Everton 1-3 Fulham: Cottagers end their five-game losing streak

Before kick-off at Goodison Park, Everton welcomed 84-year-old Derek Temple and 85-year-old Tony Kay on to the pitch at Goodison Park — two members of their title-winning side in 1963.

For context, it was 12 years before that when Everton were last relegated from the top flight and after this defeat, the ominous prospect of Everton going down for the first time in 72 years looks a genuine possibility.

This was a game Everton simply had to win against a Fulham side in the middle of their worst run all season and who had not won in the league since February.

Instead, it was a joyous afternoon on Merseyside for Marco Silva, still serving a touchline ban, on his return to the club where he was sacked in 2019, as Fulham ended their five-game losing streak thanks to goals from Harrison Reed, Harry Wilson and Daniel James.

‘Clearly we were the best team on the pitch and we deserved the three points, with no doubt,’ said Silva. ‘I don’t need one football match to prove nothing for no one. I have to keep proving for myself, for my staff, for my players and for Fulham fans,’ added the manager when asked whether this win, in particular, felt good.

The ball fell to Harry Wilson in the box and he picked his spot against a static Everton defence

It left Everton outside the relegation places on goal difference alone, with Nottingham Forest still to play their game in hand today.

‘It’s no different to the challenge when I got here. Everyone told me that we were gone then so we’ve corrected that idea,’ said Everton boss Sean Dyche. ‘There’s a saying I have, “You’ve got to make things happen, don’t wait for things to happen”. The second half we were waiting for things to happen and generally, we haven’t done that since I got here.’

Dyche made three changes to the Everton XI who lost at Old Trafford, with Vitali Mykolenko, James Garner and Neal Maupay all starting in a 4-4-2. Seamus Coleman was out with injury. As was Amadou Onana, leaving Dyche with only one of his favoured midfield three in Alexander Iwobi, with Abdoulaye Doucoure serving the second of his three-match ban.

Silva also made three changes, with Kenny Tete, Wilson and James all coming in. After a minute’s silence — observed immaculately — for the 34th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy, the breakthrough came in the 22nd minute.

Former Liverpool man Wilson cut in and struck the post with a superb strike past an outstretched Jordan Pickford from outside the box and from the rebound, Reed calmly finished in the bottom corner.

Dyche switched from a 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1, with Gray moving out to the left and Iwobi offering a much-needed extra body in the centre.The change worked and Everton should have levelled but Maupay headed straight at Bernd Leno from a few yards out and James Tarkowski skied the rebound over.

The equaliser came shortly after as Joao Palhinha lost the ball and Garner found Dwight McNeil, who drilled it wonderfully past Leno.

With the Goodison crowd now roaring, Everton missed another chance after McNeil and Maupay played a lovely one-two but the latter failed to beat Leno.

And they were made to rue their missed chances when, shortly after the break, Fulham went back in front.

Tete’s cross to the back post was wonderfully cushioned by Willian for Wilson to score.

Sean Dyche’s side have a much better record at home – they have only won once on the road

The points were sealed by Fulham with a long free kick and Daniel James calmly finished

And then, from a long ball, James brought the ball down brilliantly with his right foot before slotting in with his left.

‘Going down,’ sang the travelling Fulham fans as the home supporters streamed out of Goodison and into the pubs outside as their attention turned to Aintree, three miles up the road for the 175th Grand National.

Everton’s next two games here will see Newcastle and Manchester City visit, before they face Bournemouth on the final day.

With six points from their last eight games, after six points from their first three under Dyche, the odds are against them.