LIVERPOOL, March 2: Everton ended its worst home run since 1958 by beating Southampton 1-0 in the English Premier League and keeping its Champions League dream on track.
Richarlison scored for the third consecutive match inside the first 10 minutes on Monday, and Everton held on to move within two points of fourth-placed West Ham with a match in hand.
But the pain for Saints continued with one draw and eight defeats in their last nine league matches, leaving them seven points above the bottom three and wondering where their next win will come from.
Saints would have thought they had a chance against Everton considering their host’s poor home form — three successive defeats — but their only real opportunity fell to Moussa Djenepo in the final 10 minutes, and he blazed wide when well placed.
It was an escape for Everton, which faded after having a second goal ruled out for offside midway through the first half.
Richarlison’s angled finish in the ninth minute was only his fifth in the league but, since the start of last season, Joao Pedro (30) and Paris St Germain’s Neymar (19) are the only Brazilians to score more goals in the top five European leagues than him.
Michael Keane had a header ruled out by VAR for offside as Southampton’s intention on holding a perilously high line at free kicks caused it more than a few problems but, strangely, rather than be emboldened, the hosts became more reticent and it could have cost them. (AP)
