Everton extended their Premier League unbeaten run to four games after holding top-four hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur to a draw on Monday evening, with Sean Dyche's men producing a spirited display at Goodison Park to bolster their hopes of survival.
In what was a frantic and frenetic second half on Merseyside, both Abdoulaye Doucoure and substitute Lucas Moura saw red either side of a Harry Kane spot-kick, before surprise hero Michael Keane – who had earlier given away the penalty – stepped up to secure a point at the death with a stunning, long-range strike.
In truth, the result was no more than the Toffees deserved with the relegation strugglers likely to have been somewhat frustrated not to have sealed the win – albeit with the hosts still only a point above the drop zone.
While the club's future in the top-flight remains uncertain, there is seemingly renewed optimism among the Goodison faithful amid the arrival of Dyche, with the former Burnley boss having found a formula to get results during his brief tenure thus far.
One man who looks set to be a key figure between now and the end of the season is fleet-footed winger, Alex Iwobi, with the Nigeria international having again sparkled against the Lilywhites after producing a "terrific" attacking display, as per journalist Fatteh Hamid.
How did Iwobi perform against Spurs?
As The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke noted, there is an argument to be made that Iwobi has been the "most improved player in the Premier League over the last 2-3 years", with the £35m man having become instrumental to all that is good about the Toffees.
Once branded a player who "makes too many bad decisions" by journalist David Prentice back in 2020 and described as someone whose ability "lets him down" by ex-Everton man Michael Ball in 2021, the 5 foot 11 dynamo has looked far more effective in the current campaign, notably racking up a team-high seven assists in 29 league games already this season.
While the 26-year-old did somewhat suffer from a 'lack of end product' yesterday, according to 90min's Jude Summerfield, the versatile ace was a constant thorn in the side of the visitors, having laid on two key passes and created one big chance, while also attempting eight dribbles on the night.
Such a dynamic and relentless threat did see Iwobi lose possession on 20 occasions although that was merely a marker of his willingness to make things happen for his side, with The National's Olakunie Afolabi writing that the 62-cap gem was 'crucial to everything the Toffees created in the first-half' having posed 'serious problems' for the opposing backline.
The hard-working ace also put in a typically impressive display defensively after winning five ground duels from his wide berth, with such an all-round performance earning the £120k-per-week man a solid 7.0 match rating, as per Sofascore.
That outing bodes well for the impact that the Lagos native can have in Everton's survival bid, with it yet another sign of how far the former Arsenal man has come since his early days on Merseyside.
