Five talking points as Branthwaite hands Everton last-gasp Spurs draw

Jarrad Branthwaite scored in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time to hand Everton a dramatic 2-2 draw with Tottenham.

Richarlison's brilliant double on his Goodison Park return either side of a Jack Harrison effort looked to be enough for Spurs. 

But the Toffees centre-back bundled home late on to secure a deserved point.

Here are all the talking points after an entertaining Premier League encounter on Merseyside.

Rich run

Richarlison had largely failed to replicate his Everton goalscoring form since moving to Spurs for £50million in 2022, often cutting a frustrated figure.

But the Brazilian has been on fire in recent months, with his superb first-half brace remarkably his eighth and ninth goals in eight league outings.

His instinctive opener in the fourth minute was topped by his second to restore the visitors' lead, beautifully side-footing into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Narrow margins

Richarlison's old striker partner Dominic Calvert-Lewin had been finding goals harder to come by after a frustrating period of injuries and form. 

The England forward looked to have put his name on the scoresheet for the first time since last October, before the goal was awarded to team-mate Harrison.

Everton remain firmly in a relegation battle and will need a confident Calvert-Lewin — who has proved his ability to score regularly at this level in the past — to fire them to safety.

Battling hard

Aside from a lively opening by Ange Postecoglou's men, Everton will have counted themselves unlucky to be behind for so long.

The hosts were buoyed by Harrison's equaliser and had been ramping up the pressure when Richarlison's second came against the run of play.

But rather than dampen the spirits inside Goodison Park, Dyche's side continued to take the game to the Champions League contenders and it eventually paid off to earn them a crucial point in the relegation battle.

Tottenham's depth

After coming through a period where Postecoglou was barely able to cobble an XI together, having quality options to call on once again is a welcome return for the Australian.

James Maddison continued his comeback with another dynamic display, with his neat pass teeing up Richarlison to score his second.

Micky van de Ven provided an air of assurance in the backline, while Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner kept Dejan Kulusevski — one of Spurs' best performers this season — out of the starting line-up.

Though they will undoubtedly be frustrated with the late equaliser, Spurs now appear much better equipped to stay in the top-four race.

Spirit of Goodison

Goodison Park has so often helped drive Everton forward in moments of need and supporters continued to lead their club's efforts on and off the field.

They staged another protest to voice their dismay at the Premier League's 10-point deduction, holding up yellow signs in the 10th minute that read: "You don't know what you're doing".

The Toffees faithful were then pivotal in piling the pressure on Spurs in the final moments by building a raucous atmosphere — and got the reward their brilliant support deserved.