How many warnings do the Everton hierarchy need? Two consecutive brushes with relegation are not enough, it would appear. The opening day of what is scheduled to be the final full season of Goodison Park’s existence produced yet another warning as Everton dominated Fulham only to succumb to an avoidable, unnecessary defeat.
They lost not simply as a consequence of three Fulham substitutes – Aleksandar Mitrovic, Andreas Pereira and goalscorer Bobby De Cordova-Reid – combining to polish an otherwise subdued display from the visitors. They lost because for the third summer in succession the club has failed to strengthen its forward line as required. A third successive season of struggle beckons unless that glaring weakness is addressed before the transfer deadline.
Fulham had nine shots in total, two on target, compared with 19 efforts and nine on target from Everton. Only the visitors had a clinical edge worthy of the highest level, however, to leave Sean Dyche understandably aghast at a performance of promise finishing pointless.
“We played well, a lot of the things we are looking for were there, but we have to score a goal,” he said. “We had one of the highest chance counts in my time here and five of them were high-quality.”
You may have read the following before. Many times. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was deemed not fit enough for the match-day squad and so, given Everton’s inability to sign a proven alternative, Dyche had little option but to start Neal Maupay as a lone forward. Maupay, who scored once last season, had enough chances to put Everton out of sight before half-time but was unable to take one.
Bernd Leno proved a formidable obstacle in the Fulham goal but there was a lack of conviction and quality to Maupay’s finishing that was all too familiar to an exasperated home support. It was last season’s attacking lowlights reel on repeat.
The former Brighton forward shot narrowly wide after 35 seconds. He was presented with a gilt-edged opportunity when Abdoulaye Doucouré headed an Alex Iwobi centre to his feet. Unmarked and four yards out, Maupay prodded a weak touch straight at Leno. The striker found himself one-on-one with Leno again when Amadou Onana, Everton’s most creative outlet, dissected the defence with a perfect first-time pass. Fulham’s keeper saved comfortably again.
Leno also denied Doucouré with an outstretched boot when a sweeping Everton move released last season’s relegation saviour through on goal. Iwobi and Nathan Patterson also missed decent chances before the break and Michael Keane had a goal disallowed after Leno dropped a cross at his feet. The referee, Stuart Attwell, penalised James Tarkowski for a foul on the commanding keeper.
“I don’t know why VAR didn’t get involved,” said Dyche. “Tarky does nothing, minimal contact other than the keeper landing on him. He didn’t do anything to put the keeper off and he drops it.”
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Dyche can take consolation from the improvement in Everton’s energy, creativity and organisation, while despairing at the end product. His team’s woeful afternoon in front of goal was encapsulated by Patterson hitting the crossbar from eight yards out after Leno’s fingertip save from Iwobi left him facing an open net.
Fulham were tame and timid in comparison, particularly in the first half, although improved by their second-half substitutes. Raúl Jiménez was unlucky not to score on his Fulham debut when hooking Harry Wilson’s cross on to the base of a post. The visitors carved open Everton again when Pereira swept Mitrovic’s threaded pass across the face of Jordan Pickford’s goal for De Cordova-Reid to convert at the back post.
“It was not a good performance,” said Marco Silva. “It is not a problem for me to say Everton deserved better but it’s a great feeling when you don’t play at your level for 95 minutes and you are able to win away from home.”
