Everton battled to a hard-fought point on Monday evening, which the home support will likely leave Goodison Park elated with.
Despite enjoying the bulk of possession, Tottenham Hotspur often flattered to deceive with their offensive play, once again troubled by their common issue. With no link between the front three and the rest of the team, they were left isolated. Although Antonio Conte has been sacked, his legacy lived on last night as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw.
This played right into the hands of Sean Dyche, who simply packed out the middle of the park and afforded them the ball. He knew they would be ineffective, and the Lilywhites proved him right.
However, it was two moments of madness that saw them seize the initiative. The first came from Abdoulaye Doucoure, whose wild swing caught Harry Kane in the face. The England captain unsurprisingly went sprawling to the ground, and a red card was brandished.
Then, just ten minutes later, Michael Keane’s sluggish reaction allowed Cristian Romero to poke the ball away as he too was sent flying. Although somewhat theatrical, it was another indisputable decision that allowed Kane to score from the spot.
Toffees teams of old might have folded after a string of such cataclysmic events, yet they refocused and dominated the remainder of the match.
Whilst Michael Keane might earn the plaudits for his stunning late equaliser, driven home from all of 25 yards, it was Amadou Onana’s mesmeric display that allowed them to continue dominating the midfield despite being a man down.
How did Amadou Onana play vs Spurs?
Having come under scrutiny in recent months for his lack of impact on games, the 6 foot 4 titan proved the doubters wrong as he strolled about the field with poise and power.
It was a performance that led journalist Joe Thomas to praise him, as he claimed: “This was Amadou Onana’s best game for some time, probably since the win over Arsenal.”
His 7.2 Sofascore rating served to support this, with only the goalscorer and his midfield partner Idrissa Gueye boasting higher on his team.
This figure was upheld by a string of important defensive interactions, including one clearance, one interception, one tackle and four duels won (via Sofascore). The 21-year-old’s work in pressing from the front also afforded a golden chance for the aforementioned 33-year-old, which was spurned.
However, it is not his defensive work that is often called into question, but his impact when on the ball. The £100k-per-week Belgian maestro would quickly dispel such worries, boasting an 89% pass accuracy alongside two key passes from his 63 touches of the ball.
Keane’s scorching equaliser will steal headlines, and rightly so, but Onana’s magisterial midfield display deserves just as much credit; if not more.