30 January 2024 , 21:57
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Sean Dyche declared Everton’s battling draw as “pleasing” and toasted his one-year anniversary in charge with two post-match pies.
Yet the point earned against a Fulham side that created plenty but lacked a ruthless finishing touch was not enough to stop them from sliding into the relegation places.
And on the eve of their three-day appeal against the Premier League’s 10-point deduction for a breach of financial rules, Everton may be mildly concerned by their own misfiring attack as goal-starved Dominic Calvert-Lewin extended his scoreless run to 16 appearances.
Worse, substitute Beto sent a 94th-minute header from three yards over the bar. And in a late flurry of action Ben Godfrey had two attempts blocked by the replacement striker as Everton went close to snatching three precious points.
However, for Dyche there were more than a few crumbs of comfort to be found in how resolute and organised without the ball his team performed to leave Marco Silva’s hosts deeply frustrated.
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And Dyche said: “If ever there was an exciting nil-nil that was it. We both had chances, it was ding dong. We have a stretched team injury wise and I’m asking a lot of the players but we’ll take the clean sheet and point.”
Fulham, with only two wins from their past 11 in all competitions, shaded possession and registered 25 chances but Silva declared himself “disappointed with the result.”
The Portuguese said: “Both teams had chances to score but we were more dominant, all the stats showed that. Our decision-making has to be better, we have to be more assertive in some situations.”
Antonee Robinson, Andreas Pereira and Raul Jimenez all spurned clear first-half opportunities for the home side, while at the opposite end James Tarkowski came close to an opener when his left-footed attempt deflected off Issa Diop, onto the bar and was eventually cleared from the line by Timothy Castagne.
Joao Palhinha of Fulham is shown a yellow card in the draw against EvertonArnaut Danjuma then skied a good chance after cutting in from the left.
Still, Fulham appeared the more likely to break the deadlock. And with the exception of Calvert-Lewin grazing the bar with a header early in the second period, Everton’s best work was defensive until the final seconds.
Godfrey made a remarkable recovery run to intercept a Bobby De Cordova-Reid pass that would have allowed Willian a free sight of goal and the woodwork came to their saviour when Castagne watched a header come off the bar.
The pressure continued to ramp up as Pereira earned a corner from which Tosin’s powerful header forced Jordan Pickford into a magnificent right-handed save.
De Cordova-Reid scuffed wide entering the final 10 minutes and Pickford gratefully smothered a poorly-directed header from Rodrigo Muniz before Beto’s bizarre cameo.