Everton defeated Fulham 2-0 with goals from Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane. The match saw a confrontation between James Tarkowski and Kenny Tete, and debate over refereeing decisions.
According to Liverpool Echo reporting, Everton’s 2-0 victory over Fulham at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday featured an aggressive flashpoint as captain James Tarkowski physically clashed with Fulham defender Kenny Tete, a player who came close to joining the Blues in the summer.
Tarkowski became embroiled in a fracas near the corner flag, sparked by what the report described as unhappiness with some of the visiting players’ antics as the hosts prepared to take a corner.
The Everton captain then launched himself into the confrontation, earning a yellow card from referee Andrew Madley for his actions.
The incident was described in detail, noting that Tarkowski “threw Tete to the ground and then grabbed Calvin Bassey by the neck” amidst the grappling players.
Tete, whose potential move to Merseyside fell through when the right-back performed a U-Turn to sign new terms at Craven Cottage, has a history of high-octane confrontations, having been embroiled in a mass brawl during a Europa League tie at Goodison Park back in 2017 while playing for Lyon.
Despite the moment of disciplinary concern, Everton returned to winning ways ahead of the international break. A close-range finish from Idrissa Gueye opened the scoring in first-half injury-time, before Michael Keane converted a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall free kick nine minutes from the end of normal time to seal the welcome three points.
The victory was secured despite VAR ruling out three further Everton goals.