Everton 3-0 Fulham: Gylfi Sigurdsson double sees off lacklustre Fulham

Gylfi Sigurdsson's double helped Everton to a 3-0 win against Fulham after a sparkling second-half performance.

The first half was a mostly drab affair, but Marco Silva's half-time team talk worked as Everton burst into life and Sigurdsson made up for missing a 51st-minute penalty with a curling opener five minutes later.

Cenk Tosun (65) nodded home from close range to double the lead before Sigurdsson (89) scored his second late on to give Everton their first clean sheet this season.

Fulham have still never won a league game at Goodison Park, and remain in 16th place, while Everton move up to 11th spot with nine points.

Fulham were forced into an early substitution after Timothy Fosu-Mensah landed heavily on his elbow, and he was replaced by Cyrus Christie in the eighth minute. The visitors had a good chance to take the lead five minutes later as Ryan Sessegnon pulled the ball back for Andre Schurrle at the top of the area, but he lifted his strike just over the crossbar.

Marcus Bettinelli was twice called into action not long afterwards. He kept out an effort from Kurt Zouma near the back post after Lucas Digne's well-delivered free-kick, although the offside flag was raised against the Frenchman. Bettinelli then denied Theo Walcott, who fired from just outside the area, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin unable to convert the loose ball.

The best chance of the first half came in the 43rd minute. After some patient build-up from Fulham, Jean Michael Seri drove towards the box before flashing the ball through the area. Sessegnon was incoming at the back post and with only Jordan Pickford to beat, he agonisingly put his chipped effort onto the underside of the crossbar before it went wide.

Everton came racing out of the traps in the second half and, after a big miss from Richarlison, the hosts were awarded a penalty in the 50th minute. Denis Odoi nudged Calvert-Lewin over in the area and Sigurdsson stepped up to take it, but saw his effort ping onto the crossbar.

But he redeemed himself six minutes later with a wonderful strike to break the deadlock. Sigurdsson slipped in Jonjoe Kenny, who did well to keep the ball in play on the right and cut it back into the area. Odoi cleared, but only as far as the Iceland international, who curled a beautiful effort around his marker and into the bottom corner.

Ten minutes later, and substitute Tosun doubled the lead. Kenny was involved again, playing Walcott in down the right of the area before the latter put a superb ball across the face of goal. Tosun was waiting at the back post to nod home at point-blank range and score just his second goal at Goodison Park.

Everton continued to dominate and got a deserved third with a minute of normal time to play. Seconds after coming on as a substitute, Bernard broke down the field - bamboozling Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa on the left flank - before cutting the ball back for Sigurdsson at the top of the area. He then swept the ball home, leaving Bettinelli rooted to the spot as Everton comfortably took all three points.

Opta stats

• Everton have won their last 22 top-flight home games against Fulham - a record in English top division football.
• Fulham haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last 22 away Premier League games, the longest ongoing run in the division (current clubs only).
• Fulham have lost four straight league games against Everton for the first time ever.
• Everton winger Theo Walcott has had a hand in four goals in his last five Premier League home games (2 goals, 2 assists), as many as he managed in his previous 13 in the competition.

The managers

Marco Silva: "In the second half, I told them we had to be more aggressive and play with more calm during some moments. They did that and I think a good example is when we missed the penalty, Gylfi and the squad, they reacted to win balls in our offensive part of the pitch.

"It was the perfect result to win 3-0 and the first clean sheet for us is important as well."

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Slavisa Jokanovic: "We dominated for the first 45 minutes... We had clear chances to score a goal. The second half, we didn't play well enough and we didn't find the chances.

"In the second half, we paid a really expensive price. We must learn and continue with the process and start to be more competitive. To concede in the games is not acceptable and it is going to be really hard for us."

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Man of the match - Gylfi Sigurdsson

While very few players covered themselves in glory in the first half, Sigurdsson was one of the driving forces behind Everton's brilliant second-half showing. He showed real character to go and score twice after missing a penalty which would knock the confidence of most players.

But two superb finishes - especially his first - followed and since 2011/12, Sigurdsson has netted 18 goals from outside the box in the Premier League, a haul only Philippe Coutinho can better (19). Saturday showed how effective he can be when he is at his attacking best.

What's next?

Next up for Everton is Southampton in the Carabao Cup third-round tie on Tuesday before travelling to Leicester in the Premier League on Saturday. There is no midweek game for Fulham, and they welcome Arsenal in the league next Sunday.

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