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Full-Time: TOTTENHAM 0-1 EVERTON. Spurs laid siege to the Everton goal late on but the Toffees defence stood firm to collect three very good points thanks to the only goal of the game, from Pienaar.
We are into the seventh minute of injury time here and still Spurs push for the equaliser but Everton look comfortable.
Deep in injury time and Bentley swings a devilish ball into the box where Pavlyuchenko is waiting but his header is again superbly stopped by Tim Howard.
Late change from Everton as Leighton Baines replaces the energetic Leon Osman.
A sense of desperation from Spurs now as Bentley, quickly followed by Bale, both try their luck from outrageous angles and Tim Howard is happy to wave their efforts wide.
Bale seems to be involved in everything Spurs are throwing into the box at the moment but Lescott, Yobo and Jagielka - in particular - are smashing everything clear.
Everton are having to hold back wave after wave of Spurs assault on their goal and for the time being they are dealing with everything the home side throw at them,
Bale tries to drift and swerve a free-kick from the touchline towards the far, top corner and Howard has to scramble across and back to tip it onto the roof of the net.
Tim Cahill is the latest player to enter the notebook as he is cautioned for a late challenge on Boateng.
The last throw of the dice for Spurs as Kevin-Prince Boateng replaces Tom Huddlestone.
Great chance for Pavlyuchenko as Bentley's dipping cross drops at his feet but his shot on the turn is well blocked by Howard.
One of those rare occasions here where the sub is subbed - Louis Saha replaced Yakubu in the early stages and is now replaced himself by Victor Anichebe.
Everton have done well to ensure they did not give anything sloppy away after taking the lead and they have actually looked the more likely to score.
A second change for Spurs as Assou-Ekotto is replaced by free-kick specialist Gareth Bale.
Marouane Fellaini seems to get booked in almost every game he plays for a catalogue of clumsy challenges and he collects another booking here for a trip on Aaron Lennon.
Immediate impact from the on-loan Man Utd striker as he tempts Lescott into a challenge to feed Assou-Ekotto to the byline and the finds Bentley who flashes a volley over.
The Spurs bench clearly feel enough is enough and the ineffective Darren Bent is replaced by young livewire Frazier Campbell.
Speaking for Everton here comes Pienaar again driving at Corluka and wrong-footing the tall Croation to fire another shot in on Gomes who does well to save again.
No panic for Redknapp and co. on the Spurs bench as they keep calm despite falling behind - but they have not been at their best so far and Everton probably deserve the lead.
Everton seem happy to sit back for a few minutes to try and consolidate after the goal and are allowing Spurs the ball at the back.
That goal seems to have sparked Spurs back into life and Russian striker Pavlyuchenko has a chance on the half-volley but he gets well under it.
Pienaar's celebrations were considered provocative by referee Bennett and he goes into the book.
TOTTENHAM 0-1 EVERTON. Arteta cuts in from the right and spots PIENAAR in space and the little South African bends the ball round Gomes and into the bottom corner - a superb goal.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto has decided to shoot from all of 40 yards - it's fair to say that the ball was closer when he started than where it finished, approximately somewhere in Row ZZ.
Chance for Leon Osman but he blazes over the bar from inside the penalty area when he really should have tested Gomes.
The second period is underway and there are no changes to the starting lineups - exclusing the early change of Saha for Yakubu.
Half-Time: TOTTENHAM 0-0 EVERTON. It developed into a very decent first half after a scrappy start with Everton on top as the break approached. Under-fire Spurs keeper Gomes has been solid between the sticks.
Tim Cahill advances to the corner of the box and dinks the ball across for Saha who hits it well but Gomes is in the right place at the right time to block.
Best chance of the game! Huddlestone chips forward to Pavlyuchenko who nods down to Bent but he scuffs the volley straight at Howard.
Everton's best openings all seem to have fallen the way of Fellaini and again he tries his luck from range - but it is straight down Gomes' throat.
The game is a bit of a tale of set-pieces so far with the best chances coming from the dead ball - but the keepers have looked solid.
Lightning break from Spurs with quick-heeled Aaron Lennon at the heart of it and he has a chance but drags his shot wide - a let-off for Everton.
Arteta whips in one of his trademark deliveries from the free-kick and Fellaini is, as ever, rising highest to force a superb diving parry from Gomes.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto collects a yellow card for crawling all over the back of the Toffees big Belgian Marouane Fellaini.
The same Bentley now has the chance to deliver from wide on the left hand side and this time Tim Howard has to dive out to catch.
David Bentley tries his luck from a very speculative free-kick but it is high and wide and he manages to see the funny side.
Leon Osman curls a high ball into the box towards the goalkeeper Gomes but the under pressure Brazilian does well to come out and claim.
It has suddenly gone very scrappy again after Spurs took a bit of control but they never threatened in that period of pressure.
That early change appears to have unsettled the Toffees in attack as their passing and movement has been strangely poor so far.
Despite enjoying plenty of possession Spurs are yet to really find an opening in a well-organised Everton back four.
Spurs are starting to settle into a nice rhythm now and are dominating the ball at the moment.
Early problems for David Moyes now as Yakubu has suffered a knock already and has to be replaced by Louis Saha.
The first half-chance falls to David Bentley but he can't keep his ambitious header from Aaron Lennon's centre under the bar.
The pace that this game has started at is unbelievable but the quality of the football on show is suffering for it.
It's a midfield battle so far with neither team able to really gain the upper hand.
A scrappy opening with both sides trying to be a little too direct when short passing would be more beneficial.
Steve Bennett is in charge of this one and with a bit of luck we could be in for a treat here.
Everton: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Arteta, Osman, Cahill, Fellaini, Pienaar, Yakubu
Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Zokora, Huddlestone, Bentley, Bent, Pavlyuchenko
David Moyes' side have begun to find their feet themselves after a sluggish start to the campaign but he plays it a little defensive today with in-form Louis Saha on the bench as Yakubu is alone up front.
Harry Redknapp has breathed new life into a floundering Spurs squad and even every neutral's favourite comedy act Heurelho Gomes has managed to keep two clean sheets in a row with relative ease.
Welcome to a rejuvenated White Hart Lane where in-form Everton host fellow European chargers Everton.
Tottenham Hotspur, who have lost only once since mid-October, will be looking to continue their fine form against an Everton side that have picked up just one point from their last two games. Both sides have had mixed Novembers, with Spurs losing for the first time under Harry Redknapp - to Fulham two weeks ago - while Everton have slipped up against Wigan and Middlesbrough. That has left both clubs looking at this fixture as a vital one, especially as a win for Spurs would see them move to within a point of Everton - despite the current gap between them of nine places. Spurs have looked the most convincing of late, buoyed last week by a memorable performance from winger Aaron Lennon - one that has led manager Redknapp to call for his recall to the national side. "If England coach Fabio Capello starts seeing him play like that, he'll get back in the picture," he said after the game. "There is nothing to stop him because there are not many wingers around who can do what he does. He is exciting, he carries the game forward for us." Twenty-one-year-old Lennon has credited the former Portsmouth boss with his resurgent form, commenting that: "I've been getting better and better since the new boss has come in and this was probably my best performance." Vedran Corluka and Roman Pavlyuchenko were cup-tied for Thursday's UEFA Cup clash with NEC Nijmegen, but will be back in the team on Sunday, although Alan Hutton will miss out with a foot problem which requires surgery. Everton will give fitness tests to midfield duo Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar, who are struggling with groin and knee problems respectively. Segundo Castillo could replace Fellaini in midfield, unless manager David Moyes decides to switch Phil Jagielka to midfield and bring in Leighton Baines or Jack Rodwell at the back.
David Moyes celebrated his 300th game in charge of Everton in style as Steven Pienaar netted the crucial winner to end Harry Redknapp's honeymoon period in charge of Tottenham. Moyes took charge of the club back in 2002 and is regarded as one of the best young managers in the game following his impressive spell at Goodison Park. Everton have continued to challenge in the top half of the table and this latest victory means Moyes' team have lost just once in their last seven games. In contrast, Redknapp knows he still faces a big task to pull Tottenham away from the foot of the table. Tottenham may have won seven of their last nine games, but the former Portsmouth boss knows he will have to make White Hart Lane a fortress again if they are to avoid a relegation dogfight. Tom Huddlestone almost gifted Everton the lead on 33 minutes when he lost control of the ball and allowed Marouane Fellaini a free run at goal. Fellaini had all the time in the world to pick out one of his team-mates inside the box, but his cross was superbly kept out by Heurelho Gomes. Tottenham raced up the other end of the pitch and Didier Zokora released Aaron Lennon who was completely unmarked inside the box but he fired a right-foot shot over the bar. Gomes has come under fire for a number of key mistakes this season, but he made a superb double save to keep his side in the game on 38 minutes. Fellaini saw his fierce drive kept out by the Brazilian keeper andm when the rebound fell to the Everton midfielder, he saw the Tottenham keeper make another fine stop. Everton continued to mount pressure on the Tottenham goal and had a golden chance to take the lead on the stroke of half-time. Tim Cahill's cross picked out substitute Louis Saha who had a free header inside the box but he flashed his close-range effort straight at Gomes. Everton finally got their just rewards when they opened the scoring on 51 minutes. Mikel Arteta's quickly taken free-kick picked out Pienaar whose shot took a wicked deflection off Vedran Corluka and flew past Gomes. Roman Pavlyuchenko could have grabbed an equaliser for Tottenham on 72 minutes when his low show was superbly kept out by Tim Howard, but Everton held on to record a crucial away win at White Hart Lane.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
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