August 12, (THEWILL) – Everton’s familiar goal-scoring problems came back to haunt them as the Toffees suffered a disappointing 1-0 home loss to Fulham on the opening day of the English Premier League season.
Despite a summer of change under manager Sean Dyche, Everton, again, lacked a cutting edge in attack, spurning a host of chances before conceding to a 73rd-minute Bobby De Cordova-Reid goal.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was absent with injury and his replacement, Neal Maupay, squandered a golden opportunity after just 32 seconds, setting the tone for a frustrating afternoon. Michael Keane had a goal disallowed, while the likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure and Alex Iwobi also failed to capitalise on openings.
In the end, Everton were made to pay as De Cordova-Reid punished them after coming off the bench at halftime. The defeat puts early pressure on Dyche to address Everton’s long-standing scoring woes. With Calvert-Lewin still sidelined, new arrivals like Maupay and deadline-day signing, Youssef Chermiti, will need to hit the ground running.
Everton will look to bounce back when they face Aston Villa on Sunday, while Fulham host Brentford on Saturday, in their next Premier League fixtures.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
