Beto saved Everton from one of their most embarrassing and gutless defeats in recent memory last night, but his goal cannot paper over the cracks.
Yesterday was abysmal.
From the very first minute, the Toffees were flat and uninspired, rarely threatening the Fulham goal.
Frustratingly, that persisted throughout, arguably until Beto arrived on the field.
His shared physical presence alongside Michael Keane caused untold issues for the Cottagers backline, and in the end, that pressure told.
However, it was what Beto did immediately after the full-time whistle that deserves far more acclaim.
Beto’s full-time reaction proves how much Everton means to him
Having scored the equaliser, just as the clock ticked over to 94 minutes, it was effectively the last meaningful action of the match.
And what an important one too, extending Everton’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to five games now.
However, the goal clearly meant far more to him personally than it did to the team, as at full-time he was pictured in floods of tears, covering his face from the cameras to hide his emotion.
Beto gave a revealing interview after the Fulham match, admitting to having endured a really ‘difficult’ week.
Having put that behind him to score from the bench, he could not contain himself, proving how much he cares about this football club.
This kind of devotion could even earn him a start against Southampton next time out, especially with Dominic Calvert-Lewin refusing to sign a new Everton contract.
Surely the Everton manager would prefer a devoted star who clearly loves the club over someone whose future remains uncertain.
How did Beto play vs Fulham?
Although he was only afforded nine minutes on the pitch, Beto managed far more than Calvert-Lewin did across 81.
After all, not only did he score, but his general threat level was simply far higher than his positional rival.
The Englishman failed to hit the target with a single shot all game, only having one attempt which was blocked. He did have the ball in the back of the net, but unsurprisingly, was offside.
Meanwhile, Beto had two shots on target and another off target, winning both of the aerial duels he competed in too, via Sofascore.
A persistent threat, perhaps this bulldozing cameo might have earned him a start against Southampton next time out.
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