Everton 2 – 0 Fulham
Everton scored five goals at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this weekend to get back to winning ways against Fulham but three of them were disallowed for some dubious offside calls.
Would David Moyes heed the suggestions for a change of approach, a change of philosophy, a change of attack? Er… No. Iroegbunam in place of O’Brien was the only change.
First Half
Of course Everton kicked off in the tried, tested and daft manner as normal. But at least they got it back and played it around until Grealish played in Dewsbury-Hall, whose excellent cross looked like it just might have been smacked in by Everton’s centre-forward Barry…. but it wasn’t.
Everton kept up the play in Fulham’s half, trying to work another opening with some decent front-foot stuff, but nothing quite coming off. Dewsbury-Hall played a beautiful through-ball to Barry but he was stuck in treacle and had no pace whatsoever to reach the ball, nevermind score.
Ndiaye swung in a beautiful cross, picking out Barry, who leapt salmon-like only to power his header over the bar rather than under it. C’est la Guerre!
Fulham mounted their first attack, defended away well. Barry played out to Dewsbury-Hall who was fouled by Lukic for the first yellow. Garner smacked the set piece well enough but Leno punched it away. The corner was a little short to the near post, with Andersen getting Tarkowski’s arm across his nose.
Grealish did well to draw a free-kick off Tete but Dewsbury-Hall couldn’t find an Everton head with his soft delivery. Barry was armed off by Bassey on the other side, the free-kick going Fulham’s way.
Kevin taunted Garner and put in a wicked cross that just failed to connect as Fulham had a brief spell, with a weak header from Iwobi, before Pickford tried to release Ndiaye. He got to the byeline but under duress and launched his cross behind. The game was becoming more even with Fulham seeing more of the ball.
Grealish was played in as Barry ran into Andersen who floored him off the ball, while Grealish was no match for Tete this time. With each highly physical contact, Barry seems less and less likely to win the duel.
Gana somehow won a corner, Leno patting away Dewsbury-Hall’s header before Ndiaye’s weak shot dribbled wide. Grealish drew another very clever foul from Andersen, just outside the Fulham area. Garner tried to curl it through the crowd, which never looked on.
Barry finally won a duel with Bassey, winning a free-kick wide right. Unclear what he was doing way out there…. but never mind. Dewsbury-Hall put in a good flat ball that Andersen headed clear. But Everton kept coming back at them, getting the crowd roused.
Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall tried to combine with some good attempted link-up play but the connections weren’t quite right and Sessegnon galloped way, winning a corner off Mykoleko.
Everton attacked and Barry scored from close in off Ndiaye’s cross but the Blue shirts had got themselves offside. Tete fouled Grealish for the umpteenth time. The free-kick was worked around but Garner’s cross was met with the refeee’s whistle for something he saw.
Jimenez got Keane’s arm across his face, and Andy Madley again saw something: this time Barry stupidly grasping Tete’s shirt for a very dangerous free-kick in the dee. But banged into Iwobi in the wall by Jimenez.
But Everton gave away another free-kick that needed defendeing but Mykolenko played an awful ball forward. A cynical foul by Lukic on Dewsbury-Hall somehow failed to draw a second yellow.
Everton mounted another attack, Keane’s header pawed away by Leno but Tarkowski in to blast it home. What a strike! But no. The flag was up… and quite why is something of a mystery. And quite why there was seemingly no VAR check is also a mystery. It seems Tarkowski was marginally offside before he headed the ball back, a lot earlier in the move before he eventually scored.
Everton kept trying to push up as the game moved into 6 minutes of added time, Barry going down when he felt another touch from Bassey but it looked minor and the referee wasn’t interested.
Everton won a throw that was to be taken long but Barry, Tarkowski and a few others got their handbags out. Yellow cards for Tarkowski and Bassey.
Finally Everton scored through Idrissa Gana Gueye after the ball had been worked around, Mykolenko crossing well to Tarkowski at the far post, who headed off the bar, Iroegbunam couldn’t get the rebound past a defender but the blocked attempt fell nicely for the Senegalese who fairly belted it low and hard past Leno. Everton ahead at the break!
Second Half
Marco Silva smartly switched Lukic for Josh King. Fulham looked to attack from the off and looked a danger when the ball was played back to Iwobi but Kevin had strayed offside. Then a blocked shot ballooned over Pickford and thankfully over his bar.
Everton scored their 4th goal of the day, Dewsbury-Hall slotting home nicely… but yet again the offside flag. Yet again, unclear exactly who was offside when and if they had gained any advantage. Possibly Barry, who never touched the ball. Just bizarre.
Barry had some great touches to beat Andersen and Tete before he kicked himself and collapsed in a heap near the corner flag! Very strange…
At the other end, Kevin danced past Garner and seemed to have set Fulham up but Garner suckered him for a free-kick as he ran back. Muniz came on and was set up by King, Pickford saving a certain goal very well with his leg.
A fantastic ball to Kevin was thwarted by Ndiaye at the expense of a Fulham corner that Everton survived. But Fulham kept pushing. Iroegbunam had the ball stolen off him too easily but Tarkowski halted the threat. Iroegbunam, who had got a yellow card for not withdrawing before a free-kick, was replaced by Merlin Röhl. But the German was still half-asleep and dangerously got sandbagged.
Everton got forward through Ndiaye who won a corner off Sessegnon. The ball was worked around to Gueye who saw glory and screwed an awful shot high and wide off his left foot. Why does he do that?
Everton had a spell with plenty of the ball, Dewsbury-Hall doing a very good impression of Gana Gueye, shooting wildly high. Fulham responded and won a corner, Barry heading a cross clear. Fulham kept pushing and Röhl was again mugged far too easily.
Finally, Beto replaced Barry, to a good round of applause from the generous Evertonians who appreciated the effort he had shown. Beto had a chance to run forward with the ball but Bassey stuck with him, Röhl earning a corner. The delivery was brilliant, the header from Michael Keane unstoppable (off his shoulder?). And he couldn’t be offside from a corner… could you? Apparently it still needed a VAR check.
Fulham put in a decent attempt to respond, Traore stinging Pickford’s gloves with a shot that deflected dangerously off Grealish’s attempted block. Garner played a great ball for Beto that was cut out by Andersen for a corner as Everton continued to work the ball around.
Chukwueze fouled Gueye just outside the Fulham area, Garner firing over as 6 minutes were added. Rohl somehow got Everton another corner, that earned a second attempt. That came out to Grealish but his tired shot was straight at Leno.
And that’s how it ended: five goals from the rampant Blues against a fairly poor Fulham side… but only two of them would count.
Everton: Pickford, Garner, Tarkowski [Y: 45+3′], Keane, Mykolenko, Gueye, Iroegbunam [Y:63′] (67′ Röhl), Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall (89′ O’Brien), Grealish, Barry (79′ Beto).
Subs not Used: Travers, McNeil, Dibling, Coleman, Alcaraz, Aznou.
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey [Y:45+3′], Sessegnon, Lukic [Y:10′] (46′ King), Berge, Kevin (87′ Smith Rowe), Wilson (59′ Chukwueze), Iwobi, Jimenez (58′ Muniz (75′ Traore)).
Subs not Used: Lecomte, Rodrigo, Cairney, Cuenca, Castagne.
Attendance: 52,491