Tottenham earned a point at Everton with a 0-0 draw as both teams failed to capitalise on what few chances there were in a drab game.
Harry Redknapp brought a much changed side to Merseyside from the team that beat West Brom 1-0 last weekend but was hoping the depth of his squad would compensate for the loss of Assou-Ekotto, Aaron Lennon and Wilson Palacios.
The Spurs manager opted for a 5-4-2 formation, incidentally the same shape he used when the Portsmouth team he then managed took the Toffees apart 3-0 last year.
David Moyes made only one change from the Blues side that comfortably won 2-0 at the Stadium of Light. Youngster Jack Rodwell replacing Lars Jacobsen who had to make do with a place on the bench.
The game started surprisingly brightly considering the amount of rain that was falling from the sky in the opening exchanges. Spurs were bringing the game to Everton with Alan Hutton linking well with Jermaine Defoe down the right side.
The home side looked lively on the counter with Jo benefiting from the aerial dominance of team-mate Fellaini and the willingness of Pienaar to chase every ball down.
As the progressed though it became apparent that Everton lacked the shape and purpose of Spurs and the Blues' defence was breached time and again on both side's of the park but without ever really threatening Tim Howard's goal.
Tottenham, with Defoe, Jenas and Keane looking particularly motivated looked sharper in every department while the Everton players to a man began to look jaded.
Jo did have a good penalty shout in the 32nd minute when his jersey was tugged right in front of the goal and the referee but appeals were waved away.
Tottenham could have scored earlier when Gareth Bale had two cracks at a free kick after Lescott felled Hutton just outside the area.
However, despite Tottenham's dominance it was Everton who should have gone in ahead at half time with Jo, Fellaini and Rodwell all going close as the Toffees rallied in the final five minutes.
In the second half Everton could have been one up in the first minute as the excellent Piennar evaded Corluka and slipped a sweet cross into the box only for Jo to arrive a fraction to late.
The game was threatening to become a bad tempered affair with Alan Hutton getting booked for kicking out at Rodwell after being dispossessed and the spaarky Steven Pienaar generally being given a good kicking by most of the Spurs team.
Cahill hit a blistering shot from 25 yards that missed Gomes' goal by millimetres but Spurs still looked the more industrious and Redknapp would have been getting worried that his team's good build up play was not forcing Howard into a single serious save.
The game was there to be won for both sides ad Moyes made the first move on 70 by bringing on Leon Osman and Louis Saha for Dan Gosling - who hit the Spurs post with a shot seconds before the change - and the ineffective Jo respectively.
Defoe could have put Spurs up on 71 but his daisy-cutter just went the wrong side of Howard's right post.
The Everton substitutions no doubt had a big impact on the shape of the team and they started to get a grip of the game in the last 15 with Leon Osman particularly catching they eye with pinpoint passing and jinking runs into danger areas.
Pascal Pavlyuchenko replaced Luka Modric with 10 mins to go as Redknapp tried to impose a scoring threat from an increasingly impotent Spurs team.
Everton were certainly on top by the closing stages but with both teams lacking a real cutting edge a draw was a fair result.
After the game Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp said: "To come to Everton and go home with a point is a good result. I am not disappointed.
"David always puts out a hard team to beat and it's such a tough place to play.
"I felt we dominated the first half and played the better football.
"We passed the ball much better than Everton and we had much more possession.
"Overall I think we had the best of the opportunities but the lads couldn't put the few chances in the net.
"Everton came out well in the second half and looked like they were on top but if you look back they never created too many chances.
"A point is a good result and probably a fair one."
Everton boss David Moyes said: "We played very well and created the better opportunities.
"They played well the first half but we stepped up in the second and should have won the game.
"Young Dan Gosling hit the post and the 16th clean sheet for Howard in goal, which is a record, so I am not too down about the way we played.
"The result is difficult to take but it was never going to be easy against Tottenham.
"After the poor start to the season we had and all the injuries taken into consideration we have had a great year so far and are still looking for fifth.
"The whole club is enjoying the football at the minute and hopefully we can keep it up for the last few games."
Everton: Tim Howard, Leighton Baines,Joseph Yobo, Joleon Lescott, Phil Neville, Steven Pienaar, Jack Rodwell, Dan Gosling, Tim Cahill, Marouane Fellaini, Jo
Substitute – Carlo Nash, Louis Saha, Lars Jacobsen, Leon Osman, Jose Baxter, James Vaughan, Segundo Castillo.
Tottenham Hotspur: Heurelho Gomes, Alan Hutton, Gareth Bale, Tom Huddlestone, Jermaine Jenas, Luka Modric, Robbie Keane, Vedran Corluka, Jermaine Defoe, Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate.
Substitute – Carlo Cudicini, David Bentley, Roman Pavyluchenko, Chris Gunter, Fraizer Campbell, Pascal Chimbonda, Danny Rose.
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