By IANS
London : Everton handed big-spending Tottenham Hotspur their second successive Premier League defeat, winning 3-1 at White Hart Lane here.
Mikel Arteta was the architect of Everton’s Tuesday night win and he set up Joleon Lescott to head in an early opener.
Anthony Gardner nodded in to bring Spurs back on level terms but a Leon Osman close-range shot and a deflected Alan Stubbs free kick before the break put the visitors ahead again.
Dimitar Berbatov headed against the bar and Jermain Defoe went close for the home side that failed to recover from the first blitz.
“We got fourth three seasons ago. We’re going to do the best we can but I’m not going to come out and say we are going to do that,: said Everton manger David Moyes after the game.
“We don’t have that expectation and I don’t need to burden the players or myself with it.”
England’s shortage of strikers after Wayne Rooney’s injury had given the game an edge as the country’s other home grown forwards aimed to impress national team boss Steve McClaren, who was watching from the stands.
Spurs striker Darren Bent and his Everton counterpart Andy Johnson started, while Defoe had to be content with a place on the bench.
Spurs were booed off at the interval but started strongly after the break and Berbatov rattled the bar with a well-timed header.
Everton kept up their winning start to the campaign and their battling qualities proved too much for a home side who lacked a creative spark.
Spurs manager Martin Jol replaced the ineffective Bent with Defoe to try to turn things around. But the new man struggled to make an impact as the visitors consolidated their lead with Johnson, although by no means outstanding, winning the battle of the England strikers.
“We have 10 defenders at the club and we’ve used all them that have been fit. We are still waiting for one or two players to come back and we will do better when they come back,” said Jol.
“You could easily throw in the towel after three goals but the players came out and worked hard, that was the positive thing.”