Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane stepped up to deliver Everton a 2-0 victory over Fulham, highlighting the Toffees’ ongoing struggles in attack and extending the Cottagers’ winless run on the road to five matches.
With Everton’s frontline of Beto and Thierno Barry contributing just one Premier League goal between them this season, the team has relied on unexpected sources for scoring.
Against Fulham, it was defensive midfielder Gueye and centre-back Keane who provided the crucial breakthroughs.
The match was tight early on, with the two sides having combined for only 22 goals in 20 Premier League games this season.
Gueye opened the scoring in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, after Everton had been repeatedly denied by offside calls in a game they otherwise dominated.
Gueye added his second of the campaign after Tim Iroegbunam mishit a chance from a James Tarkowski header that bounced off the crossbar.
This marked a stark improvement for Gueye, who failed to score last season and is now on track to surpass his previous best of four goals for Everton in 2023-24.
Keane sealed the win late, flicking home a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall corner in the 80th minute to extinguish any lingering tension.
The contributions were a welcome relief for manager David Moyes, ending a spell of just one win in eight matches across all competitions.
Moyes also backed Thierno Barry, starting him in consecutive league matches for the first time despite a glaring miss at Sunderland earlier in the week.
The 23-year-old continues to impress with his pace and movement, though his physical presence still seems insufficient for the rigors of the Premier League.
Everton’s attack showed flashes of promise. Barry had a header in the seventh minute go over the bar and thought he had opened his account when Ndiaye’s flick-on from Gueye’s cross found him at the far post, only for the offside flag to intervene.
Dewsbury-Hall also impressed, although he was repeatedly denied by offside calls as Everton struggled to convert possession into goals.
Fulham’s chances were rare and limited. Substitute Rodrigo Muniz saw his effort denied by Jordan Pickford before being withdrawn after just 17 minutes on the pitch.
The visitors’ frustrations were compounded as their defence conceded twice and were unable to halt Everton’s set-piece threat.
The win leaves Everton with a much-needed boost, while Fulham remain perilously close to the relegation zone, sitting just a point above the bottom three.
