Jarrad Branthwaite’s 94th-minute goal rescued Everton from the brink, securing a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Tottenham and lifting the Toffees out of the relegation zone In a dramatic encounter on Saturday.

Richarlison, marking his return to Goodison Park, seemed to have paved the way for Spurs to level points with third-placed Arsenal with a brace. However, Ange Postecoglou’s side was denied victory at the death when Branthwaite connected with a free-kick at the far post, bolstering Everton’s hopes of avoiding relegation.

Tottenham, still in fourth place, now faces the risk of being overtaken by Aston Villa, who will face struggling Sheffield United later on Saturday.

Reflecting on the match, Postecoglou commented, “It’s obviously never going to be an easy game here. You have to deal with a fair bit but most of the time we handled it ok. Unfortunately, we couldn’t hold out.”

Richarlison, who had only scored one Premier League goal for Tottenham since his £60 million ($76 million) transfer in July 2022 until December 2023, has now found the net nine times in the team’s last eight Premier League matches, providing crucial firepower in the absence of Son Heung-min at the Asian Cup.

Despite his impressive performance, Richarlison refrained from celebrating his goals and even offered an apology gesture to the home supporters.

The Everton faithful, however, directed their ire towards the Premier League due to a 10-point deduction imposed on the club for financial rule violations at the end of the 2021/22 season, thrusting them into a relegation battle. Everton may face further penalties as they confront another charge of exceeding profit and sustainability limits for the previous season.

Before kickoff and during the 10th minute of the match, Everton supporters displayed placards and chants criticizing the league’s leadership. Everton’s appeal against the severe sporting sanction, the harshest in Premier League history, was heard this week, with a verdict anticipated by mid-month.