Everton's defeat in north London proved frustrating because it could so easily have been a different story.
The failure to convert the chances that fell to Demarai Gray and Amadou Onana gave Tottenham Hotspur a reprieve they later took advantage of. After Harry Kane gave the hosts the lead from a contentious penalty, Everton struggled to threaten the hosts and eventually fell to a 2-0 defeat.
Frustration was a theme for the night - not just over the penalty call or the missed chances, but with some of the wider officiating as the Blues had cause to question a number of decisions. While the game played out on TV and the big moments have already been discussed in depth, here are a few moments that may have been missed.
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Drop ball confusion sparks annoyance
Both Jordan Pickford and Conor Coady appeared frustrated during a first half incident in which Everton were forced to concede possession and potentially play themselves into trouble. Amid a chaotic scramble in the Everton box, Seamus Coleman won a big header against Ivan Perisic, who ended up in a heap on the ground after losing his battle against the Blues captain. Referee Paul Tierney stopped the game so Perisic could receive treatment for a head injury and when the match was restarted, Tierney's solution was a drop ball for Everton close to their own corner flag. Pickford and Coady questioned the sense of this at length - the move meaning Coady had no choice but to simply launch the ball from his own touchline and, because the starting point was so deep, invite the pressure immediately back onto his defence.
Pickford's frustration as Everton get short straw on decisions
That was just one of several decisions that baffled Everton during a first half in which Pickford became increasingly frustrated. Both he and Coady remonstrated with Tierney after Cristian Romero escaped a booking for a late foul on Demarai Gray. Neal Maupay had been shown a yellow card moments earlier for an innocuous coming together with Eric Dier. As the half went on, Everton became annoyed when two Spurs moves that appeared to be offside were allowed to continue, the phases of play developing off the back of the hosts receiving the benefit of the doubt. Matters reached a head for Pickford when he was clearly blocked off in his own area by Ben Davies but was not awarded a free-kick. When Tierney called on him to get on with a goal kick as half time then approached, it just rubbed salt into the wound for the England goalkeeper.
Richarlison's biggest impact turned out to be his substitution
Much of the talk ahead of the tie was about Richarlison being reunited with the side he left in a £60m deal over the summer. The Brazil star played a talismanic role in Everton's survival bid and Lampard was keen to highlight his respect for the player, and his belief he left Merseyside with his reputation intact with Blues fans. While Richarlison was part of a front three that, at times, threatened to cause Everton issues, the Blues defence largely saw off his threat. But when he left the pitch with an injury just after half-time, the game changed. Antonio Conte replaced him with deep-lying midfielder Yves Bissouma, who immediately added more control in midfield and gave Matt Doherty the freedom to surge forward. The impact of the move became clear within minutes as Doherty drifted forward and was almost played through on goal before, seconds later, being picked out for the shot that caused the penalty. For all the noise around the impact Richarlison could have had, his departure proved pivotal.
Alex Iwobi booed by home crowd
Alex Iwobi has been Everton's best player of the season so far. His resurgence under Frank Lampard started last season and has continued into this campaign, with the 26-year-old excelling in centre midfield. Such has been his influence, talks have already opened on a new contract and Lampard is adamant Iwobi is part of his long term vision at Goodison Park. It has taken the best part of three years for Iwobi to rise to prominence for the Blues - but while that may have been a long time, it is not so long that Spurs supporters have forgotten where he first made his name, at their arch-rivals Arsenal. His history with the north London counterparts led to a chorus of boos ringing out across the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when he touched the ball during the first half.
Amadou Onana's huge intervention as Everton looked exposed for the first time
After Everton weathered the early Spurs storm they succeeded in moving the game into the middle of the pitch. While the hosts largely controlled possession, Everton started to gain in confidence going forward but were left exposed after losing the ball on one foray to the edge of the Spurs box. Conte's team, one of the Premier League's most dangerous counter attacking outfits, looked set to exploit gaps in a Blues' defence that was stretched for the first time. But as Rodrigo Bentancur strode forward and considered which teammate to unleash, the recovering Onana made a crucial sliding tackle that dispossessed the Spurs man and rescued his teammates. It was an exceptional piece of work from the 21-year-old, whose ability to break up play was showcased against Casemiro in the game against Manchester United when an Onana tackle on the serial Champions League winner started the move that culminated in Iwobi's goal.
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