Everton vs Southampton. Premier League.
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Highlights and report as Theo Walcott scores and makes another in Toffees' first win of the season
Saturday 18 August 2018 19:56, UK
Marco Silva earned a first win as Everton boss as Richarlison's third goal in two games helped them beat Southampton 2-1.
Theo Walcott finished off a well-worked free-kick with 15 minutes on the clock, when Leighton Baines' short pass was played forward from the edge of the box by Morgan Schneiderlin for Walcott to chip Alex McCarthy.
Richarlison continued his bright start in a blue shirt with a second with half an hour gone, as Walcott turned provider to beat Ryan Bertrand down the right and provide a simple cross for the Brazilian to nod home at the near post.
Southampton improved after half-time but Danny Ings' close-range finish from a corner nine minutes into the second half proved a false dawn, as Everton looked more likely to score the next goal - although they will be happy to settle for a first three points of the season.
Set-pieces were the story of much of the game, and even before Everton's first goal had provided a warning shot to Mark Hughes and his side.
Michael Keane and Cenk Tosun both headed Gylfi Sigurdsson deliveries straight at Alex McCarthy, while Charlie Austin nodded wide when unmarked at the opposite end.
Any warning Southampton might have heeded could not have anticipated Everton's opener though, as a short free-kick from Baines was met with a slide-rule pass from Schneiderlin forward to Walcott. He provided a composed finish over an onrushing McCarthy for a brilliantly-executed training ground move.
Ings was then let-off a horrendous miss by the quality of a Jordan Pickford save in keeping out his effort from four yards after the goalkeeper had spilt a tame shot from Cedric into his path.
The ball cannoned up and onto the bar with Pickford's rapid reactions, but he shouldn't have had a chance to make the save.
Instead, after losing Schneiderlin to injury Everton showed a clinical touch to double their advantage when Walcott found space on the right and crossed for Richarlison, who had ghosted inside off the left and out-jumped Cedric to beat McCarthy at his near post.
After half-time Ings did finally get his first goal for his new club, when Mario Lemina nodded on a Bertrand corner to leave him with a simple finish.
But Southampton failed to build on that, and instead Walcott was guilty of passing up the only clear-cut chance left in the game, when Tosun unselfishly returned the ball when well-placed, only for him to scuff it beyond the post with the goal gaping.
Everton continued searching for a third goal but while they could not find it, were in fine form to see off Southampton and pick up their first win of the season.
The Brazilian's energy levels and willingness to get on the ball, and make things happen, were just as impressive as they had been at Wolves a week ago, although Gylfi Sigurdsson's performance would run him close in the man of the match stakes.
Richarlison's looking like a player who might just be worth the inflated fee Everton paid for him on current form, although it is very early days, and showed his worth with and without the ball against Southampton.
One perfect sliding challenge on Cedric well inside his own half showcased his commitment to the cause, and he took on more duels than anyone else in blue, while making more clearances too.
Marco Silva: "It's an important three points for us, it's important that it was enjoyable for our fans as well. In the first half we did very well, we tried to do things differently in the second half and manage the game.
"But things were a bit slow, and conceding the goal gave Southampton some belief. After 25-30 minutes of the second half though, we had enough to score the third goal and we would have deserved it."
Mark Hughes: "I'm disappointed with the outcome, clearly. In general play, in the first half we had the better of the chances but found ourselves 2-0 down.
"We had good chances - I thought Danny had missed a clear-cut chance and hit the bar, but it was a great save so credit to the lad, and I thought he was lucky to stay on later in the game with his challenge on Danny because I felt he followed through and should've been sent off."
