Bissouma back in Postecoglou’s good books after stunning strike

Off the naughty step and back embracing his manager. Yves Bissouma has often tested Ange Postecoglou with his general waywardness but some of the exasperation eased away with a brilliant strike that unleashed a rampant Tottenham Hotspur.
Bissouma, returning from a one-match club suspension imposed for posting a video online of himself inhaling nitrous oxide, lashed home the opening goal off the underside of the bar, celebrating by opening his arms to apologise to the home supporters and then have a hug with his head coach, who likened his player to a son trying to make amends for naughty behaviour. Son Heung-min used his intelligence to score twice and Cristian Romero used his physicality to head the third from a corner.
Postecoglou got his wish for Tottenham to be more ruthless in both boxes, although Everton are no sort of true barometer for anything serious.
Everton are a once great club fumbling in the dark and things might get worse rather than better while the transfer market is open. They have lost both opening league matches by a margin of three or more goals for the first time in the club’s history and are yet to find the net. They are also winless in 12 away league fixtures stretching back to beating Burnley in December.
Their season has quickly unravelled into a shambles in part of their own making, taking in the financial issues resulting from past overspending, questions over a change of ownership, a depleted and limited squad and Jordan Pickford’s howler that allowed them to fall 2-0 down inside 25 minutes. Receiving a pass-back, the England goalkeeper took a heavy touch with his left foot and had the ball pinched off him by Son, who rolled home. Pickford raised his hand to acknowledge his mistake, one that deflated his team-mates at a time they were beginning to show they might cause Spurs some trouble.
Everton could cite being without six players, mainly at the back, but perhaps only Jarrad Branthwaite would have made a significant difference. The one thing Sean Dyche’s sides have relied on against superior opponents has been a plan to absorb the pressure, press aggressively and trigger breaks when possession turns. Instead they were lifeless, passive and rolled over. Jesper Lindstrom managed their only shot on target from open play and an occasional threat at set pieces said more about Tottenham’s weaknesses in that area. James Maddison was required to hook the ball off the Tottenham line from Abdoulaye Doucouré’s attempt near to half-time.
However, it had been all Tottenham from the start and they should have opened the scoring earlier. The move was created with several moments of clever play from Dejan Kulusevski, who after exchanging passes with Brennan Johnson, twisted and turned before setting up the former Nottingham Forest winger.
Postecoglou continued with his carrot and stick. “It’s a good start and he’s still got work to do,” the Australian said of Bissouma. “I’m not doubting his footballing quality. [It was] a disciplined performance for him today. He had a really important job for us, he knew they’d sort of play fairly direct and he had to be there to mop up second balls, he was clean for the most part in possession. The team didn’t let off after that, [it was] really encouraging for us.” Newcastle United on Sunday will be a better test of Tottenham’s steps forward, however.
Spurs had delivered the second highest number of crosses in the Premier League’s opening round in the 1-1 draw with Leicester City, and on Saturday they targeted Roman Dixon, a 19-year-old making his debut at right back for Everton. Maddison flashed the first of two crosses across the face of goal in the opening three minutes and, from another of his deliveries soon after, Johnson glanced wide. After a Tottenham corner was not properly cleared, Romero chested down and shot straight at Pickford, who also smothered a shot from a Maddison run through on goal.
Wilson Odobert, the new recruit from Burnley, was lively on his debut, Kulusevski was always a threat, and Micky van de Ven was impressive driving forward from the back, dribbling from the edge of his own box to set up Son’s second goal. Everton briefly showed adventure. Jack Harrison weakly volleyed wide and after the break Dwight McNeil teed up Lindstrom to test Guglielmo Vicario. Maddison drilled a free kick narrowly wide and then struck an inswinging corner for Romero to head in before Son cleverly squeezed past Pickford for his second.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s potential departure this week is a worry for Everton. “There aren’t any finances to change things, this is what we are,” Dyche said.
Tottenham (4-3-3): G Vicario 7 — P Porro 7, C Romero 7, M van de Ven 7, D Udogie 7 (J Spence 76min) — D Kulusevski 8 (P Sarr 67), Y Bissouma 7 (A Gray 73), J Maddison 8 (L Bergvall 79) — B Johnson 6, Son Heung-min 8, W Odobert 6 (Richarlison 66, 6).
Everton (4-3-3): J Pickford 4 — R Dixon 5, J Tarkowski 4, M Keane 5, V Mykolenko 4 — A Doucouré 4 (I Ndiaye 57), T Iroegbunam 4, I Gueye 4 (H Armstrong 90+1) — J Harrison 4 (J Lindstrom 57, 5), D Calvert-Lewin 5 (Beto 72), D McNeil 4.
Referee: A Taylor.