Beto rescues late point for Toffees

Fulham were unable to get back to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday, drawing 1-1 with Everton at Goodison Park.

It was ex-Toffee Alex Iwobi who got the opening goal, linking up well with Emile Smith Rowe before firing past Jordan Pickford at his near post.

In an even match, the three points could have gone to anyone and Everton had a goal ruled out through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who netted but was judged to be offside.

The hosts did get their goal though, at the death through substitute Beto.

The striker headed home after Everton launched the ball into the box with just seconds remaining.

Read on to discover how the match unfolded on Merseyside.

FT. Beto’s injury-time strike keeps the Blues unbeaten in five.

[1-1] #EVEFUL pic.twitter.com/Fv0TAPd2AA

— Everton (@Everton) October 26, 2024

How it happened

In the first half, both sides showed plenty of attacking intent but struggled to find a decisive edge in the final third.

Fulham dominated possession early, with Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore linking up well.

Jimenez nearly opened the scoring but was denied by Everton keeper Jordan Pickford, who was quick to gather a slightly heavy touch from the Mexican striker.

Everton’s defence looked vulnerable to Fulham’s pressing and almost gifted the visitors a goal when Vitaliy Mykolenko’s misplaced pass allowed Jimenez to tee up Emile Smith Rowe.

The chance, however, went unconverted as Smith Rowe’s final touch proved too heavy.

As Everton began to find their footing, they thought they had broken the deadlock just after the half-hour mark.

Idrissa Gueye’s powerful strike from outside the box rattled the crossbar, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin followed up to slot it home.

We settle for a point. 🤝#EVEFUL pic.twitter.com/cVaZpwzMZD

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) October 26, 2024

However, the goal was disallowed after VAR confirmed an offside in the buildup, much to the frustration of the home fans.

After an even first half, Fulham returned with renewed energy.

Their breakthrough came in the 61st minute, when Smith Rowe, proving pivotal once again, drove forward and set up Alex Iwobi.

The former Everton man slotted the ball past Pickford at the near post, opting not to celebrate out of respect for his former club.

Fulham’s fluid counter-attacking continued to trouble Everton, as substitute Reiss Nelson added pace on the left, nearly setting up Jimenez for a second goal.

The intensity ramped up in the final 20 minutes as Everton sought an equaliser.

Manager Sean Dyche made multiple attacking substitutions, including the introduction of Beto and Jesper Lindstrom, hoping for a spark in the dying stages.

Beto looked lively, winning a corner and forcing a save from Fulham’s Bernd Leno with a close-range header.

Everton’s persistence finally paid off deep into stoppage time.

In the 94th minute, substitute Niels Nkounkou swung in a cross to Ashley Young, who deftly cushioned it back across goal.

Beto was on hand to head it past Leno, sending Goodison Park into a frenzy and securing a dramatic 1-1 draw.