Gary Lineker and Danny Murphy applaud Everton star Richarlison after win v Wolves
Everton forward Richarlison broke his long goalscoring duck in a 1-0 win against Wolves on Wednesday night to leave Gary Lineker and Danny Murphy purring.
The 24-year-old endured an 11-game goalless drought stretching back to a narrow victory over West Brom on March 4 before he struck at Goodison Park in midweek.
It was the only goal of the game and the victory puts the Blues into eighth position in the Premier League, level on points with Tottenham Hotspur who they could leapfrog on Sunday to secure European football next season.
Speaking on BBC Match of the Day [19/05/21] Lineker suggested the presence of Blues supporters may have played a pivotal role in Richarlison’s resurgence.
“I think the return of fans really made a difference and inspired Richarlison in particular,” he said.
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Murphy added: “He was really good, maybe it was what Everton needed.
“He was bang at it today, he’s always been a threat in the air from set-plays and of course that’s where he got his goal, that was a super header.
“They’ve missed that, Everton.
“When he’s like this he’s really direct and plays with a great tenacity and he’s creative, so he should be scoring more goals with the ability and talent he’s got.”
“Today he was the best player.”
More like it
Richarlison is a supremely talented player but we’ve just not seen enough of it this season.
The Brazilian flits in and out of form and he needs to add more consistency to his game.
Before his barren run he had scored six times in six games to help us to four victories and there was no sign of a sudden demise.
But he has flattered to deceive this campaign and there’s much to improve on ahead next season.
There were promising signs on Wednesday, however, as he fired shots on goal and constantly hassled the Wolves defence.
His goal was just his seventh of the Premier League season, well behind top marksman Dominic Calvert-Lewin who has 16 to his name.
If Richarlison adds more goals to his game it could go a long way to pushing the Blues further up the table, and he may just have the opportunity to flex his talents in Europe now.
In other Everton news, ‘100%’ – Fabrizio Romano details Blues stance on £38.8m-rated ace, ‘Amazing’ link could be key.
Be sure to follow Goodison News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on Everton and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Campbell.