Everton Aim for Statement Win Against Tottenham as Moyes Returns

Everton head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday with something they have not carried often in recent years on the road: momentum.

Unbeaten after four Premier League games, David Moyes’s side have taken two wins and two draws into September and sit eighth in the table on five points. The mood around the club shifted sharply last weekend, when Ainsley Maitland-Niles unleashed a stunning 25-yard strike in stoppage time to snatch a point against Manchester United.

That goal did more than decorate a highlight reel. It underlined a resilience Everton have often lacked away from home.

Travel sickness, though, still hangs over them. Everton are winless in their last six league away fixtures and have lost five consecutive Premier League trips specifically to Tottenham. The stadium, the noise, the opposition style – it has not been kind to them.

Moyes will know that better than anyone.

Selection puzzles for Moyes

Team news offers a mixed picture.

James Garner is not yet deemed fully fit after the injury that opened the door for Maitland-Niles to make his mark off the bench against United. With Garner short of sharpness, Hayden Hackney is in line to continue in central midfield. The youngster impressed with his composure and, crucially, the assist for Tyrique George’s equaliser in that dramatic draw.

Hackney is expected to partner Harrison Armstrong in the double pivot, tasked with protecting the back four and trying to wrestle control from a Spurs midfield that rarely sits still.

Maitland-Niles, the late hero last weekend, is set to continue at right-back. His versatility has pushed auxiliary defender Merlin Rohl out of the XI for now, and his energy on the flank will be vital against Tottenham’s wide threats.

On the left, Vitalii Mykolenko should complete a back four alongside the established pairing of James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite in front of Jordan Pickford.

Further forward, the big headline is Jack Grealish. Fresh from making his second debut for the club, the playmaker is expected to reclaim Brennan Johnson’s place in the starting side. Grealish brings control, guile and the ability to draw fouls high up the pitch – all valuable tools in a hostile away environment.

He should slot into the three behind the striker, joining Tyrique George and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in support of frontman Louie Barry.

Moyes has only one other fitness concern to juggle. Christian Norgaard remains sidelined until October, trimming his options in the engine room but at least offering clarity: there will be no late reshuffle to accommodate the Dane.

How Everton could line up

Everton are expected to stick with a 4-2-3-1 shape:

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

It is a side that blends experience with emerging talent, and one that will need to be brave in possession to avoid being pinned back in north London.

Stage, stakes and where to watch

Kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is scheduled for 17:30 on Saturday, 12 September 2026, under the Premier League spotlight and the live cameras of Sky Sports Main Event in the UK.

Everton arrive unbeaten, but burdened by a wretched run in this fixture and a nagging away record. Tottenham, on home turf, will expect to extend that dominance.

Moyes’s men, armed with Grealish’s craft, Maitland-Niles’s renewed confidence and a midfield with a point to prove, will see it differently.

Is this the night their away form finally catches up with their ambition?