Richarlison adds to Southampton woes as Everton nick win at St Mary’s
RICH man, poor man.
Richarlison’s late strike was worth its weight in gold to under-fire boss Marco Silva, most likely saving him from the axe.
But it could have the opposite effect on poor Ralph Hasenhuttl, who will be fearing for his job as we approach the dreaded the international break.
Both managers went into this game feeling the heat after presiding over equally disastrous campaigns so far.
Silva was the man who looked likeliest to go if he had copped a bad result with former Toffees boss David Moyes waiting in the wings.
But thanks to Richarlison’s heroics earning Everton their first away league win since March, after Danny Ings had chalked off Tom Davies’ opener, the Portuguese should have some respite.
While the spotlight falls on Hasenhuttl, whose side have now taken just ONE point from six home games in the Premier League this term, shipping a whopping 21 goals.
Unsurprisingly that form has them languishing in the relegation zone.
And questions will be raised as to whether the Austrian has what it takes to turn things around, as he did when taking over from Mark Hughes last term.
His side simply make too many mistakes and were culpable again here as they went a goal down with just five minutes on the clock.
Everton had the joint worst away record in the league having taken only a point from five games.
But they were afforded a gift by some slack marking early doors as Mason Holgate beat Jannik Vestergaard to flick on Gylfi Sigurdsson’s corner, and there was Davies to nod home at the far post.
It was the perfect start for Silva but Hasenhuttl surely could not believe what he was seeing.
Keeping it tight would have been a priority after shipping NINE last time out at St Mary’s to Leicester - and here they were, one down already.
The goal completed quite a turnaround for Davies, who has been out in the cold for much of Silva’s tenure.
The England Under-21 star had had only 30 minutes of league action since early February before the Portuguese brought him back in against West Ham three weeks ago.
Davies has started every game since and with Holgate grabbing the assist, it justified Silva’s decision to revert to youth in his hour of need.
Cenk Tosun, another man to return to the fold in recent weeks for Silva, should have made it 2-0 shortly afterwards but headed over.
Saints fans, who had scarves bearing their team’s name put on their seats in a bid to whip up an atmosphere, were left as frustrated as ever by their players’ repetitive mistakes.
Boos rang out at half-time and Hasenhuttl had to do something.
He responded by sacrificing Cedric- a player who said in an interview this week that he would be leaving at the end of the season when his deal expires - for Sofiane Boufal.
The attacking change had an instant impact as the Moroccan, after a lively run and good shot, teed up the leveller.
He went round ex-Saints midfielder Morgan Schneirderlin with ease in the box before firing a low cross in which deflected off Yerry Mina and there was Ings to fire home from a few yards.
MOST READ IN FOOTBALL
The hosts picked up from there and looked the likeliest to score again.
And they should have had a penalty when Moussa Djenepo was shoved cynically in the box by Mina as the Colombian attempted to shepherd the ball out.
Yet ref Paul Tierney did not spot it and a weirdly VAR did not review it, in another damning indictment of the infernal system.
Everton made the most of their good luck and took the points when Richarlison met Djibril Sidibe’s pinpoint cross to fire past Alex McCarthy.
The visitors held on for a priceless victory for Silva, leaving Hasenhuttl fearing he may be in the line at the dole queue if Saints decide to act in the coming weeks.