Everton Predicted XI vs Tottenham: Jack Grealish Set to Start

Everton travel to north London knowing exactly how hard this fixture can bite. One goal in their last five away games at Tottenham tells its own story. The pattern is bleak, and everyone at the club knows it needs snapping.

History does not dictate the scoreline. But it does hang in the background, a reminder of how often Everton have come here, worked hard, and left with nothing.

Moyes strips it back

David Moyes has gone back to basics this week. No noise, no theatrics, no grand gestures. Just work.

Those around the camp talk about players and staff “mucking in”, a phrase that fits a squad still trying to find itself after a mixed start. It has been low-key at Finch Farm, and that suits Moyes just fine. He wants clarity, not drama.

Tottenham arrive in this with their own problems. More than £250 million spent in the summer, one point from three games, no goals scored. That kind of return turns the spotlight white-hot very quickly.

For Everton, it dangles a chance. A wounded, expensively assembled side under pressure at home. But anyone expecting Spurs to crumble on cue has not watched this league for long. This is exactly the kind of moment when big clubs tend to snarl back.

Grealish changes the picture

The headline is simple: Jack Grealish starts.

Moyes confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the new signing is ready to go from the first whistle, and that immediately reshapes Everton’s attacking edge. Grealish brings control. He carries the ball through lines, draws fouls, and dictates tempo in a way this side has lacked.

He can slow the game when Tottenham are trying to race, or quicken it when gaps appear. With him on the pitch, Everton have someone who can hold the ball under pressure and still look forward.

There is less clarity over James Garner. He limped off last week and Moyes offered no firm update, leaving a question mark in the heart of midfield. Christian Nørgaard is still out and not expected back until after the international break, which makes him the only confirmed absentee.

The rest of the squad is available. Jordan Pickford, Mark Travers and King provide the goalkeeping options. At the back, Moyes can call on Jarrad Branthwaite, Michael Keane, Jake O'Brien, James Tarkowski, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Nathan Patterson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Further forward, the pool includes Harrison Armstrong, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Garner, Hayden Hackney, Merlin Röhl, Charly Alcaraz, Tyler Dibling, Tyrique George, Brennan Johnson, Grealish and Thierno Barry.

Predicted Everton XI: 4-1-4-1 with Grealish central

All signs point to the 4-1-4-1 shape Moyes leaned on in pre-season.

If Garner is not fit enough to start, Hayden Hackney is expected to anchor the midfield. He came off the bench last weekend and instantly sharpened Everton up, snapping into tackles and using the ball with more purpose than some of those he replaced. He looked ready.

Behind him, Pickford should keep his place in goal. Across the back four, Mykolenko is likely to start at left-back, with Branthwaite and Tarkowski the obvious central pairing and Maitland-Niles at right-back.

Hackney would then sit deepest in midfield, screening the defence and linking play. Ahead of him, Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall and Röhl offer a more technical, creative look between the lines, all capable of rotating positions and carrying the ball into dangerous areas.

Out wide, Tyrique George has done enough to keep his spot. His direct running and willingness to take on defenders have impressed Moyes, and he offers an outlet on the break. Up front, Thierno Barry is expected to lead the line, tasked with stretching Tottenham’s back four and finishing the limited chances that are likely to come.

Predicted XI: Jordan Pickford; Ainsley Maitland-Niles, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitaliy Mykolenko; Hayden Hackney; Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Merlin Röhl, Tyrique George; Thierno Barry.

A thin bench and tight margins

The bench will not scare anyone. That is Everton’s reality this season and something Moyes has to navigate week by week.

Travers, Keane and O'Brien give him defensive cover. Armstrong can inject energy late on, chasing lost causes and pressing high when legs are heavy. Alcaraz and Dibling bring a different rhythm if Moyes wants to change the game state, adding a bit of unpredictability between the lines.

Brennan Johnson was quiet last weekend but remains an intriguing option. His motivation is obvious, especially against a high-profile opponent, and if Spurs leave space, his pace could matter.

Garner’s fitness could still shuffle the pack. If he proves ready, Moyes has a decision to make over who drops out. If he is not, there is no sense in gambling this early in the campaign.

Everton need precision, not just perspiration

There is no tactical mystery here. Everton must be compact, aggressive and switched on from the first minute. They cannot afford the soft concessions that have scarred recent trips to Tottenham.

Effort will not be enough on its own. Shape has to hold. Concentration has to last. And when chances finally arrive – because they will, even in a difficult away game – they must be taken with a ruthlessness that has too often deserted them in this fixture.

If Grealish stamps his authority on the game and Hackney brings balance in front of the back four, Everton have a clear route into this contest. If those pieces misfire, if the familiar wastefulness returns, it risks turning into yet another long, unforgiving afternoon in north London.

This is not just about a line-up on paper. It is about whether Everton are ready to tear up an old script that has gone on far too long.