Fulham’s draw at home to Everton ‘unfair’

MARCO Silva claimed Fulham’s draw with Everton was a really ‘unfair result’ and believes his side could have had a penalty, writes Connor O’Neill.

Silva’s side had 23 shots on goal, but failed to beat Jordan Pickford, who produced a man-of-the-match display at Craven Cottage.

England’s number one pulled off a string of fine saves to earn his side a fourth clean sheet of the season.

Although busy throughout the whole 90 minutes, it was saves from Aleksandar Mitrovic and Willian during the first-half that really caught the eye.

Everton also had chances of their own with James Tarkowski and Dominic Calvert-Lewin going close in the opening 45 minutes.

At the start of the second-half, Fulham saw an appeal for a penalty waved away after Willian went down under Idrissa Gueye’s challenge.

Speaking post-match, Silva revealed Willian told him he was fouled and hailed the heroics of Pickford.

He said: “A really unfair result, definitely. We were the best team on the pitch. We controlled the game and pushed them back – we had 13 corners and we created so many moments inside their box, normally we win this game.

“We played, we believed, we showed the way this evening. We deserved to win but playing like that many more results will come.”

“We were not so clinical but give credit to Jordan Pickford as well. Willian said to me he was touched and it was a penalty but I haven’t seen it back yet. We were the best team on the pitch. We controlled the game and pushed them back, we had 13 corners and we created so many moments inside their box, normally we win this game.

Pickford has admitted his attempts to get Aleksandar Mitrovic sent off for a late challenge on Idrissa Gueye failed, but refused to criticise the on-field decision made by referee John Brookes during Saturday’s Premier League draw between Fulham and Everton.

There were strong appeals from members of the Blues’ squad after the Fulham forward caught Gueye’s right ankle with a studs-up challenge that left the midfielder in discomfort on the ground. Frank Lampard voiced his frustration at this tackle following the full-time whistle, insisting the Serbian should have seen red.

The Liverpool Echo have reported Mitrovic’s tackle was checked by VAR for a potential sending off, but the fact that the challenge was low and came from close proximity to Gueye meant the intensity was apparently not sufficient to warrant the referee to check the monitor.

Offering his assessment of this firsthalf flashpoint, Pickford said: “I haven’t seen it since. It is what it is. I tried to get in the fourth official’s ear a little bit but it didn’t work. It is a game of football, there are going to be challenges and that’s what the referees are there to do.”