Idrissa Gueye along with Keane on target as the Toffees defeat Fulham
David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.
Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.
No one was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.
Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.
Barry believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.
Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.
Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.
The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.
Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.
