(Reuters) - Gylfi Sigurdsson was quickly transformed from villain into hero as he struck twice to inspire Everton to their customary home win, 3-0, against Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Icelander curled a superb 56th-minute effort four minutes after he had smashed a penalty against the bar following the award of a dubious spot kick for Denis Odoi's innocuous shove on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Sigurdsson, who had never before missed a penalty in the Premier League, quickly made amends before substitute Cenk Tosun, an effective replacement for Calvert-Lewin, headed home Theo Walcott's 66th-minute cross at the far post.
Following Everton's poor first-half performance with Ryan Sessegnon coming closest to breaking the deadlock for Fulham when he hit the bar, Sigurdsson side-footed the Toffees' third goal in the 89th minute, ensuring the Londoners did not get a sniff of their first-ever league win at Goodison.
(Reporting by Ian Chadband; editing by Clare Fallon)