Everton produced a clinical performance on the road as they secured a vital 3-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage Saturday afternoon in a result that will boost their Premier League survival hopes.
Despite being second-best for much of the first half, the Toffees left London with all three points, capitalising on defensive lapses and showing a newfound sharpness in front of goal. Fulham appeared to have the game under control early on, especially after Raul Jimenez broke the deadlock in the 17th minute.
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The striker made no mistake, heading in from close range following a slick move down the left involving Emile Smith Rowe. The home side’s dominance in possession suggested more goals might follow, but they failed to convert their pressure into a commanding lead.
Everton responded before the break, somewhat fortuitously. Vitaliy Mykolenko’s strike took a heavy deflection before finding the net, a moment of redemption for the defender after he was caught out for Fulham’s opener.
The equaliser seemed to shift the momentum. After the interval, the visitors returned with renewed energy. Michael Keane put Everton ahead with a powerful header from a Dwight McNeil corner, punishing Fulham’s slack marking.
Barely three minutes later, Everton tightened their grip on the match. Beto, ever industrious in attack, fired a right-footed effort at goal that slipped through the hands of goalkeeper Bernd Leno — a moment the German shot-stopper will want to forget.
It was Beto’s eighth goal of the season and underlined his growing importance to the Merseyside outfit.Marco Silva’s men struggled to recover.
Despite creating several half-chances and posting an expected goals tally of 0.97, they lacked the cutting edge required to turn the tide. In contrast, Everton’s expected over 1.05 goals reflected a more efficient outing — one where they took their chances and defended resolutely when it mattered most.
The defeat is a significant setback for Fulham in their pursuit of European qualification. Facing an Everton side that has been inconsistent this season, Silva will see this as a missed opportunity.
The loss leaves the Cottagers needing to regroup quickly with the season entering its final stretch.
Meanwhile, Everton’s spirited display will offer them a much-needed morale boost ahead of a crucial and emotionally charged fixture at Goodison Park next week. With survival still hanging in the balance, performances like this could be decisive.
