everton
Football

Blues Stand Up To Fulham Pressure to draw match 0-0

Everton were unable to match the heights achieved in last weekend’s scintillating triumph over Crystal Palace, but they showed courage and gritty desire to grab a point from a tense match against Fulham.

Everton’s Demarai Gray and Dominic Calvert-Lewin came closest in a tense first half, with the former seeing a soaring shot athletically stopped by Bernd Leno and Calvert-Lewin unable to get enough force on a tricky Gray cross.

Meanwhile, Jordan Pickford remarkably saved a thunderous Willian strike from six yards out as the clubs combined for 19 chances on target before halftime.

The second half was a more scrappy affair, with Fulham dominating possession and Everton’s danger coming mostly on the counter.

Amadou Onana’s attempt went inches wide, but Aleksander Mitrovic was a constant threat for the hosts.

As it stands, neither team was able to create a crucial breakthrough, and Everton’s focus will now shift to next Saturday’s evening kick-off against Leicester City at Goodison Park.

Anthony Gordon got Everton’s first chance of the game when he smashed a shot at goal that former Blues Academy product Antonee Robinson leapt in to block.

Gordon’s teammate wing wizard Gray was the next to come near, but Leno saved his well-hit effort.

If that save from Willian was excellent, Pickford’s stop from Willian on eight minutes was magnificent.

The Brazilian striker swivelled fast to create space for a shot from six yards out, slamming an attempt towards goal that Pickford somehow pushed over the crossbar.

Fulham were gaining ground at this point, and Pickford had to work hard to get a fingertip to a Mitrovic header that appeared destined for the top corner.

Everton gradually recovered control of the game, and Gray took the initiative, blasting a fantastic pass into the box, just in front of Leno, that Calvert-Lewin touched with an extended foot. But he couldn’t gain enough traction on his effort, and the ball went wide of the post.

Mitrovic mistimed a challenge on Idrissa Gana Gueye, hitting him high on the ankle, and the game’s first genuine flashpoint occurred after 25 minutes. The Serbian must have been relieved to see referee John Brooks only deliver a yellow card.

As the game approached halftime, Everton created two fantastic chances. Before Gordon twisted his way past Bobby De Cordova-Reid and blasted a shot over the bar, James Tarkowski had a powerful connection on a header but it went right down Leno’s throat.

Everton boss Frank Lampard had cautioned his players about Mitrovic’s aerial danger before of the game, and the striker demonstrated it early in the second half when he leaped high to head Andreas Pereira’s pass fractionally over.

The second half didn’t have quite as many chances as the first, but Everton came close to breaking the deadlock when Onana blasted just wide of the post around the hour mark, then Mitrovic blazed over on the half-volley when well placed.

Lampard made his first substitutions at this point, with Nathan Patterson and James Garner replacing Coleman and Gana.

On 70 minutes, Calvert-Lewin had the ball in the net but was whistled offside after Alex Iwobi’s assist. Willian took aim from just inside the area on 80 minutes, and Pickford put everything behind it to make the save. Garner then made a crucial save, getting a toe on a Willian cut-back to deny a Fulham goal. The home side put pressure in the last quarter, aided by an increasingly vociferous home fans, but Everton fought deep to gain a hard-earned draw.

Kajal S

Kajal S

kajal

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