Fulham ended their five-match losing streak as they produced one of the most comfortable football scores of the weekend in the Premier League. Everton was only one point above the relegation zone going into the game, but they may be in the bottom three by the end of the weekend if they fail to continue on their good home form under Sean Dyche. Fulham, looking for their first league win since February 18, took the lead in the 22nd minute through Harrison Reed, but Dwight McNeil’s excellent shot 10 minutes before halftime gave Everton hope as the first half ended level.
The Toffees opened the second half strongly, but it was the visitors who took the lead six minutes after the break when Harry Wilson finished a superb counter-attack. Fulham’s third goal came in the 68th minute, as Marco Silva’s team strolled to a three-point victory. It is only the second league defeat for Everton at Goodison Park since Dyche took over. They are still in 17th place, level on points with Nottingham Forest, who play Manchester United on Sunday.
In a cagey start, both sides struggled for fluency, but gaps gradually opened up, with Demarai Grey and Wilson both having tame chances saved by Bernd Leno and Jordan Pickford, respectively. Fulham was on top when Andreas Pereira went wide before the deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute, with Reed sliding past Pickford after Everton was caught off guard as Wilson’s looping effort thudded against a post. Because Everton has the fewest goals in the league, Reed’s strike may have been decisive, but the hosts rallied, due in part to a switch from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 system that allowed McNeil and Grey to operate higher up the pitch to support Neal Maupay while Alex Iwobi dropped back into midfield.
Maupay had a chance to open his account, but his point-blank header was saved by Leno, and James Tarkowski wasted the rebound before Everton equalised after 35 minutes. A sluggish Joao Palhinha was dispossessed in his own half, allowing the hosts to break as James Garner set McNeil free, who turned and fired a stunning left-footed drive from 20 yards beyond an extended Leno. Everton remained on top after the equalizer, but they couldn’t find another way through before the break, as Maupay was denied by Leno again following a one-two by McNeil, whose tempting ball from the right evaded everyone in the area and drifted narrowly wide.
After the break, another McNeil near-post cross caught Leno off guard, cannoning into the Fulham goalkeeper’s near post before the visitors reclaimed the lead in the 51st minute. Wilson coolly side-footed the ball into the net after Willian deflected Kenny Tete’s cross to the back post. With Everton more confined to their own half, the visitors had many opportunities to enhance their lead. Pickford saved Pereira’s shot, which was subsequently deflected over.
Fulham’s third goal came in the 68th minute when a free-kick over the top caught Everton off guard, but James still came down brilliantly to bring the ball down before blasting past Pickford. Late in the game, James’ attempt from an acute angle nearly missed the target, catching the Toffees off guard once more, but it made little difference as Fulham strolled to win.
“Despite great progress, this is a step backward. We started beautifully in the second half, but the goal quickly depleted us. We worked hard, but there were no memorable moments. That is something we are attempting to address, and we are making progress, but it serves as a sharp reminder of the fact,” Everton boss Sean Dyche said. “There was a mental shift, but it immediately returned to when we arrived. I’ve seen the games, and when a goal was scored, everything seemed a little sloppy, which cannot happen.”
“I am quite thrilled with the three points; of course, it was critical,” Fulham boss Marco Silva said. “This is welcome after a bad spell. I’m much happier with the second half, not just because we won, but because I saw improvements from last week. These are the most important points. For me, no single game will make a difference in the quality of my work.”
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