Everton's Quest for Momentum and Away Win at Tottenham

Everton head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday chasing two things that rarely arrive together in their world: momentum and an away win.

David Moyes has his side unbeaten after four games — two wins, two draws — and sitting eighth on five points. The mood around Goodison has lightened. The table looks healthier than it has in a while. But one glance at the away form drags everyone back to reality.

No league win on the road in six. Five straight Premier League defeats away to Tottenham. This is the fixture where Everton’s optimism so often goes to die.

Late drama, lingering doubts

They travel south still buzzing from last weekend’s late surge against Manchester United. Deep into stoppage time, with United edging towards victory, Ainsley Maitland-Niles stepped up from distance and ripped a 25-yard strike into the net to salvage a point. It felt like a statement: this Everton side doesn’t fold.

That equaliser kept the unbeaten run alive and gave Moyes another example of his squad’s resilience. But it also underlined a nagging issue. Everton are having to dig themselves out of trouble too often. At Tottenham, against a side that usually punishes slow starts, that habit can be fatal.

The numbers away from home are stark. No matter how well they play at Goodison, the league table will only move so far while those travel sickness symptoms remain.

Selection calls for Moyes

Moyes’s team sheet will tell its own story about how bold he plans to be in north London.

James Garner is not yet considered fully fit after the injury that opened the door for Maitland-Niles to shine off the bench against United. That likely keeps Hayden Hackney in the XI. The midfielder, who supplied the assist for Tyrique George’s leveller last weekend, is in line to partner Harrison Armstrong in the middle.

Maitland-Niles, the stoppage-time hero, is set to continue at right-back, preferred to auxiliary defender Merlin Rohl. His energy and delivery from that flank give Everton a different dimension, even if his reputation was built further up the pitch.

On the left, Vitaliy Mykolenko should again provide the defensive anchor, with James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite expected to continue as the central pairing in front of Jordan Pickford.

The headline change comes higher up. Jack Grealish, fresh from marking his second debut for the club, is tipped to reclaim Brennan Johnson’s place in the starting XI. Grealish brings control, fouls won in dangerous areas, and a touch of chaos that defenders hate. If Everton are to break their wretched run at Spurs, his ability to hold the ball and draw pressure could be crucial.

Christian Norgaard remains sidelined until October and is Moyes’s only other fitness concern, which at least offers some stability in selection.

Shape and intent

The likely shape is familiar: 4-2-3-1, with small tweaks depending on how long Everton can keep Tottenham at arm’s length.

Expected XI: Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Hackney; George, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry.

Tyrique George, who struck the equaliser against United, should again operate from the flank, driving inside to support the central striker, Tom Barry. Kieran Dewsbury-Hall’s role between the lines will be vital, linking the double pivot to the front four and helping Everton play through Spurs’ press rather than simply clearing their lines and hoping.

The plan is clear: keep the structure tight, trust the technical players — George, Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall — to create, and ask Barry to stretch a Tottenham defence that has enjoyed this fixture far too much in recent seasons.

Stage, spotlight, stakes

Kick-off is set for 17:30 on Saturday, 12 September 2026, under the lights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event in the UK, a prime-time slot that rarely forgives timid performances.

Everton arrive with an unbeaten start to protect and a miserable away record to confront. One of those runs has to give weight sooner or later.

Which version of Moyes’s team turns up in north London — the stubborn, late-rally specialists, or the side that shrinks on the road — will say plenty about where this season is really heading.