Fulham 2-2 Everton – Match Analysis
Fulham and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Everton-c13019 locked horns this past Saturday in an enthralling fixture at Craven Cottage. Going into the game, both teams were in good form, and everyone expected a cracker of a game.
The visitors dominated throughout the game, but Fulham fought back to clinch a vital point against the in-form and ruthless Toffees.
The hosts had taken the lead, courtesy of a brilliantly struck Brian Ruiz free kick, which http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Tim-Howard-c35095 failed to prevent from going into the top corner. The veteran American keeper did get some hands on the ball, but it wasn’t enough to stop the South American
from grabbing his second goal in two games.
Having settled in, Fulham experienced a fairly comfortable first half, and kept the ball in an attempt to reach the interval with the lead intact.
After half time, Everton quickly got back into the game as they attacked with conviction. Belgian midfielder http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Marouane-Fellaini-c24295 scored two goals in a quarter of an hour as he grabbed a magnificent double, but Fulham responded late into the game when Sid Sidwell
pounced on a loose ball in the box and buried it.
Martin Jol would have been delighted with his team’s performance and fight, after having made only two changes to the side that drew away at Reading last weekend. Bryan Ruiz started this game in place of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Hugo-Rodallega-c16414 made way for
Alexander Kacaniklic.
Everton manager http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Sylvain-Distin-c34430.
Both teams had made a strong start to the game, and the deadlock was broken in the seventh minute when Bryan Ruiz curled a spectacular free kick into the top left corner.
There were few chances in the first half aside from the Ruiz free kick. The South American had another shot which was fired over the bar. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Nikica-Jelavic-c27906 also wasted two golden opportunities to put the visitors on level footing, but misfired the first chance
wide and struck the second over the bar.
The visitors settled in better after the interval, and got back a goal after Marouane Fellaini finished a neat move started by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Kevin-Mirallas-c20751. The Belgian has been in fine form, and was just the player to lift up Everton.
The game was now open, and there was end-to-end football. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Dimitar-Berbatov-c11254 had a chance to give Fulham the lead, but was denied by Howard.
Fellaini then scored Everton’s second goal after controlling a long ball by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Phil-Jagielka-c29902, and finished smoothly past Mark Schwarzer, giving Everton the lead for the first time in the game.
However, it was Fulham who had the last laugh. The hosts, having gone a goal down, brought on http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Mladen-Petric-c26139 to try and salvage something out of the game.
Everton almost extended their lead on a counter attack towards the closing minutes of the game before http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Steve-Sidwell-c34181 tapped home a low cross from the right wing in the final minute of the game.
Having dominated the entire match, Everton were perhaps unlucky not to have won all three points. But maybe it was Fulham who were luckier than anything else. This game marks the second consecutive draw for both teams, and the league remains open than ever,
with many sides dropping points on the weekend.
Everton still remain a major favourite for a top four finish, but perhaps need to address their defensive issues.
Fulham on the other hand looked lively, and seem to be doing just fine without the recently departed Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey.
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