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Beto’s stoppage-time equaliser secured a point for Everton as they came back to draw 1-1 against Fulham at Goodison Park.
The substitute’s intervention extended the host’s unbeaten run to five Premier League matches as Fulham were frustrated despite a dominant display.
Alex Iwobi, on his former stomping ground, put Marco Silva’s team deservedly ahead in the 61st minute.
Fulham had been spared by the assistant’s offside flag in the first half, when Dominic Calvert-Lewin saw a goal ruled out for offside after Idrissa Gueye had struck the woodwork, though that was the closest Everton came until Beto came up with a close-range header in the 94th minute.
While Fulham sit 10th after stopping the rot following two defeats on the bounce,
Everton move up to 15th on nine points.
How the match unfolded
Fulham failed to make their dominance count for a chance until the 28th minute, when Emile Smith Rowe volleyed over the bar from Raul Jimenez’s header.
Everton came agonisingly close twice in quick succession four minutes later as Gueye thundered a strike against the crossbar from 25 yards out. Calvert-Lewin pounced on the rebound to fire home, but he was flagged marginally offside, with VAR confirming the on-field decision.
But Fulham’s breakthrough arrived just after the hour – former Everton playmaker Iwobi benefiting from Smith Rowe’s great work before drilling a low finish into the left-hand corner.
Iwobi was unlucky not to play a part in a Fulham second seven minutes later as he saw a volleyed cross-shot across goal cleared just ahead of the line.
And Fulham’s failure to put the match to bed came back to bite them deep in added time. Iliman Ndiaye played a cross from deep on the left to Ashley Young, who skilfully cushioned the ball back across goal for Beto to head home.
Jimenez provides persistent threat for Fulham
In-form Jimenez proved a persistent threat to the Everton defence, and was unlucky not to register a goal contribution himself.
The visitors’ earliest opportunity came from Jimenez as he created away from his marker to turn and shoot in the box from Kenny Tete’s cross off the right but fired over after seven minutes.
He challenged again on 36 minutes, this time cutting in from the right himself to create the opportunity to shoot. Once more using his strength, he fought his way close to goal but saw his shot with the outside of his boot blocked by Micheal Keane.
There were opportunities for Jimenez to turn provider too, setting up Smith-Rowe and Iwobi with chances in the box in the first half. He also showed a great turn of pace to surge onto a ball over the top after the break, but saw his first touch take it too close to Jordan Pickford.
Jimenez’s tireless running provided the platform for the excellent Iwobi and Smith Rowe to do the damage behind him – the only thing lacking for the Mexican at Goodison was a goal.
Beto the saviour
Despite their solid form coming into Saturday’s clash, Everton simply could not get going, and it looked like their old boys Iwobi and Silva would be returning to Merseyside to haunt them.
All too often, Everton gave away cheap turnovers in the midfield or failed to execute moves in the final third as Sean Dyche’s men lacked impetus across the field.
Up front, Calvert-Lewin badly needs a goal, and he thought he had one until the assistant’s flag went up, but otherwise he struggled to test Fulham’s centre-backs.
Beto’s introduction in place of Calvert-Lewin was not exactly universally welcomed by the Everton faithful in the 81st minute, but any dissatisfaction soon turned to jubilation.
Everton’s equaliser came from arguably their best move of the game, and Beto did well to keep his cool when the chance came. Young’s first-time, on-the-volley cross set up the opportunity, but it still needed finishing, and Beto himself missed from point-blank range when these teams met at Craven Cottage last term.
Having been given few opportunities this season, Beto appeared to be in tears at full-time, a sign of how much that goal means to him.
Club reports
Everton report | Fulham report
Match officials
Referee: John Brooks. Assistants: Simon Bennett, Darren Cann. Fourth official: Leigh Doughty. VAR: Stuart Attwell. Assistant VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis.
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