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# Everton trio present Spurs selection dilemma as David Moyes could change shape

- **Source:** 
- **Published:** 8 Sept
- **Club:** Everton
- **Original URL:** https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-trio-present-tottenham-hotspur-34581094

Everton head to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening and the impact of their trio of substitutes against Manchester United presents David Moyes with a selection dilemma.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles, the specialist right-back the Glaswegian gaffer has been looking to identify and bring in for 20 months, enjoyed a dream end to his debut by netting a last-gasp equaliser against the Red Devils in spectacular fashion.

The £4million recruit from Olympique Lyonnais told the ECHO that he is still waiting to sit down with Moyes and discuss the finer points of his expectations in the role, but after his wonder strike secured a share of the spoils against Michael Carrick’s side, the former Arsenal man will now be pushing for a start against their old north London rivals, ahead of Merlin Rohl, a natural midfielder who has been deployed there as a square peg in a round hole.

Despite Vitalii Mykolenko allowing Bryan Mbeumo to escape down his flank for United’s first goal and Jarrad Branthwaite leaving captain James Tarkowski with two men to try and mark for the second with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford allowing Benjamin Sesko’s header to beat him despite getting a hand to the effort, you would imagine that there aren’t any other potential switches in the back five on the cards.

Thierno Barry should have done better and got a headed chance on target against United from a Rohl cross, but would also be expected to keep his place spearheading the attack, given that there are no natural alternatives. Behind him, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has enough credit in the bank to remain in the number 10 role despite an under-par display facing the Red Devils on his 28th birthday, but the other central midfield berths and the wings both have scope for change.

Jack Grealish produced an impressive cameo in his first game back as a substitute on the left wing, so he might be bumped up for his first start since Everton triumphed 1-0 at his boyhood club Aston Villa back on January 18. If that is the case then Tyrique George, who has started on the left in all three of the Blues’ Premier League matches so far this season, could swap sides to the right – the position he was operating in when he scored his first goal for the club against United last time out.

In turn, that could see Brennan Johnson miss out on a start against one of his former teams, with Tyler Dibling the other option on the right wing. In central midfield, Harrison Armstrong, given the biggest pre-game cheer of the afternoon when the Everton players’ names were read out, will be looking to continue with his sequence of starts after club chiefs performed a dramatic U-Turn on his proposed £40million transfer to Nottingham Forest.

The other place in the engine room is occupied by the Blues’ reigning Player of the Season James Garner, but he went off against his previous club, the Red Devils, with cramp and Hayden Hackney also impressed after he came on, providing the assist for George’s goal and also playing his part in the build-up to Maitland-Niles’ second equaliser of the contest. Meanwhile, another summer signing Christian Norgaard is still yet to kick a ball for the club as he has been left sidelined with a groin injury.

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