Two goals inside three second-half minutes earned Everton a point from their first visit to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Indeed, without Christian Eriksen’s quickfire free-kick riposte, the strikes from Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun on 69 and 72 minutes respectively would have secured Everton a sixth away victory of 2018-19.

As it was, this draw – earned after Eric Dier had given Spurs a third-minute lead – means Everton finish the season with four unbeaten games.

Marco Silva’s side claim eighth spot, the point secured here enough to keep Leicester City at arm’s length.

Dier’s goal came after Spurs had pinned back Everton in the opening minutes. And it was midweek hat-trick hero Lucas Moura at the nub of everything good about his side’s early work. 

The Brazilian, whose treble on Wednesday sealed the Londoners’ Champions League final spot at the expense of Ajax, first won Spurs a free-kick in Everton territory when his driving run was unfairly halted by Tosun’s sliding challenge.

And when Tottenham recycled play following the set-piece, it was Moura hurtling down the right to attempt a cross which nicked behind off Lucas Digne, despite Yerry Mina’s best efforts to prevent the corner.

Erik Lamela took it, swung in left footed, sparking a fleeting round of pinball before it alighted at Dier’s feet.

He used his right one to thud beyond Jordan Pickford, beaten for the first time in 294 minutes of Premier League football.

Hugo Lloris had his first involvement on 10 minutes, the Tottenham goalkeeper comfortably gathering Michael Keane’s header from Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free-kick, hit from deep on the right.

Centre-back Keane was presented with a similar opening eight minutes before the break, the delivery served up from the left by full-back Digne on this occasion; Keane off target with his attempt.

If Lloris wasn’t especially vexed by either of those efforts, then he earned his corn on the half hour.

Morgan Schneiderlin, excellent again, broke up play in the middle and ushered play right for Sigurdsson. He went big, a raking ball across field dealt with only after a fashion by Kyle Walker-Peters.

The right-back’s rather awkward header fell for Bernard, who jinked inside to unleash a strike which forced Lloris speedily down to his right to save.

Bernard brilliantly gave Moussa Sissoko the slip on halfway before flighting a ball which sent Tosun through on goal – the Turk perhaps unfortunate to be called back by referee Andre Marriner after a collision with Dier.

Dier, in fact, was influencing this at both ends of the field. He blocked well from Sigurdsson after the Icelander bounced a pass off Tosun and shot from 12 yards.

Walcott rammed an effort into a defensive body, too, the forward’s opportunity coming about after Idrissa Gana Gueye relieved Walker-Peters of possession and released Bernard to cross.

Another effort from Walcott earlier in the opening half met a similar end. Gana and Bernard fashioned the opportunity, but after the South American’s delivery evaded a number of runners in the box and arrived at the back-post with Walcott, his scuffed strike was resisted by Ben Davies.

Pickford, meanwhile, was having a relatively quiet time of it following Dier’s strike. Moura blasted over from 25 yards and Alli did likewise from slightly closer after being teed up by Lamela.

Lamela and Alli again linked up on 34 minutes, the Argentine backheeling for his teammate but seeing the subsequent blast flash past Everton ‘keeper Pickford’s right post.

Tottenham left-back Davies threw his frame in the way of a rising Walcott strike five minutes after the restart – this following a Walker-Peters centre which marginally eluded Fernando Llorente’s back-post run.

Keane stuck out a leg to divert behind a Christian Eriksen shot – but Everton were, without question, the more menacing team by now.

With an hour on the clock, Spurs had tried eight shots, the visitors 12 – the 12th of them shunted off target by Bernard after he had been slid through by Tosun.

Bernard went off soon after, Gana also making way; Ademola Lookman and Andre Gomes on for the final 25 minutes.

And Lookman needed very little time to have a say in matters. His progress from the left was incisive, drawing defenders – who left Sigurdsson unattended as he received Lookman’s pass.

Sigurdsson slipped in Walcott, who chopped inside and drilled left-footed across Llloris.

The game was turned on its head when Tosun poked in after the superb Digne’s left-wing corner caused mayhem. Lloris instinctively repelled Keane, Lookman, though, got the first touch on the scraps and Tosun applied the second, one yard from the line. 

Gomes being penalised for a foul on Lamela gave Eriksen an opportunity to level. The Dane grabbed it with both hands – or, more accurately, his right foot. Eriksen’s dead-ball strike went over Everton’s wall and inside Pickford’s left-hand post. The 'keeper had no chance.

There was still time for Tosun to head at Lloris after Digne bombed down the left to cross. No scares at the other end, though, Everton finishing with successive away draws to complement four home wins off the reel.

Silva was greeted rapturously when he strode across to a chocka visitors' section on the final whistle. That he was already talking of improvement next season minutes after the final whistle might go part way to explaining the manager's popularity.

Three In Six

A frantic six-minute period after half-time ultimately defined this game.

It was meandering to an extent, albeit Everton were showing the greater urgency in pursuit of a strike to level Eric Dier’s third-minute goal.

Marco Silva looked to his bench on 65 minutes and opted to introduce the blend of pace, brains and creativity provided by Andre Gomes and Ademola Lookman.

Lookman took all of four minutes to drive infield, coming off his left flank and luring panicked opponents.

In their haste to close down Lookman, Spurs left Gyfli Sigurdsson roaming free and able to pick his pass for Theo Walcott.

The forward expertly did the next bit, manoeuvring the ball onto his left foot and angling a drive beyond Hugo Llloris. 

Everton flew forward again, Lucas Digne on the overlap and nearly finding Cenk Tosun with a high delivery.

Spurs averted the danger but at the cost of a corner. Digne whipped that in for Michael Keane to force a tremendous reaction stop from Lloris.

Lookman, though, turned the ball towards the target and Tosun nudged it over the line.

Christian Eriksen’s free-kick strike completed a breathless passage of play and locked the scores at 2-2, which is how they remained. 

Terrific Tosun

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s sequence of accomplished displays at the tip of Everton’s attack have forced Cenk Tosun to bide his time.

Indeed, this start at Tottenham represented a first outing from kick-off for Tosun in more than three months.

Since that game at Watford, the Turk had played 41 minutes, spread across four appearances from the bench.

Little wonder, then, that he was thirsting to be involved in the early skirmishes here, Tosun chasing back and conceding a free-kick in his eagerness to dispossess Lucas Moura.

Tosun was the wronged party soon after, the forward cleverly positioning himself between Eric Dier and the ball to win the set-piece which produced his side’s first attempt on target: Hugo Llloris holding Michael Keane’s header following Gylfi Sigurdsson’s flat delivery.

When Bernard cutely dodged Moussa Sissoko in midfield the Brazilian immediately looked for Tosun’s run.

He wasn’t disappointed, the forward haring off the back of Tottenham’s rearguard, with Dier in close attendance.

Andre Marriner whistled in the home player’s favour, this time, Tosun punished by the referee for barging as the pair came shoulder to shoulder.

The forward was in the groove now, neatly returning the ball to Sigurdsson for a shot blocked by Dier.

A darting near-post run was picked out by Bernard three minutes before half-time. The ball arrived as if shot from a cannon, Tosun unable to remove the heat from his colleague’s delivery and steering a first-time strike high of the target.

Tosun was the recipient of a fearful blow from Kyle Walker-Peters 10 minutes into the second half. The episode was indicative of Tosun’s application, the foul occurring tight to the left touchline, the forward with his back to goal.

He was central again minutes later, prodding a pass which released Bernard in the box. The winger, though, was off balance and struck wide.

Tosun had his moment on 72 minutes. 

When Keane had a header saved by Lloris for the second time in the match, Tosun stayed alive. He was alert still as Lookman nudged the ball goalwards on the rebound. And ecstatic as he raced away to the jubilant Evertonians after applying the decisive touch.

He might have won it with a header saved by Lloris late on – but this was a stellar 90-minute turn from Tosun.