Fantastic second-half turnaround secures Blues win at The Cottage

Fulham 1 – 3 Everton

After a really poor first half where a strange Everton line-up had allowed Marco Silva’s Fulham to take the lead, a much more competitive second half saw Everton take all the points at Craven Cottage in the glorious spring sunshine.

No Jake O’Brien today, as he has apparently sustained an injury!  But Alcaraz starts… along with Harrison and Doucure. Hard to understand why McNeil, Ndiaye and Calvert-Lewin are benched if they are fit, while David Moyes appears to prefer a very strange-looking side that features the error-prone Micheal Keane at the heart of the defence. 

Fulham are without Antonee Robinson today. The left-back, a product of Everton Academy, is having his minutes managed due to a knee issue.

Glorious spring sunshine on the banks of the River Thames for this one, as the Premier League approaches its conclusion for this season, ahead of next week’s final game at Goodison Park.

Garner with the kick-off, back to Pickford for the punt upfield. The first few minutes were pretty scrappy from both sides. Alcaraz seemed to have a brielf chance to run in but he lost the ball. Garner with a long throw that Branthwaite could not dig out. 

Doucoure was a bit too strong and Fulham made pretty good use of the free-kick, Wilson shooting straight at Pickford. Harrison got forward and swung the first of his ineffectual crosses beyond the far post. But Everton were unable to keep the ball, losinng it repeady until Iwobi fired in a low one that Pickford held.

All the play was coming from the home side, who seemed to have a greater desire for the ball and to drive forward at Everton, benefitting from some incmpetent passing by the players in Blue. Everton finally played some passing football, Harrison heading a great cross back that didn’t quite reach Beto in front of goal.

Beto and Gueye then had to defend, albeit unconventionally, the Senegalese falling on the ball rather than tackling his man in the Everton area. Fulham continued to zip the ball around, and a nice cross to Raul Jiminez was too good to resist as he powered his way through two Everton defenders, flooring both Branthwaite and Mykolenko, and giving Pickford little chance to stop it going over the line after just 17 minutes.  

A really poor start by the Blues, who just don’t seem to be at the races today. After a brief foray upfield for Everton, it was Wilson who fired in a dangerous shot that just curled away at the last secoind. Finally, Alcaraz got some room to play in Harrison, who could do no better than shoot straight at Leno.

With Fulham content to be in the lead, Everton had more possession but were unable to do a great deal with it until Mykolenko forced the first corner. Young took it short from the left, then hoofed the return well beyond the far post.  

In the next Everton attack, Mykolenko’s cross was headed clear by the first defender. Gueye found Harrison wide right with a deep crossfield ball but Harrison could not retain it.  Pereira tried a long-range shot, well over. 

A sloppy giveaway by Mykolenko on half-way allowed Jimenez to gallop forward into space before finding Iwobi, who curled his shot over the ball. Branthwaite was having trouble after Jiminez had jumped into him earlier in the half. 

Everton got forward but were quickly closed down. However, another turnover went their way, and Garner had another chance for a long throw that won another Everton corner but it didn’t cause Fulham any trouble. Pereira was too clever for Alcaraz and Wilson wanted another go, his deflected shot plamed just outsiide the post by a brilliant Pickford save.

Fulham had a couple of goes at the cormer as 3 minutes were added to the first half. Alcaraz stole a clearence but he could only shoot straight at Leno. Another long throw came in and was cleared as far as Docucoure who played it back for Mykolenko, his low shot taking a wicked deflection off Andreas Pereira to put the Blues right back in this one just before the break. 

The game restarted and it was end to end but with no real cjhances until a loose ball fell nicely into the path of Alcaraz but he could only smack it lamely at a blocking defender. Garner got another of his now trademark long throws into the 6-yard box but it ewas headed clear. 

Everton pushed forward . A quick corner was then delivered in well by Young, forcing another one from the other side. This one was right to the nearpost and behnd off Leno’s arm but no third corner give, only a goal kick, incorrectly. 

Fulham went straight up the other end and Iwobi set up Sessegnon for a shot that go down Pickford did very well to see and parry. The corner saw Alcaraz. Everton went forward again but the ball was turned over and an audacious attemot at a lobb by Wilson was palmed out brilliantly by Pickford who had leapt wildly like a cat but fallen back down like an elephant. He was okay after teatment and Virginia was not required. 

The Fulham corner was good but cleared.  Berge felt he had to foul Beto for a yellow card. The free-kick was curled in by Young and Beto somehow avoided converting it, only playing it back to Gana and the chance was gone. At the other end, Wilson had another shot, high and wide. 

Alcaraz looked to be struggling with the physicality of the game, getting close attention when he got the ball at his feet. Beto got forward and a chnce to play in Docucoure buthis low cross was too close to Leno. At the other end, yet another attempt from Wilson before David Moyes made his first changes on the hour mark.

Young took out Smith-Rowe, who was then subbed. Jimenez was called for a foul as the free-kick came over, Everton attacked again, Beto again the one to cross rather than be recieveing the ball up high. But most of the play was being driven by Fulham who were keen to restablish their lead. Some clever work by Iwobi almost forced a breakthrough before the Everton defenders cleared.    

It was far from dull with both sides now heavily committed and the intensity of the game seeeing good attacking moves at both ends, Alcaraz somewhow winning a corner for Everton. McNeil sent it over superbly to the far post where that enigma, Michael Keane sent a bullet header that almost burst the Fulham net. Brilliant stuff. 

But VAR decided there was either a foul or an offside… just completely ridiculous. Finally, they backed down and Everton’s excellent go-ahead goal was confirmed. 

Then, from a turnover on the half-way line, Alcaraz burst forward and fed Beto. Now his shot was not great, but Leno allowed it to somehow squirm under his hands and into the back of the net! Excellent work by the Blues. 

Fulham were stunned but knew they had to do something, a good cross was headed inches wide by Jiminez as the happy singing of the Blue Army came across loud and clear. Some great chasing by Alcaraz forced a  high turnover, but no long throw this time.  

At the other end, Fulham kept firing in crosses, Keane struggling a little as more changes were made by each side with less than 10 minutes left. A Fulham free-kick and another ball curled in and headed clear, Alcaraz then taking the applause of the Everotn fans as he was replaced after a pretty good game from him.

As the time ticked away, the fight seemd to finally ebb away from the Fulham players as they realized the magnitude of their task was surely impossible. But the balls kept coming into the Everton area and each one needed defending by hook or by crook. Godo got forward and produced a great cutback but Iroegbunam saw the danger and made a brilliant interception. 

More changes by Moyes broke up the play as 7 minutes of added time were shown, with Calvert-Lewin and Coleman joining in the fun. More danger from Godo, somehow stopped again by Iroegbunam. 

McNeil had a chance to relieve the pressure but he played an awful pass between Calvert-Lewin and Ndiaye. Another chance for the Blues to run forward saw Calvert-Lewin chase the ball but he couldn’t strike it far enough away from Leno, who was out quickly. 

VAR wanted to look at a Mykolenko handball, with 8 minutes of added time already played. Another ridiculous and completely unnecessary involvement, forcing Darren England to look at it on the monitor…  but — respect — the ref was having none of it. 

And thus ended a fantastic away win for Everton who had completely turned around an awful first half display. 

Fulham: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegno

n (83′ Godo), Andreas Pereira (75′ Cairney), Berge [Y:56′], Wilson (75′ Willian), Smith-Rowe (63′ Traore), Iwobi, Jimenez.