The Tottenham playmaker disrupted Everton’s rigid defensive system

Shape

With the influential Tim Cahill, the powerful Marouane Fellaini and the in-form Louis Saha all missing, David Moyes decided to line up his Everton team in a cautious 4-5-1 formation. The challenge would be to muster a goal threat against a Tottenham side that came into this match with a superb home defensive record. Yakubu Ayegbeni had the difficult task of leading the line on his own and one wondered if he would be capable of keeping the ball and providing time for Leon Osman and Mikel Arteta to support him from midfield. Out wide, Victor Anichebe had the job of helping contain Gareth Bale’s surges down the left, while Moyes hoped that on the other side, Steven Pienaar would be able to cause problems for Vedran Corluka.

Tactics and teamwork

Moyes stationed Jack Rodwell in front of Wilson Palacios to stifle the Honduran midfielder but the tactic was quickly undone as Luka Modric wandered in-field and dictated Spurs’ attacks. The visitors were being continually undone by the home side’s interplay, particularly down their right where Bale regularly overpowered Anichebe and put in exemplary deliveries. Pienaar had to come inside to help the overworked Everton midfield and up front Yakubu was left to despair at the lack of service. Everton were second-best to Spurs’ brisk passing and sharper movement and Moyes needed to make a dramatic intervention to stem the tide.

Did he succeed?

With nothing to lose at 2-0 down, Moyes shrewdly brought Phil Jagielka on at half-time and pushed Johnny Heitinga further forward. Osman was the man withdrawn and immediately the introduction of a ball winner into Everton’s midfield helped break up Spurs’ interplay. More importantly, Rodwell was able to get further forward and support Yakubu. The anaemic Anichebe was also withdrawn and replaced by Landon Donovan, who gave Everton more thrust down the right and should have levelled the game late on. As a whole, Everton did a better job in the second half of blocking off Bale’s forward breaks and as Arteta developed a greater command of the ball, the game developed into a classic ebb-and-flow contest, far more open and competitive than it had been in the first half. Sadly for Everton, however, their adventure came too late and, overall, they were never able to get to grips with the magical Modric.

Premier LeagueTottenham HotspurEvertonDavid Pleatguardian.co.uk

Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur must play again for a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals and will both appear at White Hart Lane believing a replay is completely unnecessary. The home side dominated an absorbing tie for almost an hour but, after squandering a procession of chances, were ultimately indebted to Jussi Jaaskelainen’s late penalty save for the draw. Despite a sense of what might have been, Spurs were reprieved at the Reebok.

It was Harry Redknapp’s good fortune to confront a striker in Johan Elmander whose finishing bears no relation to his workrate or pricetag. Signed for a club record £10m from Toulouse in 2008 by Owen Coyle’s predecessor Gary Megson, the Bolton striker has long exhausted patience at the Reebok with a meagre return of nine goals in all competitions. His performance here suggested the Swede has done well to get that many. Bolton totally dominated the opening 35 minutes against a mediocre Tottenham display, but unfortunately almost all their early chances fell to the confidence-shorn Elmander.

The Bolton centre-forward brought the Reebok to its feet in protest after missing his fourth good chance of the first half, a figure that reflected the home side’s authority, only to redeem himself by creating Kevin Davies’s sixth goal in seven appearances against Spurs on this ground. The breakthrough was overwhelming evidence of Coyle’s increasing influence, involving 16 passes before Elmander played a one-two with Lee Chung-yong and crossed for Davies to take advantage of slack marking by Vedran Corluka and convert at the back post.

At that stage a home victory looked a certainty, but with Heurelho Gomes saving well from Matt Taylor’s free-kick, Davies and Elmander going close plus Fabrice Muamba missing a glorious opening, their failure to kill the game proved costly. Tottenham finally realised they were in a cup competition they have an excellent chance of winning, David Bentley and particularly Gareth Bale began to dominant down the wings, and the contest was transformed.

Having struck the Bolton bar twice inside 60 seconds, Tottenham grabbed an equaliser they had long threatened when Bale squared to Jermain Defoe inside the area and his powerful shot deflected past Jaaskelainen via Sam Ricketts. The Bolton defender, playing at centre-half in place of the stricken Gary Cahill, conceded a penalty 10 minutes later when he handled Peter Crouch’s flick into the area. Tom Huddlestone, however, saw his spot-kick saved by the Finnish keeper.

FA CupBolton WanderersTottenham HotspurAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk