenham Hotspur<\/a> Stadium. Roberto De Zerbi and David Moyes shake hands, friendly yet with fixed steely, competitive stares. A lone trumpet gets the choir going, as the Spurs go marching in. A banner reads: ALL TOGETHER ALWAYS. The tension is palpable and the referee hasn\u2019t even instigated the coin-toss yet. Meanwhile Mary Waltz sends a communique to all Spurs fans: \u201cI understand your feelings. Having experienced three years of relegation campaigns with my beloved Everton I feel your pain. It is like surgery without anesthesia. The ulcers will go away if not the PTSD.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sky Sports have been flitting around all over the place, which is fair enough with ten final-day fixtures all kicking off at once. But that means there\u2019s been no airtime for a pre-match chat with David Moyes. But on the subject of the Everton<\/a> boss, here\u2019s K\u00e1ri Tulinius: \u201cNo one will be referring to Barry and Beto as the Killer Bs anytime soon, but they\u2019ve been much improved in the close season to how they played in the autumn. Moyes surely deserves credit for that. I suspect Everton will be better next season.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s already been one big result today. Bolton Wanderers have made it back to the Championship after a seven-year absence. Billy Munday was at Wembley to watch the Trotters thrash Stockport County 4-1 in the League One play-off final, and here\u2019s his report.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pre-match postbag. One email is enough, when it crystallises the mood of Spurs fans as succinctly as this does. \u201cI will be watching the thriller in N17 in Copenhagen, with 100 other Danish nervous wrecks known as White Heart Danes,\u201d writes Lars B\u00f8gegaard. \u201cFor months I have tried to come to peace with the Spurs relegation and then came the six points at Wolves and Villa. Now it\u2019s crystal clear: It really is hope that kills you.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Roberto De Zerbi speaks to Sky Sports. \u201cI believe in my players \u2026 they are good players \u2026 good guys \u2026 we have to play a football game with our qualities and our values \u2026 and let\u2019s hope \u2026 [Djed Spence] can give us more energy \u2026 the fans are incredible \u2026 you have to play for them \u2026 keep our energy just on this game [and not West Ham v Leeds] \u2026 it is tough to stay focused on this game \u2026 but we have to play a normal game with everything we need.\u201d<\/p>\n Roberto De Zerbi watches the warm up kick-off. Photograph: Ian Stephen\/Every Second Media\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.52 EDT<\/p>\n Roberto De Zerbi has been out on the pitch waving his arms about in an extremely exuberant style, exhorting the fans to make the Tottenham Hotspur<\/a> Stadium a cauldron in terms of atmosphere as well as temperature. It\u2019s 30 degrees out there, with little or no wind. UV level high. Seek shade, wear sunscreen. And stay hydrated!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u2026 and at the risk of turning this MBM into some sort of retro-relegation compendium, here\u2019s Gary Naylor. \u201cI was there in 1994,\u201d he writes of Everton\u2019s 1994 scrape with ignominy, requiring to beat Wimbledon on the last day only to go two down after ten minutes. \u201cIt was, and is, my favourite game. You\u2019ve got to embrace it. There\u2019ll be Tottenham or West Ham fans feeling the same come 6pm.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u2026 and here are two more entertaining old articles that are extremely relevant today. Tottenham fans may wish to give them the bodyswerve, to be fair, it\u2019s far too hot to be getting your dander up.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Speaking of relegation battles involving Everton<\/a> \u2026 this is always worth revisiting. And if not today, then when?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The stakes aren\u2019t quite as high for Everton<\/a>. Their hopes of European football were jiggered last weekend by that home defeat to Sunderland. But they can still finish in the top half of the table for the first time in five years if they win today, providing Newcastle and Sunderland fail to beat Fulham away and Chelsea at home respectively. That\u2019d represent some welcome upward momentum following a few years hovering over the relegation places, and it\u2019d set the seal on an acceptable return for the first season of the new post-Goodison era.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Whatever fate befalls Spurs this afternoon, their new manager Roberto De Zerbi has doubled down on his commitment to the club. When the Italian took over in April, he said he would remain in charge regardless of results, and when asked on Friday if he stood by that, he said: \u201cYeah, I confirm everything. It\u2019s still an honour to be a coach for Tottenham. Even if on Sunday we play for the relegation fight, it\u2019s not a problem. I consider football something more than the table.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Tottenham Hotspur make just one change following the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea. Djed Spence replaces Randal Kolo Muani. James Maddison, who gave Spurs a boost when coming on at Stamford Bridge, is again on the bench.<\/p>\n Everton also make just the one change to their starting XI after their 3-1 home loss to Sunderland. Thierno Barry replaces Beto up front. Seamus Coleman, hoping to make his 435th and final appearance for the club, starts on the bench.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>The teams<\/p>\n Tottenham Hotspur: Kinsky, Spence, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie, Palhinha, Gallagher, Bentancur, Porro, Richarlison, Tel. Everton: Pickford, O\u2019Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Iroegbunam, Garner, R\u00f6hl, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Barry. Referee: Michael Oliver Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.51 EDT<\/p>\n Team buses trundling up to stadiums are these days afforded the same amount of coverage, and imbued with similar levels of importance, as red-carpet arrivals at Cannes. So we can exclusively reveal that the Tottenham Hostpur carriage has made it through a thousands-strong throng of wellwishers to dispatch the team at the front door, ready for work. Some atmosphere outside the ground. Expect similar inside it.<\/p>\n Bus drives past building on road. Photograph: Andrew Matthews\/PAShare<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Oh Tottenham. How has it come to this? Champions League finalists in 2019, and Europa League winners just 12 months ago, one of the grandest clubs in England are now possibly 90 minutes plus fingernail-and-artery-bothering add-ons away from relegation to the second tier for the first time in nearly half a century.<\/p>\n The Spurs team arrive at the stadium on this day of days. Photograph: Will Cooper\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Ah but let\u2019s leave those questions for later. And they\u2019ll be a lot less pointed should Spurs escape the executioner this afternoon. The maths are simple: beat Everton<\/a> and they stay up. A draw will almost certainly be enough, unless West Ham beat Leeds 12-0, which, given that scoreline would tie a top-flight record set 134 years ago* and matched only once since, 117 years ago\u2020, is not going to happen. But a defeat \u2026 hoo boy.<\/p>\n The good news for Spurs: under Roberto de Zerbi, they\u2019ve lost just one of their last five fixtures. And even if the worst was to happen, West Ham would still need to win to leapfrog them to safety. However, Spurs have only won two matches at home all season, against Burnley and Brentford, while Everton have the sixth-best away record in the division, winning seven of 18. Also in David Moyes, Everton have a manager who is on record saying he\u2019d \u201clove to keep West Ham in the league if I can\u201d, having previously managed them to European glory.<\/p>\n So imagine the tension in N17 should Everton score first this afternoon. But Spurs beat the Toffees 3-0 on their own patch last October, so glee is as likely an outcome for the hosts as misery. At least that\u2019s what they\u2019ve got to tell themselves as they go into their most important game for a generation \u2026 and the bean counters will tell you that yes, that does include last year\u2019s Europa League final. Kick-off is at 4pm BST. It\u2019s on!<\/p>\n *: West Bromwich Albion 12-0 Darwen (April 1892)
Subs: Vicario, Dragusin, Bissouma, Maddison, Gray, Bergvall, Solanke, Sarr, Kolo Muani.<\/p>\n
Subs: Travers, McNeil, Beto, George, Dibling, Coleman, Alcaraz, Aznou, Armstrong.<\/p>\n
VAR: Paul Tierney<\/p>\n
\u2020: Nottingham Forest 12\u20130 Leicester Fosse (April 1909)<\/p>\n