Richarlison kept up Everton’s charge toward the Champions League by scoring a second-half header in a 1-0 win at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Thursday.
The Brazil forward earned Everton a third straight win by glancing the ball home from the edge of the six-yard box in the 65th minute following an inswinging corner from Gylfi Sigurdsson.
It was his fourth goal in the last four games.
Everton's Richarlison, left, scores his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Bromwich Albion and Everton at the Hawthorns, West Bromwich, England, Thursday, March 4, 2021. (Shaun BotterillPool via AP)
Everton moved four points behind third-place Leicester and has a game in hand.
Mbaye Diagne’s stoppage-time goal for West Brom was ruled out for offside as Sam Allardyce’s next-to-last team remained nine points adrift of safety and slipped closer to relegation.
Everton rode its luck at times against the energetic hosts, but managed to keep a clean sheet for the third straight game.
West Bromwich Albion's Mbaye Diagne reacts disappointed after Everton's Richarlison scored his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Bromwich Albion and Everton at the Hawthorns, West Bromwich, England, Thursday, March 4, 2021. (Alex PantlingPool via AP)
Diagne had two early chances, firstly from a hanging header that was clawed away by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and then from a shot that flew over.
While the final ball of Everton's players was poor, starving Dominic Calvert-Lewin of any real service, they did come to life in the final seven minutes of the first half.
Calvert-Lewin slipped in Richarlison, whose strike deflected narrowly over, before the striker let the Baggies off the hook after the ball deflected into his path. Calvert-Lewin hesitated and shot straight at Sam Johnstone from 15 yards.
Everton’s extra quality started to tell early in the second half and Sigurdsson made an instant impact after coming off the bench to set up Richarlison's winner. His first touch was a corner which was cleared back to him, and he produced an excellent delivery with his second for Richarlison to get ahead of Kyle Bartley.
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