Everton fight back to dent Fulham’s European hopes

Everton delivered a late-season blow to Fulham’s European ambitions with a spirited 3-1 comeback victory at Craven Cottage, dealing a significant setback to Marco Silva’s side while reigniting their own end-of-season momentum.

Fulham had taken a deserved lead in the 17th minute when Raul Jimenez powerfully headed in Emile Smith Rowe’s pinpoint cross, giving the hosts a strong platform from which to build. The Cottagers dominated the first half, creating several chances and nearly doubling their lead through a low-driven shot by Harry Wilson, which was smartly stopped by Jordan Pickford.

But Everton weathered the early storm and, somewhat fortuitously, leveled before the break. A tame effort from Vitalii Mykolenko from the edge of the area took a wicked deflection off Andreas Pereira, completely wrong-footing Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal and sending the teams into halftime all square.

The second half saw a remarkable turnaround. Against the run of play, Everton snatched the lead in the 70th minute when Michael Keane rose highest to head home a Dwight McNeil corner. The goal was subjected to a lengthy VAR check for offside, but after a tense wait, it stood, sparking jubilant celebrations among the away supporters.

Just 22 seconds after the restart, Everton struck again. A mistake by Leno allowed Beto’s left-footed strike to slip under his glove and into the net, giving the Toffees a two-goal cushion and leaving Fulham stunned. It was Beto’s eighth Premier League goal of the season, capping off a fine campaign for the Portuguese striker.

Fulham pressed hard in the final stages, desperately chasing a route back into the match. Deep into injury time, they thought they had a lifeline when a potential handball by Mykolenko was reviewed by VAR. However, referee Darren England stood by his original decision, waving away penalty appeals after a visit to the pitchside monitor.

Everton’s Comeback Win Crushes Fulham’s European Dreams

The defeat sees Fulham drop to 11th in the table, four points behind eighth-placed Brentford. With only two matches remaining—against Brentford and Manchester City—their hopes of securing a European place now hang by a thread.

Marco Silva, who had to address swirling rumors about a potential summer move to Saudi Arabia earlier in the week, reiterated his commitment to Fulham post-match. “There are always rumours, but I can tell you that my focus is here, and I plan to be with Fulham next season,” he said.

Silva acknowledged that his team would likely need to win their final two fixtures and hope for favorable results elsewhere to stand any chance of European qualification. A month ago, Fulham were dark horses for a Champions League berth, but four defeats in their last five games have seen them slip out of contention.

While Jimenez continues to lead Fulham’s scoring charts with 13 goals across all competitions, Silva will undoubtedly look to strengthen his attacking options in the transfer window. The Cottagers’ inability to kill off matches has been costly, as was the case again on Saturday.

For Everton, this result represents only their second win in 11 Premier League games, but it arrives at a crucial time. After securing safety earlier in the campaign, David Moyes’ side had struggled for consistency. Yet the comeback win, driven by second-half substitute appearances from McNeil and Iliman Ndiaye, injects renewed optimism heading into their final game at Goodison Park.

The historic ground will host its last Premier League match next weekend when Everton welcome Southampton. Moyes acknowledged the emotional weight of the occasion, stating, “I’ve told the players next week is the biggest game of the season. We want to make sure we leave Goodison with a performance the fans deserve.”

After a flat first-half showing, Everton’s response in the second period showed grit and quality. Their fans, now looking forward to one last emotional matchday at Goodison, will hope the team can build on this momentum and bid farewell to their storied home with a fitting victory.