Ancelotti outshines Mourinho as Everton stun Tottenham

 Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti proved he is a better tactician than Jose Mourinho as Everton defeated Tottenham by a goal on Sunday evening.

Jose Mourinho’s boys had the highest share of the ball possession – Tottenham: 51%, Everton: 49% – but it couldn’t stop their defeat to Ancelotti’s men who visited White Hart Lane to prove themselves in the opening fixture of the 2020-21 Premier League for both sides.

The match was keenly contested by both teams. The first half ended in stalemate and the second-half was balanced for both teams until the 54th minute when the referee signaled a free kick as Toby Alderweireld from Tottenham trips Richarlison.

Lucas Digne swings in a cross from the free-kick and Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed home in the 55th minute.

Everton took control of the match after the goal and held on to take a 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Speaking on the winning goal, Calvert-Lewin said: “Lucas has got a good delivery so I got up early and put it in the back of the net. I strive for more every season. The quality and creativity we’ve brought in is a striker’s dream”

A baffled Mourinho

However, the defeat makes it the first time José Mourinho lost on the opening matchday of a league campaign in his managerial career.

The match against Everton was Mourinho’s 19th opening matchday of a league campaign. Prior to the defeat, he has won 11 and drew seven of the previous 18. And as usual, he had plenty to say at his post-match conference.

On his players physical condition, He said: “We had cases of positive COVID-19. We’re not going to say who. We had players in quarantine due to proximity to players with COVID. We had a player in quarantine after going on holiday. We had played on international duty. It was a difficult pre-season and I couldn’t expect them to be sharp and agile but I was expecting more from them individually and as a team.”

He added that: “Do we need a striker yes. Was it because of that that we lost the game? No. We lost the game and the responsibility of that defeat is on myself and my players.”

- PM NEWS