Sunday Fulham Stuff - 08/02/26...

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Results

Saturday 07/02
Man Utd	2-0	Spurs
Bournemouth	1-1	Villa
Arsenal	3-0	Sunderland
Burnley	0-2	West Ham
Fulham	1-2	Everton
Mykolenko(OG)
Wolves	1-3	Chelsea
Newcastle	2-3	Brentford

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Fulham 1-2 Everton

At a glance

    Vitalii Mykolenko first-half own goal handed Fulham half-time lead

    Mykolenko assisted Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for Everton equaliser in 76th minute

    Goalkeeper Bernd Leno fumbled Dewsbury-Hall's corner into his own goal seven minutes from time

    Everton move up to seventh, Fulham drop to 10th

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall boosted Everton's chances of qualifying for Europe as he inspired his side to a late, come-from-behind win against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The midfielder scored his first goal since returning from an injury lay-off to equalise in the 76th minute, after Vitalii Mykolenko's own goal had put the home side ahead.

He then had a hand in the winner as his corner caused Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno to fumble the ball into his own goal seven minutes from time.

The victory sees Everton climb to seventh in the Premier League, while the hosts drop to 10th.

The visitors started brightly in west London and could have been ahead inside eight minutes when Jake O'Brien headed on to the post from James Garner's corner.

Fulham, though, hit back with a chance from Alex Iwobi - who spent four years with the Toffees prior to joining Fulham - before Mykolenko's unfortunate own goal put the home side ahead in the 18th minute.

It came after a slick move from Marco Silva's side - started by the excellent Samuel Chukwueze - and though Jordan Pickford saved well from Raul Jimenez, the ball ricocheted off the Ukraine left-back and into the back of the net.

Even though there was a huge slice of luck about the opener, a one-goal advantage was the least Fulham deserved as they dominated the rest of the first half. Pickford was called into action again as he produced a stunning fingertip save to turn Chukwueze's effort around the post shortly afterwards.

Fulham boss Silva was left wondering how his side did not extend their lead as Emile Smith Rowe and Chukwueze rattled the crossbar from long range in the final 10 minutes of the half.

In a more evenly matched second half, Everton manager David Moyes - serving a touchline ban - sent on Beto and new signing Tyrique George in search of an equaliser with 20 minutes remaining.

They found it when Mykolenko made amends for his earlier mistake by breaking away from Timothy Castagne to tee up Dewsbury-Hall to convert from close range.

The travelling Blues were still celebrating that moment when Leno diverted the midfielder's corner into his own goal seven minutes later to hand Moyes' side a dramatic victory as their impressive away form continued.

Everton analysis: Dewsbury-Hall ready to step up in Grealish absence
For so long, it looked like it was going to be an away day to forget for Everton.

The Blues were comfortably second best for most of the afternoon and only remained in the game because of Fulham's failure to turn chances into goals during a one-sided first half.

But that all changed when Dewsbury-Hall equalised by scoring his first goal since December.

His second-half performance was proof that Dewsbury-Hall is quickly becoming a key pillar of this Everton team, who are progressing after a turbulent few years for the blue half of Merseyside.

After narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League twice in recent seasons, Dewsbury-Hall, Jack Grealish and Thierno Barry were brought in to try and fire the club back up the Premier League.

There have been green shoots throughout the season so far - especially on the road where the Toffees have won five and drawn two of their past eight games.

But after a difficult start to 2026, and the news that Grealish's season was over after suffering a foot injury last month, Evertonians would have been forgiven for fearing the worst.

But Dewsbury-Hall has breathed new life into Everton's season and proved that there is plenty to play for - specifically European football - between now and the end of May.

Fulham analysis: Familiar frailties return
When the camera panned to Silva moments before the full-time whistle, his face told the story of another sorry afternoon for Fulham.

The Fulham manager was in a state of shock as his side - not for the first time this season - proved to be masters of their own downfall.

For much of the afternoon, it seemed as though Everton had no answer for Silva's side and the slick transitions they produced as Chukwueze, Smith Rowe and Jimenez came close to adding a second.

But in the end it was a familiar sinking feeling for the club's fans as six days on from a gut-wrenching defeat at Old Trafford, they conceded a late winner once more.

For all of the talent that has arrived at Craven Cottage in recent seasons - including Smith Rowe, Iwobi, Kevin and, of course, Chukwueze - it is Fulham's weakness in defence that continues to prove costly.

They have not kept a Premier League clean sheet for seven matches, with their last coming against West Ham on 27 December.

It goes without saying that Silva will know exactly where his side will need to improve if they are to kick-start their own push for European qualification.

What's next for these teams?
Everton host Bournemouth at the Hill Dickenson Stadium in their next Premier League match on Tuesday (19:30 GMT).

Fulham visit title-chasing Manchester City on Wednesday (19:30), before travelling to Stoke City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, 15 February (14:00).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/czr4d7yekd5t

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Post-Everton Press Conference
Marco Silva admitted Fulham were left frustrated after surrendering a first-half advantage in a 2-1 defeat to Everton at Craven Cottage.

The Whites produced a dominant opening 45 minutes and created a host of chances, but went into the break with only a single-goal cushion – a margin that ultimately proved costly as Everton turned the game around after half-time.

"We should have killed the game," Marco explained. "We should have scored three or four goals (in the first-half) at least.

"I know Everton created one good chance from a corner too, but there were a number of chances that we created and clear, clear chances to score more goals.

"Second-half, we stopped doing the right things. We spoke at half-time and expected a normal reaction from a side like Everton – we expected them to make some steps forward.

"We started to lose control of the game. Of course, we tried to react from the bench but we lost control of the game and we have to blame ourselves, definitely, for the way we lost this afternoon.

"We were too soft defending our box. It's a moment for us to blame ourselves and to really look at ourselves because you want to prove your quality. It was a good chance for us to prove our quality, but we have to prove it for 90 minutes, not just 45."

Everton's winning goal was officially credited as a Bernd Leno own goal, with some Fulham supporters feeling James O'Brien may have impeded the goalkeeper in the build-up. However, Marco was adamant his focus lay firmly on his own side's performance.

"He was interfering but to be honest, I'm more disappointed with ourselves. We should be disappointed with ourselves and not talk about the referee.

"We cannot expect different decisions or decisions to come in our favour. We have to look at ourselves much more and be more brave, more aggressive in all the moments."

There was a positive note for the Whites as Rodrigo Muniz made his return from injury, appearing as a substitute for the first time in nearly three months. New signing Oscar Bobb further strengthening Fulham's options, making his debut off the bench.

"He (Muniz) is going to be important, for sure. The last two or three months for us, the way we played and the way we were without solutions there, that was not a normal thing.

"What we had this afternoon I think is a good Premier League bench and a bench that can give us solutions for what comes ahead of us. It's always important for us to have a player like him ready to help us and help Raúl, to score goals and to be stronger."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/february/07/post-everton-press-conference/

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Leno's own goal helps Everton beat Fulham
Fulham suffered a sickening home defeat as Everton came from behind to beat them at Craven Cottage with the help of an own goal by keeper Bernd Leno.

Vitalii Mykolenko's own goal opened the scoring but he atoned for his error by setting up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's second-half equaliser.

And Leno flapped at Dewsbury-Hall's late corner, touching the ball into his own net under pressure from Jake O'Brien.

Fulham led after a pulsating first half in which Everton hit the post and the hosts were then denied by a goalline clearance before going in front and twice hitting the bar before the interval.

After Everton defender O'Brien headed against the woodwork early on and then headed Sander Berge's effort off the line, Fulham scored somewhat fortuitously.

After Alex Iwobi got to Samuel Chukwueze's chip into the box but was challenged by James Tarkowski, Ryan Sessegnon pounced on the loose ball and laid it across to Raul Jimenez. In trying to block the striker's side-footed shot from near the edge of the six-yard box, Mykolenko inadvertently diverted it past keeper Jordan Pickford.

Fulham dominated the rest of the half, with Emile Smith Rowe's curler and Chukwueze's 30-yard piledriver hitting the bar.

Had they managed to score a second goal during that spell, the result would probably have been very different.

Everton were better in the second half, though, and Thierno Barry and Tarkowski went close to equalising with headers, before Mykolenko did superbly on the left and squared the ball for Dewsbury-Hall, who fired into the bottom corner.

That galvanised the visitors – and Leno's blunder then handed them the points.
Fulham: Leno, Castagne (Tete 83), Andersen, Cuenca, Sessegnon, Berge, Iwobi, Smith Rowe (Bobb 83), Wilson, Jimenez (Muniz 75), Chukwueze (Kevin 75).
Subs not used: Lecomte, Bassey, Robinson, Reed, King.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/lenos-own-goal-helps-everton-beat-fulham

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Fulham 1-2 Everton: Cottagers stunned as Bernd Leno own goal seals Toffees' comeback win
Chelsea loanee Tyrique George made debut in west London as David Moyes watched from stands

A late turnaround helped Everton continue their fine away form with a 2-1 Premier League win at Fulham.

The Toffees' four-match unbeaten run on the road looked set to end thanks to Vitalii Mykolenko's unfortunate 18th-minute own goal following a fine initial save by Jordan Pickford.

It would have made ugly viewing for David Moyes, up in the stands due to a touchline ban, but he watched Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall level with 15 minutes left before a corner by the same player was punched into his own net by Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno to consign Marco Silva's men to a rare home defeat.

Moyes would have had the perfect vantage point for an Everton opener in the early stages, only for Jake O'Brien's eighth-minute header to smash off the woodwork moments after James Garner had been denied from a free-kick.

Fulham regrouped and Pickford produced a wonderful save to deny Raul Jimenez before O'Brien cleared Sander Berge's follow-up effort.

O'Brien was required to intercept another dangerous cross soon after before Fulham broke the deadlock in the 18th minute in fortuitous circumstances.

Samuel Chukwueze chipped the ball into the path of Alex Iwobi, who was tackled inside the area, but Ryan Sessegnon found Jimenez and, even though Pickford produced a wonderful stop to deny the Mexican, the loose ball hit team-mate Mykolenko and bounced in.

Pickford, under the watchful eye of England head coach Thomas Tuchel, was furious but had little time to dwell on the goal, with Chukwueze the next to test the Everton keeper.

All the momentum was with Fulham now and, after Emile Smith Rowe struck the crossbar with a brilliant curled effort, Jimenez should have made it 2-0 in the 31st minute but dragged his effort wide after more fine play down the hosts' left.

It largely remained one-way traffic, with Harry Wilson the next to fire off target when he uncharacteristically snatched at a chance before Pickford rushed out to deny Smith Rowe from another excellent Chukwueze pass.

Chukwueze almost grabbed a deserved goal before the break, but his 30-yard piledriver clipped the crossbar.

Everton returned for the second half with improved intent and Thierno Barry headed wide from a corner.

Fulham arguably should have put the game to bed just past the hour mark when Wilson played in Chukwueze, who squared for Jimenez, but O'Brien did enough to deny the forward from close range.

James Tarkowski sent a header off target moments later as anxiety increased around Craven Cottage.

Moyes reacted with Beto and deadline-day arrival Tyrique George introduced and six minutes later Everton levelled.

Mykolenko atoned for his own goal with a fine burst beyond Joachim Andersen before his pull-back was swept home by Dewsbury-Hall.

Leno may have done better and, although he denied Beto soon after, the Fulham keeper was at fault for Everton's 83rd-minute winner.

Dewsbury-Hall sent his corner to the near post, where O'Brien made a nuisance of himself and Leno could only punch the ball weakly into his own net.

Seven minutes were added on, but Everton held on as Moyes celebrated more away-day success.




https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-everton-result-leno-mykolenko-premier-league-b1270055.html

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Crystal Palace, Fulham rival Manchester United in Michael Carrick battle
Michael Carrick has been the Manchester United head coach after the departure of Ruben Amorim, and a long-term stay may be on the cards.

Michael Carrick has done an excellent job since taking over, guiding Manchester United to victories over Manchester City and Arsenal. The Englishman has shown his quality in a short time at the club, and he will look to finish the season strongly at Manchester United. It will be interesting to see if they can secure Champions League qualification under his management.

Carrick has impressed with his management, and clubs like Crystal Palace and Fulham are keeping tabs on him, according to Football Insider. They could look to make a move for him at the end of the season. It will be interesting to see whether Manchester United are willing to take on the job permanently.

If he can guide them to UEFA Champions League qualification, he would certainly be able to make a strong case for the permanent role. It remains to be seen how the situation develops.

If the move to Manchester United does not happen, Crystal Palace and Fulham could be exciting destinations for him. He will look to manage at the highest level, and joining either of the two Premier League clubs would be ideal for him.

Crystal Palace or Fulham to move for Carrick?
Crystal Palace are set to lose Oliver Glasner at the end of the season. The Austrian manager has confirmed that he will leave the South London club in the summer. He has done an excellent job at the London club, and it will be interesting to see if Carrick can replace him properly. The Eagles have a talented squad, and he will look to compete at a high-level with them.

Similarly, Fulham have done quite well this season. They will look to finish the season strongly. The West London outfit a talented squad at their disposal, and the 44-year-old manager has the opportunity to manage them. It remains to be seen where he ends up eventually. Ideally, he will look to manage his former club, Manchester United, next season.



https://thehardtackle.com/news/2026/02/07/crystal-palace-fulham-rival-manchester-united-in-michael-carrick-battle/

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Second-half collapse dents Fulham's European push in Everton defeat
Fulham (1) 1 Mykolenko OG 18'
Everton (0) 2 Dewsbury-Hall 75', Leno OG 83'

Fulham's European ambitions took a hit as they surrendered a lead to lose against Everton.

A Vitali Mykolenko own goal gave Marco Silva's side the lead amid a flurry of chances, but a flat second-half showing allowed the visitors to turn the game around.

One-time Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall swept home to level the scores before Jake O'Brien got the better of Bernd Leno at a corner and forced an own goal.

A defeat against his former club will sting all the more for Silva given just how good his current side were in the first half at Craven Cottage.

Although O'Brien headed against the inside of the post in the opening ten minutes, this was otherwise Fulham at something close to their very best.

With Alex Iwobi orchestrating play at the base of midfield, Emile Smith-Rowe, Samuel Chukwueze and Ryan Sessegnon regularly proved far too sophisticated for Everton to provide any sort of resistance.

Smith-Rowe and Chukwueze hit the crossbar with spectacular efforts, while both the former Arsenal man and Raul Jimenez were guilty of passing up far more presentable opportunities.

Perhaps it was no surprise then that breakthrough arrived thanks to a little help from David Moyes' visitors.

When yet another well-worked move involving Chukwueze, Iwobi and Sessegnon fell the way of Jimenez, his initial effort was well saved by Jordan Pickford only for the ball to dribble over the line courtesy of a touch from Mykolenko.

Mykolenko went some way in making up for the error after the interval, clearing a Chukwueze cross that Jimenez looked destined to finish, but that was the only moment of excitement for the Fulham faithful in a disappointing second half.

Silva may himself take some responsibility for the way three points became a first home defeat of the year.

The Fulham boss made substitutions in the moments before both Everton goals – the second occasion all the more puzzling as Fulham were preparing to defend a corner.

Leno was unable to prevent Dewsbury-Hall's stabbed effort from a Mykolenko cross finding the net. But it was the winning goal where he was really at fault, as the goalkeeper allowed O'Brien to get the better of him before the ball was forced over the line.

Fulham sat seventh in the Premier League table at half-time and appeared in the mood for a genuine push for Europe, making this second-half collapse all the more difficult to understand.



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/second-half-collapse-dents-fulham-s-european-push-in-everton-defeat

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Fulham blow early lead as Everton comeback to win late
A terrible second half hands Fulham a poor 2-1 defeat at the Cottage

Everton have beaten Fulham in a comeback victory for David Moyes' team, who have climbed right behind their Merseyside rivals in today's 2-1 win at the Cottage. After a promising first half, in which an own goal gave Fulham an early lead and many a chance flew in the face of the Everton goal, a truly risible second half performance saw our lead collapse under the pressure of a fearsome Everton response. Dewsbury-Hall put the sword to us, scoring to equalise and setting up an own-goal a few minutes later, in a reminder of the merciless nature of the Premier League; the game saw our familiar failings, be it doziness from set-pieces or the ever-present inability to kill a game off, cost us what could have been a win, and sour some of the good spirits we've fostered thus far in 2026.

First Half
It was a slow start at the Cottage for Fulham. Everton aren't exactly renowned for rampant attacking football but the pragmatic approach Moyes has reinstalled at the club let them pounce on our early sluggishness. Some sprightly runs from youngster Armstrong and Ndiaye created a few early scares around the box, and our wobbles from set-pieces threatened to reward Everton with the lead, Leno thankfully alert enough to push an accurate Garner free-kick over the bar and fortunate O'Brien's header from his corner struck the post. Yet the switch of Robinson for Sessegnon at left-back seemed to bestow an extra edge upon Fulham's attack. We had new energy along our left, terrorising O'Brien's flank and creating several opportunities through the interplay between Sess, Smith Rowe and Chukwueze, pulling threads from the blue backline and working the ball into the box. One cross from the left-back needed Pickford to punch it out for a corner, leading to a Berge header cleared off the line by O'Brien.

This was Everton's weakness, and we took advantage. Smith Rowe worked the ball quickly beyond Gueye, out to Chukwueze hugging the touchline. He lifted the ball over the masses that had converged on the left, guiding it to Iwobi's clever run into space. The Nigerian international's touch took him into Keane, but in his haste the centre-back touched the ball straight back to Sessegnon, cleverly burrowing into the box. Sess knocked the ball into the path of Jimenez, right in front of goal; the shot was straight at the keeper, yet Pickford's impulsive palm away travelled straight back into Mykolenko, still midway through his attempted block of the shot, and rebounded back into the net. Everton's defending was poor, but our fine work on the left had created the opportunity to strike.

We might have doubled the lead fairly quickly, taking the ball off a stunned Everton and storming down the left again with Jimenez, who fed Sessegnon and let him bend a ball into the box for Chukwueze: his one-touch shot on the turn was pushed narrowly wide by Pickford. It was a nervy period for the visitors, whose movements up the pitch in search of an equaliser seemed to destabilise their creaking defence. A flurry of corners were conceded, with Everton struggling to abate the pressure - Keane needed to block a Berge shot from within the box, a rushed tackle on Chukwueze by Garner let Smith Rowe fire a shot off the crossbar and, dawdling from a goal-kick, some fierce pressure from Sess let him pinch the ball off O'Brien, moving it quickly through Smith Rowe to Jimenez. With Wilson completely unmarked to his right, a goal seemed certain - unfortunately, Raul tried to turn Mykolenko's in possession, and dragged his shot wide.

Our visitors weren't out of the contest though. With Dewsbury-Hall on the pitch, chances could be created from scant little. A rare lapse in concentration from Berge let him slip a ball through to Barry - Andersen had to track the forward to the goalline, eventually diverting out his shot. This seemed to shake Everton out of their slumber, and in the latter phase of the half they enjoyed some possession of their own. Ndiaye swapped wings with Armstrong to take on Castagne, to great effect; he dazed him with a piece of skill and whipped a ball across, needing Cuenca to make a swift clearance and the good fortune of Armstrong steering his volley off-target.

Whilst the centre-backs were diligent, warding Everton out of the box, the technical skills of our opponents gave us a few quandaries to manage. Garner and Gueye moved the ball around nicely, letting Everton put us on the back foot, and critically freeing their defence up to move into good passing positions; Mykolenko almost made this pay towards the end of the period, with Dewsbury-Hall collecting a long-pass from the fullback with his chest, striking a pass around Andersen and into the path of Barry. If the forward had timed his sliding swipe a little better, it surely would have flown into the net too quickly for Leno to stop - instead, its deflection off his foot flew out to Gueye, who guided a comfortable shot into the keeper's grateful grasp.

It was enough to maintain our lead for the half, as our gameplan shifted into a series of promising counter-attacks. Chukwueze was a key figure here - his pace was too much for Everton, and with his radar switched on provided numerous killer balls for Fulham to try and convert. Wilson may rue missing one, receiving a poorly-timed defensive header from Keane but smacking a bad effort off target. Another, built through crisp passes from Iwobi and then his pacey compatriot, slotting it through the lines to find Smith Rowe's run into the box, needed a loftier finish than Emile gave it, letting Pickford's legs deny the goal. Incredibly, this still wasn't the end - the corner led to Armstrong clearing the ball straight to Chukwueze, who from outside the box fired yet another effort onto the crossbar, skimming the bar as it flew over.

Second Half
Everton needed a goal, and they wasted no time trying to score one. They bombarded our box with a cavalcade of crosses, moving their backline into our half and shelling the centre-backs with aerial balls in. It signalled a nervy character for the half - our failure to extend the lead when we were on top had clearly given Moyes motivation for his team, and the full-backs pushed forward to ensure no respite for our defence. They passed nicely and pressed hard, forcing our attackers back to try and deflate the attacking danger.

Not for the first time this season, the skittish finishing of their striker - and a few others in the team - denied them a reward for their efforts. Repeatedly, the promise of their crosses, possession and movement was denied by poor finishing, sloppiness in the critical moments, a failure to grasp the energy of the moment. Michael Keane can perhaps be forgiven for miscuing the earliest of these chances, wasting a brilliant piece of dribbling by Dewsbury-Hall to sneak away from Berge and fire a ball into the box. Barry has less leeway, heading a good corner from Garner wide and losing a smart through ball into the box from Ndiaye under his feet.

It wasn't as though we were completely defunct in the half. Smith Rowe was cruising through the game, picking the ball up in our half and bursting through the midfield to take danger away from our defence. He earnt a booking for Gueye in the first half and did the same for Garner in this one, demonstrating his quality in the team. On the rare moments we got on the ball for a solid period, building on these attacking moves, we showed promise - a good interception caused by Cuenca stepping out of the backline let him move the ball to Wilson, ahead of the advanced midfield. He shifted the ball left, to an unopposed Chukwueze. With Armstrong too far behind him for his tracking back to save the danger, a cross fizzed into the area - yet Mykolenko made a crucial interception to sneak ahead of Jimenez, denying the striker the chance to finish.

We urgently needed a change, evidenced by Ndiaye taking advantage of our foray forward by storming forward, slipping Dewsbury-Hall in peeling down the left - Andersen was fortunately placed to stop the cross finding Barry, and again our set-piece weakness went unpunished as Tarkowski couldn't time his jump to hit Garner's corner correctly. Being off the ball so frequently made us nervy and fleeting, giving away possession cheaply and blundering about despite the hunger of our opponents. Cuenca's game started to fall apart, at one point losing track of a winnable through-ball to body-check Barry's run and earning a booking for his moment of chaos. Leno, having kicked the ball straight to Everton players moments earlier, rushed off his line to try and punch the free-kick clear, instead catching Cuenca in the head.

The stoppage for his treatment seemed to at least make Silva consider a change, though not before Moyes had introduced his own, swapping Barry and Armstrong for the pacey duo of striker Beto and new signing - and Fulham target - Tyrique George. After the corner was dealt with, Jimenez and Chukwueze departed for Kevin and the long-awaited return of Rodrigo Muniz. But, as had been feared, the changes came too late. Everton had the momentum, and now had the players to eke out the difference. Taking up Armstrong's slot on the left, George sucked the fallible Castagne towards him, freeing up space for Mykolenko to overlap down the flank. The Ukrainian obliged, moving into the box and forcing Andersen to try and stop the attack. It wasn't the Dane's finest moment - with a clever touch, Mykolenko cut away from Andersen at an angle that took the centre-back out of his path, before drilling the ball back into Dewsbury-Hall, nicely slotted away from Iwobi and behind the backline to take a strike at goal. His effort was too quick for Leno to react properly, and the keeper could only divert it into his own net for the equaliser.

This was a horrible piece of defending, but it had been coming - we had failed to recapture our first-half energy, and Everton punished us for it. They had the motivation to stave us off, O'Brien besting Kevin on the first attempt and easily smothering our attempt to threaten from a corner by scuttling us into a tame effort for Berge, scuffing a shot into the ground. And once again, any move we tried to make offensively was being countered rapidly by the Everton attack. Beto placed Cuenca under pressure with his own energy, at one point burrowing behind another horrid attempt to deal with an aerial ball - Leno was forced to surge from his line to block the striker's shot, and moments later watched George take the ball from Gueye and whip yet another effort off the bar.

Combined failures to take the ball out of danger began to compound - the repeated threat of Dewsbury-Hall, comfortable firing crosses into the box away from the combined efforts of Castagne, Iwobi and Wilson on our right, meant corners continued to be won, the latest through a speculative punch from Leno. Another double-change took place right before it was taken - Tete and Bobb arrived for the hapless Castagne and an exhausted Smith Rowe. Yet the pause seemed to make us lose focus, unpiecing our set-up for the set-piece. Dewsbury-Hall guided the ball to the six-yard box, where Leno found himself stuck behind O'Brien. He perilously flapped at the incoming ball, but to his horror punched it into his own net, sending the Everton fans into delirium.

Another awful piece of defending had given Everton the lead, and despite there being a considerable stretch of time left, the game was as good as dead. Kevin, to his credit, did earn a free kick against O'Brien, but like the other "chances" in this phase for us it came to nothing. Relying on pumping balls towards a still-recovering Muniz was a hopeless strategy, the closest resulting in a very-off-target header from an Iwobi cross, and Everton were content to let us smack the ball anywhere but the goal. Pickford happily received a yellow card for some late timewasting before the final whistle sounded: another defeat for Silva's side.

A Game of Two Halves
Fulham, once again, blew a strong position in a game. It is worth pointing out that several members of this team have played through a lot of minutes this season, and the fall off in the second half perhaps demonstrates the cumulative toll this has taken - which makes one wonder why Marco waited until the 75th minute to make any changes. Cuenca was falling to pieces even before he got clobbered in the face, our midfield duo didn't have the fuel left to battle Everton out of their comfort zone during many a spell of possession and the likes of Jimenez and Wilson were left wheezing deep into the half. Everton brought on two players and had a goal for their changes minutes later - the pragmatism Marco shows so often eluded us today.

Of course, it is silly to lay the blame at the manager's hands when glaring errors were made for both goals. Andersen had a horrible moment against Mykolenko for the equaliser, utterly humbled by the full-back. Leno had egg on his face too, with his punched own-goal the worst of a few feeble moments from aerial situations. How no one on the team thought to offer some protection to their keeper is another question though, and points to the wider chaos that has set in across a few moments this season. Castagne is the easy target and had another weak game - if Tete is fit, he must start midweek against Manchester City. But the centre-backs both fell to pieces this afternoon, be it Cuenca losing his nerve against Barry and Beto, or Andersen being deceived in critical moments, and their collective failures from set-pieces is costing us goals far too regularly. When you defend as carelessly as we did, defeat is inevitable.

It's a shame, as there were positive moments throughout the opening spell. Sess has surely sent a message to Robinson, given his attacking fluidity with the rest of the team. Iwobi and Berge, when they had the legs, were smooth as silk across the first half, and kept the pressure on Everton very nicely. Smith Rowe showcased the quality on and off the ball Arsenal fans rave about, and was involved in everything Fulham did right in attack. The margins are very tight - Pickford's fine saves across the game, the frame of the goal, and Jimenez taking a selfish move in a critical situation are all examples of where the game might have turned. It's clear that the team aren't a lost cause in attack, and with Muniz finally back, Bobb joining the ranks and Kevin playing with a touch more confidence there's a lot to be excited about. However, if Cairney is injured we do have a concern in the CM role - Iwobi and Berge were tired towards the end of the game, and if they don't have suitable rest we will be walked all-over as Everton did today. There is a looming concern for Silva to address there.

Everton for Europe?
Not so at his former club, where Moyes has guided Everton into 7th place. It's a fine achievement given their recent history, and whilst there's a long way to go this season, the team seem to have a promising future ahead of them. The turnaround for Dewsbury-Hall following his struggles at Chelsea is stupendous - the man was everywhere today, and seems to be channeling his inner Beckham with the consistency of the deliveries into the box he supplied his teammates with. The intelligence to find the space away from our players was clever too - he slotted neatly into pockets around the left and centre all game, and had a direct hand in both goals as a reward.

Barry still resembles Bambi at times, unable to get his body in the right contortion to put the ball goalwards, but his efforts tire out defenders and certainly sowed the seeds for Beto when he arrived. More directly effective was Ndiaye, who enjoyed a few creative moments cutting inside from the flanks and feeding the ball through the gaps his movement created. Garner and Gueye, whilst a bit heavy at times, are a good midfield pairing - they had the legs to last the game, and plugged many a hole at the back, something important given the struggles the backline had at times over the game. Compare our difficulty even getting a Fulham man on the ball in Everton's box vs the porous nature our defence had by the end of the game and you can see the impact the pair have for their team.

On the backline, I do think they were a bit fortunate not to concede more - Pickford and the crossbar bailed them out a few times, and they certainly relied on team spirit rather than exceptional individual defending. However, communication and resilience can make even the lowest of players rise to a challenge, and collectively the four steeled up when it mattered, batting our feeble attacks away to secure the victory. It's another three points on the road for their team as a result - Everton are looking excellently placed for a surprise run at the European spots.

Is it but a dream for Fulham, though? As poor as today's capitulation was, we sit in the middle of a congested table, and given the abundance of European spots dished out to the Premier League it feels too early to write us off completely. At the same time the fear of the last two results, combined with a daunting visit to the blue half of Manchester, morphing into a complete slump of form, feels quite real. What is certain is that Marco needs to turn the side's spirits around quickly, and ensure our late setbacks are a blip, not a pattern for the rest of the season.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/fulham-blow-early-lead-as-everton

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 1-2 Everton: Whites crumble as the visitors come from behind to move into European spots - and David Moyes celebrates from the stands!
Ninth against 10th, 34 points versus 34 points - that's how the day started when Everton travelled to Craven Cottage.

There was never going to be much in it, was there?

2-1 to the visitors it finished. Dewsbury-Hall with a second-half equaliser before Bernd Leno clumsily punched into his own net to seal all three points for the Toffees.

The Everton fans were raucous. Fulham's departed dismayed. Football is about taking your chances, and the Toffees did just that.

Daily Mail Sport's GETHIN HICKS was in position to analyse the action. 

A tale of two halves
David Moyes must have had some choice words for his side shortly before 4pm in the old-fashioned Craven Cottage dressing room, because a different Everton emerged after a break.

The visitors were drab, even dire, in the first half. In the second they dominated.

The equaliser had been coming long before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall side-footed home on 74 minutes. From there, you could almost sense an Everton winner was on the horizon.

A set-piece eventually won it. Bernd Leno punching into his own net under pressure from Jake O'Brien on 83 minutes. From there the game was done - Everton's wily defence wasn't going to let that lead slip.

Only table-toppers Arsenal (9) have conceded fewer away goals than the Toffees (10) this season, and that's no coincidence.

Moyes watched on proudly from the peak of the Riverside Stand as his team moved into the top half of the Premier League.

He took over a little over a year ago with the club sat precariously in 17th position, one point off relegation. Now, they sit seventh, dreaming of a long-awaited return to Europe. 

'We want to have a go at Europe,' Moyes said post-match. 'You might laugh at me in a few weeks but I want the players to know what I want. I think we've made big improvements and we need to make more.'

Dismay for Silva
Marco Silva trudged on to the Craven Cottage turf at full-time, head bowed, almost in disbelief.

His side were stellar with the sun shining before the interval. Their football was free-flowing. Jimenez put them one-up, Chukwueze hit the crossbar from distance and, in truth, they should have been out of sight.

If it wasn't for Jordan Pickford, they would have been.

But the team which emerged for the second 45 was unrecognisable. As their side gave away countless balls in the middle of the park, the nervousness among the Fulham faithful was palpable.

Emile Smith-Rowe, Samuel Chukwueze and Harry Wilson, who had impressed earlier, faded and Fulham lost control. Their defence unable to withstand a bombardment of crosses from the aerially-dominant Toffees.

It was far from surprising the game was won by a set-piece, scored in front of a raucous Everton away end. 

Silva made changes, young debutant Oscar Bobb was one of them, but couldn't turn the tide back in Fulham's favour.

This was a story the fiery Portuguese has read before. His side have lost three games to last-minute goals this campaign. Avoid those, and they could be in the European spots.

Instead they stay 10th and consigned to midtable mediocrity - for now.     

Traditional wingers are back in fashion
They say traditional wingers have gone out of the game, don't they? Well, in Samuel Chukwueze, the Whites appear to have found one.

If there was one player who deserved to be on the winning team on Saturday, it was the Nigerian paceman.

Flanked by left-back Ryan Sessegnon, he had the out-of-position Jake O'Brien all at sea before the break.

Chukwueze ran at him with the sort of fearlessness so lacking in modern-day wide men and, with end product to match, was the standout player for Fulham.

Having played a delightful dink through to Alex Iwobi in the build up to the opener, he brought the Cottage faithful out of their seats moments later with a powerful strike from distance which crashed against the crossbar.

Fulham have an obligation to make his move permanent for £22million in the summer. At that price, they'd be foolish not to do so. 



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15531639/Fulham-1-2-Everton-Whites-crumble.html

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 'too soft' in defeat against Everton – Silva
Marco Silva felt his Fulham side were "too soft" in the second half of their 2-1 defeat against Everton.

Fulham led at half-time at Craven Cottage and had a host of chances to extend that lead.

Vitalii Mykolenko's own goal opened the scoring but he atoned for his error by setting up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's second-half equaliser.

And keeper Bernd Leno flapped at Dewsbury-Hall's late corner, touching the ball into his own net under pressure from Jake O'Brien.

Whites boss Silva admitted: "In the second half we stopped doing the right things.

"We stopped doing things that we did so well in the first half; the dynamic in our build-up, when we play under pressure.

"We were too soft for this level. You look at the goals (conceded)."

Fulham were boosted by the return of striker Rodrigo Muniz, who came off the bench, but it was Everton who finished stronger.

"It was a moment for us to blame ourselves, to really look for ourselves, because you want to prove your quality," said Silva.

"It was a good chance for us to prove our quality but we have to prove it during the 95 minutes. not just 45 ."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-too-soft-in-defeat-against-everton-silva