EFL Cup: Everton vs Fulham: Extended Highlights & Match Report

Fulham became League Cup Semi-Finalists for the first time in our history after a dramatic penalty shootout victory at Goodison Park.

A lowkey 90 minutes saw the Whites take the lead late in the first half when Michael Keane put into his own net, but Everton took it to penalties after Beto’s 82nd minute equaliser.

The standard of spot-kicks was high, with only three out of 16 takers missing – Tosin rolling home the decisive kick to book our place in the final four of the Carabao Cup.

Marco Silva named a strong starting XI, bringing the well-again Calvin Bassey in along with Harrison Reed – who led the team out as captain for the first time – Kenny Tete, Willian, and Rodrigo Muniz.

Pre-match predictions suggested this could be a close contest, and the fact that nobody was able to fashion a shooting chance until 24 minutes in further strengthened that argument. When it did arrive, Dwight McNeil blasted over on the angle following good hold up play from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Fulham had to wait until five minutes before the break for our first sight of goal. After Keane clattered Muniz 20 yards out, Willian put a clever free-kick along the ground but a couple of inches wide of the near post.

It was close to being the opener, and that galvanised the team, who did make the breakthrough moments later. Antonee Robinson got around his man down the left, and Keane could only divert beyond Pickford under pressure from his former teammate Alex Iwobi.

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It was the first time in five matches that Everton had conceded a goal.

The second half began as evenly as the first, albeit with more goalmouth action, with Jack Harrison and Harry Wilson firing off target at either end.

You never know what routine the boys are going to try when we get a corner, and a new one midway through the half saw Iwobi receive the ball following a couple of passes and draw a sprawling stop from Pickford as he took aim from distance.

The Whites were hardly troubled in the second period, and so it was frustrating when the home side took advantage of a scramble in the box to equalise the game when Beto nodded in from close range.

After Arnaut Danjuma volleyed wide, Fulham showed the greater attacking intent in the seven minutes of stoppage time, but were unable to create that one golden opening, meaning a penalty shootout would decide who progressed to the Semi-Finals.

After Beto, Andreas Pereira, Dwight McNeil, Tom Cairney, Keane, João Palhinha and Danjuma had all dispatched flawless efforts, it was advantage Everton when Pickford denied Bobby De Cordova-Reid.

Thankfully Bernd Leno responded immediately when he kept out Amadou Onana, with Carlos Vinicius then levelling the score. James Tarkowski, Kenny Tete, James Garner and Antonee Robinson all converted, but Idrissa Gueye smacked his shot against the post to give Fulham control.

There was a lot of pressure on Tosin – who had enjoyed a brilliant game – but you would not have known it as he coolly slotted beyond Pickford to make history for Fulham Football Club.

Everton vs Fulham:

Everton: 

Pickford, Patterson, Keane, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Gueye, Onana, Harrison (Danjuma 72′), Garner, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin (Beto 61′)

Subs: Danjuma, João Virgínia, Beto, Godfrey, Youssef Chermiti, Lonergan, Hunt, Dobbin, Metcalfe

Fulham FC: 

Leno, Tete, Tosin, Bassey, Robinson, Reed (Andreas Pereira 77′), João Palhinha, Wilson (De Cordova-Reid 77′), Iwobi (Diop 87′), Willian (Cairney 62′), Rodrigo Muniz (Carlos Vinícius 87′)

Subs: Rodák, Cairney, Ballo-Touré, De Cordova-Reid, Andreas Pereira, Castagne, Lukić, Carlos Vinícius, Diop

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