Southampton 1-2 Everton

Everton heaped more pressure on Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl after securing a 2-1 win at St Mary’s. Moussa Djenepo and Cedric came into the Southampton side that was beaten late on at Manchester City last time out. Yan Valery dropped to bench and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was left out altogether.
Marco Silva made three changes to his starting line-up on the back of Everton’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham last Sunday as Andre Gomes was joined by Fabian Delph on the sidelines, while Alex Iwobi dropped to the bench as Morgan Schneiderlin, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Cenk Tosun came in.
Everton came into the game having lost five of their last six Premier League away games against Southampton but were ahead inside four minutes.
Sigurdsson whipped in a corner which Mason Holgate flicked on and Tom Davies was on hand to head past Alex McCarthy from close range.
The Toffees should have doubled their lead on 18 minutes when Tosun flicked a Sigurdsson pass into the path of Theo Walcott before continuing his run and he was picked out by the return cross into the middle, but somehow sent his header over the top from six yards.
Everton continued to look the more likely to add to the scoreline, with McCarthy forced to deal with cross-shots into his area from Holgate and Davies before Lucas Digne fired wide when in a good position.
Having been booed off at the interval, the Saints returned for the second half and had their first attempt on target on 47 minutes as Jordan Pickford comfortably held on to substitute Sofiane Boufal’s strike.
The hosts’ improved showing was rewarded on 50 minutes with an equaliser as Boufal surged past Schneiderlin and put a low cross into the middle for Danny Ings to convert from close range.
Everton responded as Richarlison set up Sigurdsson, who watched as his shot from the edge of the area was tipped over by McCarthy on 55 minutes. Tosun then hit an effort wide of the far corner moments later.
Yerry Mina survived two penalty shouts at the other end after Djenepo went down under a challenge in the box before the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) checked a possible handball from him.
But it was Everton who got their noses back in front on 75 minutes when substitute Iwobi played in Djibril Sidibe down the right and his superb low cross was volleyed in at the far post by Richarlison.
Iwobi then had an effort deflect off Jack Stephens and roll inches wide of McCarthy’s goal before he saw another attempt bounce off the outside of the post.
Everton held on comfortably for the three points which moves them up to 13th position, six points clear of second-bottom Saints, who remain winless at home this season.