10 May 2025
Fulham 1 Everton 3
The faltering form of Fulham may be something manager Marco Silva is contemplating heading to Baker Street to get investigated by Sherlock Holmes. It is baffling how one week they can beat the champions and the next they will get played off the park by a team in the bottom three. They welcomed Everton to Craven Cottage, looking to keep their feint European hopes alive.
Sadly for David Moyes’ side, any talk of European adventures usually means them scrolling through a TUI app nowadays as opposed to league positions. Things had picked up since the return of the ginger messiah but results have really dropped off since their defeat in the Merseyside derby. However, they will have seen this as a very winnable game.
The hosts managed to create the first chance of the game as Smith-Rowe won the ball in the middle of the park. He played it out wide to Iwobi, who only had one thing on his mind. He cut inside onto his right foot before unleashing a shot but Pickford got down well to save at his near post. It was an early warning for The Toffees in West London.
However, they did not heed it at all. Smith-Rowe got to the byline before clipping a ball into the box. Jimenez muscled his way to the ball as his header nestled in the bottom corner to give the hosts the lead. Craven Cottage erupted as they broke the deadlock in the game. Everton were going to have to take it up a gear or two if they wanted to be competitive in this one.
The Cottagers almost doubled their lead as Iwobi worked it to Wilson on the edge of the box. His left-footed shot was always curling away from goal but did not miss the far post by much. Moments later he turned provider as he laid it into the path of the former Everton winger. His effort to try and find the top corner was poor as he sent it sailing over the crossbar.
Wilson was getting into his groove as he ran at the Everton defence. As it opened up for him, he looked to drill a shot into the bottom corner but Pickford got down well to turn it around the post for a corner. At this stage, it seemed like a second Fulham goal was just a matter of time as they peppered the visitors’ goal.
As is the way in the top-flight, they were to pay for these missed chances. As an Everton long throw was half-cleared, it dropped to Mykolenko on the edge of the box. With nothing on, the Ukrainian tried a speculative shot which took a huge deflection to wrong foot Leno and end up in the back of the net. Craven Cottage fell silent as their team was hit with the ultimate sucker-punch.
After the break, Fulham looked to restore their lead. Sessegnon was the first to have a chance after a wonderful reverse pass from Iwobi. His shot was straight at The Toffees’ keeper who beat it away. Moments later, Wilson spotted Pickford off his line and looked lift his effort over him but he recovered well to make a good save to deny him.
Everton were not really offering much of a threat in an attacking sense but managed to force a corner. The Cottagers were static as they watched the cross come in and Keane ghosted in at the back post to head The Toffees into the lead. The away end erupted in West London as Moyes’ side put themselves ahead, right in front of the travelling fans.
The Toffees have now scored a mammoth fourteen goals from set-pieces this season. All of this and you have not once seen their set-piece coach stood on the touchline, let alone the club painting a mural of him outside the ground. It looks as though some clubs decide to keep things classy and not sink to the depths of Arsenal.
Fulham tried to throw players forward to change the game. The Toffees countered and Beto got a shot off towards the far corner that Leno should have been saving. Instead it went through his grasp and doubled the lead for the visitors. It was hard to see a way back into the game for Marco Silva’s side so late on in the game.
Then came a very bizarre moment. As Fulham looked to cross into the box, it struck the hand of Mykolenko. The referee waved away their protests but a subsequent VAR review sent him to the monitor. He watched the incident from many angles, before returning to the pitch and sticking with his original decision. Just baffling really as it certainly struck the Ukrainian’s outstretched arm.
Everton held on for the three points to move them up the table slightly. As for Fulham, this all but extinguished their hopes of securing European football. They only had themselves to blame, when leading, they wasted a number of chances to double their lead. You had to feel for the person sat next to Marco Silva in the stands, it would have been a rollercoaster of emotions.
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