Halftime Thoughts – Neal Maupay and Stuart Atwell have combined to keep this one scoreless at the break, it’s 0-0 somehow.
45’ – Onana breaking down the right now, strong cross that Maupay controls well, but falls shooting from the edge of the box and Leno takes.
41’ – Lung-busting run down the left on a break by Iwobi, puts the ball across the field on a plate for Onana who decides to shoot but it’s straight at Leno.
Now Onana puts Maupay into a spot where he can shoot and once again he misses!! Leno saves again 1-on-1.
40’ – Patterson and Garner nearly combine but the latter is just offside.
34’ – Another lightning counter and the Blues overcook it.
Maupay from three yards out and is foiled again by Leno! Iwobi’s cross was chested down by Doucs, and Maupay can’t find a way past the goalie!
The corner is wasted, ball is punted back into the box, Leno collects the ball and then drops it on the way down as he runs into Tarkowski, and Keane deposits it in the goal! Ref Stuart Atwell immediately rules it out to Goodison’s outrage! There is really nothing Tarky could have done there, and it was not in the six-yard box either.
31’ – Willian with a horrid stamp on Garner’s ankle down the right, and he will be booked. Freekick delivered long by Young, Tarkowski stretches and gets a foot to it, but Leno can collect before any other blue shirts.
27’ – It’s been more of the same really here, Fulham dominating the ball, Everton happy to let them have it and pick them off on the break.
20’ – Woof Keane! A poor back pass without looking at where Pickford almost catches the goalie wrong-footed, then Gana loses the ball in midfield.
From that the Blues go on a quick counter, and again Iwobi with a shooting chance, just wide at the near post.
18’ – Delightful cross-field ball on a counter from Onana to Iwobi, shot blocked for a corner, from the right this time. Garner delivers, overhit again, and the Blues still can’t get a decent shot off.
17’ – Everton win a corner on the left, but overhit and the chance is wasted.
15’ – The Blues are not doing well with the ball when they get it, with a lot of passes overhit.
13’ – Early possession is all Fulham, but the Blues are keeping everything in front of them and not giving them anything in their own box.
8’ – Ashley Young showing off his vast experience shepherding a long ball out the end there.
5’ – Brilliant counter and a chance wasted! Iwobi found Onana streaming down the left, his ball into Doucoure is perfect, the midfielder has only the goalie to beat but Leno sticks out a foot and foils him.
The corner is overhit and wasted.
1’ – Underway at Goodison, a new season starts right now.
Maupay, just missed! Ran onto a long ball on the right and puts it just wide of the far post!
Starting Lineups – Wow, did not see that coming. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is not in the squad at all! Neal Maupay and Michael Keane start this one.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Sean Dyche said –
“The squad is in a good shape. We’ve got a few who are still playing catch up with minutes and the required fitness levels, but generally in the next 10 days we will have more or less everyone back.”
Which could mean we don’t get DCL back for next week away at high-flying Aston Villa either.
Everton
Fulham
Everton take on Fulham at Goodison Park to kick off their 2023/24 season. Given how the Blues have been embroiled in relegation battles for the last two seasons, fans will gladly take a boring mid-table campaign with just enough points to stay out of trouble.
One suspects though that Sean Dyche, after a first full summer in charge, will be aiming for slightly higher than the average Evertonian, and if the club can continue to back him in the summer transfer window then we might all dare dream again. But for now, just a drama-free season please.
Visitors Fulham are embroiled in their own little drama, with former Toffees manager Marco Silva admitting he had declined offers to coach in cash-rich Saudi Arabia, and two key players in Aleksander Mitrovic and Willian both the subject of Gulf interest as well.
Competition: Premier League Matchday 1
Date and start time: Saturday, August 12th at 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m ET / 3:00 p.m. BST
Stadium: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Capacity: 39,572
Weather: 69°F/21°C, partly cloudy, 4% chance of precipitation, 19 mph winds
TV: Peacock – United States; N/A – United Kingdom; Fubo – Canada, beIN Sports Premium 1, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Radio: evertontv
Live stream: Fubo, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, DStv Now, RUSH, Hotstar VIP, JioTV
Gamethread: Live blog above starting one hour before game time
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Information from LiveSoccerTV.com
The Blues last played Fulham at home in mid-April of last season, and in one of those rare defensive capitulations under Sean Dyche, Silva’s side romped to a 3-1 win as the Blues struggled with the Cottagers’ pace.
