Tottenham Hotspur will aim to recover from yet another midweek disappointment when Everton make the journey to North London for Monday’s Premier League clash.
The Lilywhites were dumped out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough in the fifth round, while the Toffees made the quarter-finals by ending the Boreham Wood dream.
From the highs of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min becoming the most prolific partnership in Premier League history to another lowly defeat, Antonio Conte’s bid to instil a shred of consistency into this Spurs side is yet to bear fruit.
Three days after hitting four unanswered goals past Leeds United – which proved to be the final nail in Marcelo Bielsa’s Elland Road coffin – Spurs were consigned to another season without silverware as Josh Coburn sent Middlesbrough into the FA Cup quarter-finals in the 107th minute.
Just when Tottenham appear to be heading in the right direction again, another disappointment is around the corner, and Spurs now boast the tag of top-four outsiders ahead of their return to top-flight action, currently sat seventh in the table after Wolverhampton Wanderers failed to leapfrog them with defeat to Crystal Palace.
Conte’s side do still have two games in hand on Manchester United – who are five points clear of the Lilywhites ahead of the Manchester derby – but in an excruciating sight for the Lilywhites, Arsenal are more well-placed to challenge for the final Champions League spot now.
Now suffering four defeats from their last six in all competitions – as well as each of their last two in the Premier League on home soil – Spurs fans are growing both frustrated and fearful, with many wondering what the future holds for Conte if he is not backed in the summer transfer market.
Goodison Park played host to an emotional occasion for more than one reason on Thursday night, with Boreham Wood seeking a famous non-league scalp at a Premier League ground and Ukraine’s Vitaly Mykolenko donning the captain’s armband amid the dreadful scenes of war and catastrophe back home.
Some murmurs of discontent were heard from the home crowd as Boreham Wood held on for the first 45 minutes at Goodison Park, but Salomon Rondon managed to break the deadlock in the 57th minute before heading home his second late on and ensuring a safe passage into the last eight.
A spot in the semi-finals is certainly realistic for Frank Lampard’s side ahead of their quarter-final showdown with Crystal Palace, but the ex-Chelsea boss has bigger fish to fry in the league, with Everton undoubtedly now involved in the relegation dogfight.
The Toffees were left furious after Rodri’s handball in the area was not penalised in last weekend’s defeat to Manchester City – with Mike Riley’s apology arguably a pointless gesture in the context of the result – with Everton still 17th in the rankings after Burnley’s 4-0 drubbing against Chelsea.
Everton can take the positives from their showing against the champions, but the Toffees head to North London winless in their last 10 Premier League games away from home, although they did hold Conte’s Tottenham to a goalless stalemate at Goodison Park back in November.
Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:
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Everton Premier League form:
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We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Everton
It is so difficult to know what to expect from this Tottenham outfit on a weekly basis under Conte, but Bentancur and Lucas’s returns will be welcomed with open arms, and the former’s impact in the engine room should be particularly felt.
Having Calvert-Lewin back in the fold is a huge plus for the visitors, but despite giving the champions a good run for their money, their abysmal away form could bedevil them as Spurs aim to claim a narrow win.