This was the sort of game that Everton had not won for a long time. The statistic that tracked them to London had highlighted their failure to triumph at a top-six Premier League club since December 2013 – a run of 40 matches, with the vast majority having been lost.
Carlo Ancelotti has overseen a summer spending spree that has added Allan, Abdoulaye Doucouré and James Rodríguez and his broader challenge is to harden the club’s mentality. This was an excellent start, even if it came against a flat and uninspired Tottenham who had one of those days that offer José Mourinho’s critics a blank canvas.
