Instead of keeping the memory of last week's win against Man United in their minds, Everton went into this one with their heads still down from the awful result in Lisbon in midweek and didn't really get started until it was too late.
After a scrappy opening ten minutes Tottenham swept forward to open the scoring with one of those goals that had a depressing inevitibilty about it.
As soon as Jermain Defoe picked the ball up out on the right you just knew Spurs were going one nil up and so it proved as Defoe hit a cross-shot (Christ knows what it was!) across the box and Roman Pavlyuchenko ran in unmarked at the far post to slot home.
For fuck's sake Everton!
The goal seemd to wake the Blues up a little and they started to ask a few more questions of the Spurs defence and Heurelho Gomes looked like he was the most likely route to an Everton goal.
The Brazilian 'keeper - you always get the feeling that they must've been really shit at football to get thrown in goal in Brazil - made a couple of his trademark howlers, most notably at a Mikel Arteta corner, but the Blues didn't capitalise and, predictably, it was Tottenham that got the next goal.
Luka Modric worked himself into space on the edge of the Everton box and then curled a great effort over Tim Howard to double Tottenham's lead.
The weird-headed get!
Tottenham then took control of the game and were looking for a third to tie things up before half time but, despite being absent for the best part of the game, Everton should have halved the deficit just before half time.
Victor Anichebe fed a great ball to Phil Neville down the right and the Everton captain swung a great ball into the box but Jack Rodwell couldn't direct a free header on target and the chance went begging.
David Moyes took the ineffective Leon Osman off at half time - he ran the show against United but couldn't get going in this one - and replaced him with Phil Jagielka.
This pushed John Heitinga into the defensive midfield position and allowed Jack Rodwell to press forward and it proved to be a good move by the Everton manager as the difference in the second half performance was actually quite staggering.
Instead of letting Spurs play, like in the first half, Everton were now closing down quickly and, when in possession, making the home side chase shadows.
And the Blues change in play, coupled with Tom Huddlestone going off injured, swung the game in the away side's favour and it wasn't long before Tottenham's lead was cut.
Inevitibly, the goal came as Gomes dropped a bollock again - well he dropped the ball - from an Everton corner and Yakubu was Johnny-on-the-spot, whatever that means, to tap in from close range.
Everton could have equalised moments later through Jack Rodwell but the youngster's shot was too close to the Tottenham 'keeper and he managed to keep hold of the hot potato this time.
Tottenham were being pressed back by the Blues and were resorting to counter attacking but it was Everton that were dictating the play and Steven Pienaar was the next Everton player to fashion a good chance.
Wilson Palacios gave the ball to the South African who raced forward, smoked past Michael Dawson and hit a low shot that Gomes gathered well.
Everton were battering Tottenham in spells, but Spurs always looked dangerous on the countre attack and the end-to-end game was one that the neutrals - does such a thing exist? - would love.
The Blues had another good chance to level matters, this time through Phil Jageilka, but after finding space in the box he headed Arteta's corner high and wide.
But, in reality, that chance should've been the Blues' opportunity to take the lead as, minutes earlier, Landon Donovan missed the sort of chance that would make Ronnie Rosenthal wince and say "Twat of a miss that!"
Rodwell found space on the egde of the Tottenham box and flashed a cross-shot across goal but where Pavlyuchenko found the net in the first half Donovan didn't.
The American somehow contrived to prod the ball into the side netting when it looked easier to score and everyone got the feeling that, in that moment, the game was gone.
Donovan's been nothing but ace since he arrived at Everton but there's a good chance that that miss could be his legacy once he leaves for LA later this month, which is a shame really.
The stupid get!
Instead of keeping the memory of last week's win against Man United in their minds, Everton went into this one with their heads still down from the awful result in Lisbon in midweek and didn't really get started until it was too late.
After a scrappy opening ten minutes Tottenham swept forward to open the scoring with one of those goals that had a depressing inevitibilty about it.
As soon as Jermain Defoe picked the ball up out on the right you just knew Spurs were going one nil up and so it proved as Defoe hit a cross-shot (Christ knows what it was!) across the box and Roman Pavlyuchenko ran in unmarked at the far post to slot home.
For fuck's sake Everton!
The goal seemd to wake the Blues up a little and they started to ask a few more questions of the Spurs defence and Heurelho Gomes looked like he was the most likely route to an Everton goal.
The Brazilian 'keeper - you always get the feeling that they must've been really shit at football to get thrown in goal in Brazil - made a couple of his trademark howlers, most notably at a Mikel Arteta corner, but the Blues didn't capitalise and, predictably, it was Tottenham that got the next goal.
Luka Modric worked himself into space on the edge of the Everton box and then curled a great effort over Tim Howard to double Tottenham's lead.
The weird-headed get!
Tottenham then took control of the game and were looking for a third to tie things up before half time but, despite being absent for the best part of the game, Everton should have halved the deficit just before half time.
Victor Anichebe fed a great ball to Phil Neville down the right and the Everton captain swung a great ball into the box but Jack Rodwell couldn't direct a free header on target and the chance went begging.
David Moyes took the ineffective Leon Osman off at half time - he ran the show against United but couldn't get going in this one - and replaced him with Phil Jagielka.
This pushed John Heitinga into the defensive midfield position and allowed Jack Rodwell to press forward and it proved to be a good move by the Everton manager as the difference in the second half performance was actually quite staggering.
Instead of letting Spurs play, like in the first half, Everton were now closing down quickly and, when in possession, making the home side chase shadows.
And the Blues change in play, coupled with Tom Huddlestone going off injured, swung the game in the away side's favour and it wasn't long before Tottenham's lead was cut.
Inevitibly, the goal came as Gomes dropped a bollock again - well he dropped the ball - from an Everton corner and Yakubu was Johnny-on-the-spot, whatever that means, to tap in from close range.
Everton could have equalised moments later through Jack Rodwell but the youngster's shot was too close to the Tottenham 'keeper and he managed to keep hold of the hot potato this time.
Tottenham were being pressed back by the Blues and were resorting to counter attacking but it was Everton that were dictating the play and Steven Pienaar was the next Everton player to fashion a good chance.
Wilson Palacios gave the ball to the South African who raced forward, smoked past Michael Dawson and hit a low shot that Gomes gathered well.
Everton were battering Tottenham in spells, but Spurs always looked dangerous on the countre attack and the end-to-end game was one that the neutrals - does such a thing exist? - would love.
The Blues had another good chance to level matters, this time through Phil Jageilka, but after finding space in the box he headed Arteta's corner high and wide.
But, in reality, that chance should've been the Blues' opportunity to take the lead as, minutes earlier, Landon Donovan missed the sort of chance that would make Ronnie Rosenthal wince and say "Twat of a miss that!"
Rodwell found space on the egde of the Tottenham box and flashed a cross-shot across goal but where Pavlyuchenko found the net in the first half Donovan didn't.
The American somehow contrived to prod the ball into the side netting when it looked easier to score and everyone got the feeling that, in that moment, the game was gone.
Donovan's been nothing but ace since he arrived at Everton but there's a good chance that that miss could be his legacy once he leaves for LA later this month, which is a shame really.
The stupid get!
