Just outside Goodison Park, there is evidence of the impact a goalscorer can make. Almost a century after his 60-goal season, more than four decades after his death, Dixie Dean’s statue is a sign he remains an iconic figure in these parts. It is safe to assume it will not be joined, at Goodison or Bramley-Moore Dock, of a sculpture of Neal Maupay. A year into his Everton career, Maupay is only 382 Everton goals behind Dean, who got 383; at his current rate of progress, he could go past him early in the 2400s. And if it is automatically unfair to bracket anyone else with Everton’s record scorer, there is a stark contrast. Everton have never been less prolific than they were last season, when their total of 34 league goals was barely more than half the 60 Dean managed on his own in 1927-28. They began the new campaign with an exhibition of how not to finish, with a demoralising home defeat to Fulham and with indications that, unless they discover a clinical touch, another season of grim struggle beckons. Maupay is the face of a problem, but not all of it. He was not the sole culprit; Abdoulaye Doucoure waltzed through the Fulham defence but Bernd Leno saved his scuffed shot while Nathan Patterson struck the bar. Yet his job description entails scoring goals and his drought has now lasted 29 games. When Bobby Decordova-Reid took his lone opportunity, he showed the perils of Everton’s profligacy. For them, it was a tale of three strikers, two missing the match and one missing chances. The £12.5 million Youssef Chermiti was deemed not ready after only signing this week; so, for different reasons, was the oft-injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, ruled not match fit. Without either, Everton scarcely felt equipped for the start of the season but this was not the first striking void at Goodison Park in recent years. Enter Maupay, whose presence on the teamsheet may have disheartened Evertonians before a ball was kicked, whose movement was excellent, whose persistence was admirable and whose finishing was unconvincing. He ranks as one of the most damaging parts of Frank Lampard’s legacy, a signing the former manager advocated when others at Everton wanted Ben Brereton Diaz. He ended last season with one goal from 32 shots and an expected goals tally of 5.43. But this is a time for fresh starts. New season, new Maupay? Not exactly. He could have scored after barely 30 seconds but shot wide. He twice spurned one-on-ones with Bernd Leno, the first from five yards, the second from about 12. Abdoulaye Doucoure cushioned a header into his path, Amadou Onana placed a pass, but Leno saved each effort. He had four efforts and got no goals. There were rousing cheers when he was replaced, though they were for the debutant Arnaut Danjuma; a winger could have been a preferable option as a makeshift striker. But Sean Dyche’s options are limited. His side played with verve, Alex Iwobi and Doucoure allying running power with craft. But his starting 11 contained five players who may call themselves central midfielders and the closest thing to a career winger was a 38-year-old at left-back, in Ashley Young. They offered effort in abundance and encountered a defiant goalkeeper who made nine saves. The otherwise excellent Leno unpunished from his only error, a foul given when he spilled a cross and Michael Keane found the unguarded net. Yet the stark reality is that Everton began with a home defeat to a side who may end up in the bottom half themselves and a manager, in Marco Silva, who they sacked in 2018. It is no slight on Dyche to say they have reasons to repent that decision. If Fulham’s win was a triumph of strength in depth, it also owed something to Silva’s intervention. He secured a second win of 2023 at Goodison when three substitutes combined. Aleksandar Mitrovic released Andreas Pereira to cross for Decordova-Reid to finish. If it had the feel of a smash-and-grab raid, it had been threatened. In a Maupay-esque return, Raul Jimenez failed to score a Premier League goal in his last season at Wolves. He nearly marked his Fulham debut with one, volleying against the base of the post from a Decordova-Reid cross. Fulham, though, have the confidence of a team who can score. To Dyche’s credit, he conjured goals from Doucoure and Dwight McNeil in the run-in last season. But if it was obvious a team who only got four from their out-and-out centre-forwards needed far more this season, it was an utterly unpromising start. And for a club whose motto is Nil Satis Nisi Optimum, its first word is the most worrying. Everton got Nil. Again. Read More Everton’s summer of stasis leaves Sean Dyche with a salvage job on his hands Football rumours: Everton considering bid for Harry Maguire

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Marc Skinner wants his Manchester United players to focus on the task at hand while he keeps an ear on results elsewhere as the Women’s Super League title race goes to the final day of the season. United travel to Liverpool on Saturday afternoon trailing league leaders Chelsea by two points, with the Blues at rock-bottom Reading, who need to win to avoid relegation from the top flight. Skinner, whose side are already guaranteed their highest-ever league finish five years after reforming, must win on Merseyside to give themselves any chance of denying Chelsea a fourth straight league crown. “All we can do is try to win the game,” said the United boss. “Should it need different connotations, we’ve got to be ready to adapt to that but we’ve got to try and win the game. “We have to keep tabs on Reading-Chelsea. I don’t think we’re going to listen to it with that much intent but we’ll have an understanding of the scoreline. “It will be more comms in the ear, not watching the game. It will be a tough ask for Reading, Chelsea have been excellent this season, but we can all hope. We need two great swings to go for us.” The title would head to United if they win and Chelsea lose while a Blues draw does not rule out Skinner’s side completely – although it means having to beat Liverpool by at least six goals. United coincidentally defeated Liverpool 6-0 at Leigh Sports Village in January but Skinner feels the result was a one-off and is adamant his side are braced for a tougher challenge at Prenton Park. “(Manager) Matt Beard builds together teams and they fight for each other, and that’s always dangerous because that sometimes goes beyond tactics,” said Skinner. “I’ll be very clear: the 6-0 game at home shouldn’t have been a 6-0 game, we took chances, got a little bit of luck at times but it was never a 6-0 game. (Saturday) will be a lot tighter than that. “We’ve just got to concentrate on us, we’ve got one game left to give all our energy and get it all out before the summer. We’ve got to enjoy it more importantly, not play like it’s an end-of-season game. “I won’t forgive anybody that does that. For us it’s still about trying to win the game but knowing how hard Liverpool at their home ground is.” While United scoring an early goal might put pressure on Chelsea, Skinner is wary of playing into Liverpool’s hands. “The one thing Liverpool are wonderful at is counter-attacking,” added Skinner. “Natasha Dowie knows where every part of the goal is at any point, Shanice van de Sanden is wonderful at the speed in which they break. For us, you’ve got to build the success, they’re not going to give us anything.”

Everton face Manchester United on Super Sunday in what is their first match since losing 10 points for breaching the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability rules. Sean Dyche says the decision from an independent commission to dock Everton points was “disproportionate” and that he was shocked when he heard the news. The Toffees are now down to 19th in the table and have work to do to get themselves out of the relegation zone. That may not be the hardest task. There are struggling teams in the league this season and Dyche has shaped Everton into a tough team to beat as well as unlocking their attacking threat. They have only lost once, to Liverpool, in their last five league matches but face a Manchester United side in fine form. However, that doesn’t feel like the case. United have won four of their last five matches in the league but each by just one goal. They’re sixth in the table yet have a negative goal difference of -3. If things go wrong for Erik ten Hag’s side they seem to go very wrong. With the boost of Andre Onana and Luke Shaw in the squad can the Red Devils triumph at Goodison Park? Follow all the action below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

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