Branthwaite hits Spurs' top-four hopes with late, late equaliser

A stoppage-time goal from Jarrad Branthwaite earned Everton a vital point that temporarily lifted them out of the relegation zone as they held Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-2 draw. 

A brilliant brace from Richarlison looked as if it had moved Spurs level with Manchester City and Arsenal, but Branthwaite bravely nodded in from close range in the fourth minute of added time to claim a point. 

Everton made one change to the side that drew 0-0 at Fulham in midweek, with Idrissa Gueye, back from AFCON duty with Senegal, replacing Arnaut Danjuma, while captain Seamus Coleman returned to the bench after a hamstring injury.

For Spurs, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Brennan Johnson came in for Oliver Skipp and Dejan Kulusevski respectively, who dropped to the bench.

In-form Richarlison gave Spurs a dream start, scoring after only four minutes against his former team. Destiny Udogie was put in down the left and delivered a cutback that the Brazilian dispatched first-time for his eighth Premier League goal in the last eight matches. 

In so doing, Richarlison became the first former Everton player to score home and away against the Toffees in the same Premier League campaign.

Everton, who had failed to score in their previous three league matches, began to exert more pressure, especially from corners. And it was from one that they equalised on the half-hour. 

Dwight McNeil’s cross was flapped at by Guglielmo Vicario allowing James Tarkowski to head back to Jack Harrison, who bundled home from close range. It ended Everton’s run of 49 attempts on goal without scoring in the Premier League.

Back came Spurs, however, and Richarlison restored the visitors’ lead on 41 minutes with a brilliant strike. James Maddison slipped the ball to the Brazilian on the edge of the box and he curled an exquisite shot into the top right corner.

The game started to open up after the break and Everton’s Jordan Pickford produced a flying save to prevent Pedro Porro adding a third for the visitors before a superb recovery challenge by the outstanding Micky van de Ven enabled him to nick the ball off Harrison’s toes as the Toffees midfielder broke into the area.

Richarlison was denied a hat-trick by Pickford at the near post as Spurs looked the more threatening team.

With Vicario able to deal with Everton’s corners in the second half, the home team’s threat diminished considerably, until the unmarked Youssef Chermiti prodded fellow substitute Lewis Dobbin’s cross straight at the Spurs 'keeper in the 88th minute.

Just when Everton looked to have run out of ideas, James Garner’s free-kick from the left was headed back towards his own goal by Cristian Romero and Branthwaite beat the static Vicario to nod the ball in. 

The draw took Everton out of the relegation zone before Luton Town's point in the 4-4 draw at Newcastle returned them there.

Spurs remain fourth on 44 points, two points behind Man City and Arsenal, who have played two and one match less respectively.

Everton report | Spurs report

Spurs have now conceded eight goals in the 90th minute this season, their most in a single Premier League campaign and the most of any side in the division in 2023/24.

Jarrad Branthwaite's header in 90+4 minutes was Everton's latest equaliser in a Premier League home game since Cenk Tosun's headed goal (90+7min), also against Spurs, in November 2019.

Everton’s first equaliser through Jack Harrison ended a run of 50 shots and 360 minutes played in the Premier League without a goal for the Toffees, since Harrison’s 29th-minute strike against Manchester City in December.

Richarlison has scored nine goals in his last eight Premier League matches for Spurs, netting his sixth brace in the competition overall, of which half have come at Goodison Park (3/6).