Marco Silva praised the “special player” Tosin Adarabioyo, acknowledging the defender’s decisive spot-kick that propelled Fulham to a historic Carabao Cup semi-final berth after a penalty shootout victory against Everton.
In the sudden-death phase, center-back Tosin Adarabioyo took charge following Idrissa Gueye hitting the post, calmly slotting the ball into the net to propel the Cottagers into their first domestic semi-final in 22 seasons.
Recalling their earlier smash-and-grab victory at Goodison Park in the season’s opening game, Silva’s team triumphed once more as they returned home to London.
“He is a key player for us, one of the leaders in our dressing room and we need them to step in,” said Fulham boss Silva.
“He didn’t play the first three months of the season, but he is a special player for us. He can defend the box and on the ball he builds the way I want him to.
“He is getting better and better and a great performance tonight. To be able to take the decisive penalty, he deserves all the credit.”
The first goal occurred four minutes before halftime, credited as a Michael Keane own goal. The Everton defender inadvertently redirected the ball into his own net from Antonee Robinson’s cross.
The hosts had an immediate chance to level the score, but James Tarkowski couldn’t connect firmly enough with James Garner’s free-kick, narrowly missing the target with his headed effort.
In the second half, Everton sought an equalizer, with Jack Harrison sending a long-range drive just wide. Substitute Beto managed to head in from close range with nine minutes remaining.
The match ultimately went to penalties, where Jordan Pickford saved Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s attempt and Bernd Leno stopped Amadou Onana’s weak effort. Tosin Adarabioyo then secured victory, sending the traveling fans into celebration.
The draw for the semi-finals is scheduled for Wednesday, with the first leg of those ties set to be played in the week commencing 8 January.
Fulham march on
Fulham has yet to secure a major trophy, but this might be their opportunity. Their previous venture into the FA Cup semi-finals in 2002 ended with elimination by Chelsea, a team still in contention in the current competition.
Silva’s squad persevered through the match against Everton, managing only one shot on target. The solitary attempt occurred in the sixth minute when former Toffee Alex Iwobi’s delicately placed shot was parried away by Pickford.
Former Everton manager Silva said of the hard-fought win: “We are all delighted, no doubt about it. Our aim was clear, to come here and go through. We did it, we knew it would be tough.
“A proper cup tie, but the players kept their composure in the penalty shootout. We achieved something that the club never did in the past.”
Keane transitioned from a standout performance in the previous 2-0 victory against Burnley to a less favorable role, scoring an own goal. Although it seemed like the hosts were headed for elimination in regular time, Beto’s headed goal leveled the score. In injury time, Arnaut Danjuma had a chance to secure victory but directed his well-struck volley wide.
Throughout much of the encounter, Everton had the upper hand. Jarrad Branthwaite, filling in at left-back for the absent Vitaliy Mykolenko, had a header straight at Leno, and Dwight McNeil missed the target from a sharp angle.
Despite Everton’s recent impressive form in the Premier League, with four consecutive victories and a climb up the table, this quarter-final exit represents a missed opportunity for manager Sean Dyche. On his inaugural appearance in this stage of the competition, he witnessed Onana’s weak penalty attempt saved by Fulham’s German goalkeeper before Tosin secured the visiting side’s advancement.
Even with a 10-point deduction, Everton’s strong league performance adds to the disappointment of this exit, as it could have been a chance to end their prolonged trophy drought dating back to their FA Cup triumph in 1995.
Dyche said: “It is one of them things, penalties have to be decided some way. I thought the performance was another strong one but we didn’t find the true moments of quality in the very end of lots of good moves and getting into good positions.
“If you are brave enough to get up there and take one, you are brave enough to take the consequences. We practise them, they practise them, [coach] Steve Stone did a good job getting it all organised so you do everything you can.
“It is a cup competition. We took the game on, tried everything to take the game. Similar to how we played them in the league, dominated and couldn’t find the killer moments. The stadium was great, the fans and everyone took the knocks and got on with it.”