RICH IS HEAD OF THE CLASS
Brazilian nods Everton towards Europe as Sam rages
RICHARLISON continued his red-hot form after Carlo Ancelotti’s clever substitution boosted Everton’s Champions League hopes.
Gylfi Sigurdsson came on in the 64th minute and went straight over to replace leftfooted Lucas Digne at an Everton corner-kick.
Less than a minute later the Blues had notched as the dead-ball expert crossed with his right-foot for Richarlison to head in after his initial delivery had been blocked.
It was Richarlison’s 12th goal this season in all competitions and the fourth game in a row he has scored.
It settled a tight contest as Sam Allardyce’s Baggies battled until the end and were denied an Mbaye Diagne equaliser in stoppage time by an incredibly tight offside decision.
Blues boss Ancelotti (right) said after a third straight win with a clean sheet: “With the inswinging ball we are more dangerous. Lucas was taking the corner but it is better to have Gylfi with an inswinging ball. We want to fight for the European positions and we are working really hard to be there. The Champions League would be a dream.
“Richarlison is a top striker and we have two up front who are really dangerous. We are there in the fight but we need to give even more.”
Sigurdsson said he knew his responsibility was as soon as he came on. “We had an idea it might be a setpiece that could win the game. I went on to create or score a goal because it was 0-0,” said the Iceland international.
“Richarlison is chipping in now at the right time. That is six points he has won us in the last two. We have to get on a run. If we can do that we can have a very good chance.”
West Brom nearly took the lead in the second minute but Senegal striker Diagne saw Jordan Pickford superbly claw away his header.
Diagne, signed on loan from Galatasaray in January, also shot over with an effort on the turn. At the other end Richarlison had a shot deflected over.
Everton should have taken the lead shortly before halftime when Bernard’s pass bounced to Dominic CalvertLewin in space. But keeper Sam Johnstone stood firm and made a block from the striker’s right-foot shot.
After the break, Diagne continued to cause problems for Everton but it was the visitors who took the lead in the 65th minute, Richarlison powering home a header from inside the six-yard box.
West Brom battled on and Diagne thought he had levelled but VAR backed up the assistant’s offside flag.
Manager Allardyce bemoaned the tight decision that cost his side a point: He said: “We scored a great goal but it was half a toenail offside. I feel hard done by, it is not a blatant offside.”
Time is running out for the Baggies in their bid to avoid relegation, but they face a vital clash with fourthfrom-bottom Newcastle on Sunday.
JOSE MOURINHO finally unleashed his Fab Four – and yet the talking point was VAR.
The Tottenham boss started with Harry Kane, Heung-min Son, Gareth Bale and Dele Alli for the first time and was at least rewarded with a hard-fought three points at Craven Cottage.
Yet the enjoyment of watching such an such an attacking lineup – imagine how much it hurt Mourinho to be so open – was overshadowed when the curse of video technology struck again.
Fulham boss Scott Parker was furious over the latest VAR handball shocker. That came when Josh Maja was denied what looked a perfectly good and well-deserved equaliser because in the build-up the ball hit Mario Lamina’s arm, which was by his side.
Football’s lawmakers IFAB meet today and the handball law is on the agenda. It is to be hoped they clear up the current confusion which, coupled with VAR, is taking the fun out of the game.
Fulham deserved more, Tottenham got away with one.
Refereeing controversy being discussed rather than the football has happened far too many times this season.
There is a feeling Mourinho might not play such an attacking line-up again for quite some time as it was open and, well, far too entertaining for such an arch pragmatist.
The shame of it was that another review denied Alli his first goal in nearly a year, the dubious goals panel deeming the final touch came off Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo.
Yet more killjoys. Why they have to intervene is anyone’s guess. Alli, starting his first Premier League game since the opening day, would have ended a barren run stretching back to March 7 last year, while
Adarabioyo is ‘credited’ with an unwanted own goal.
That goal came on 19 minutes when three of the Spurs four combined brilliantly.
Bale, Son and Alli were involved before Son put over a low cross. Alli flicked the ball towards the net and the final touch came off Adarabioyo.
Credit to Fulham who could have collapsed, particularly as Tottenham’s forward line stretched their defence to the limit in the first half.
But they refuse to give up. Incredibly, they started with seven loan
players. How Scott Parker has got them so committed for the cause is nothing short of remarkable.
They could have levelled in first-half injury time with a terrific move, Antonee Robinson weaving his way into the box before Maja set up Lemina but he fired horribly over.
Fulham kept going. Joachim Andersen had a header brilliantly tipped over by Hugo Lloris and when Maja struck on 63 minutes they celebrated an equaliser.
But VAR Peter Bankes intervened and the goal was ruled out, Lamina ruled to have handled when Davinson Sanchez’s clearance hit his arm.
Replays shown on the stadium screen prompted uproar among home players and staff.
Yet their chance was gone, with Mourinho reverting to type by replacing Alli and Bale with the more defensive minded Moussa Sissoko and Lucas Moura.