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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

Manchester United face Champions League group stage clashes with Harry Kane’s new club Bayern Munich, while Newcastle were handed an exceedingly tough task on their return to Europe’s top club competition. The Red Devils came back late on to beat Bayern in the 1999 final and complete the treble, but the German champions came out on top in the sides’ last Champions League encounter in the 2014 quarter-finals. Erik ten Hag’s United side will also be up against Rasmus Hojlund’s first professional club FC Copenhagen of Denmark and Turkish side Galatasaray in Group A. Newcastle face a hugely difficult task as they prepare to return to the competition for the first time since 2002-03. Eddie Howe’s side finished fourth in the Premier League last season and they have been paired with three European heavyweights – seven-time Champions League winners AC Milan, 1997 winners Borussia Dortmund and 2020 finalists Paris St Germain in Group F. Holders Manchester City face German side RB Leipzig for the third successive season in the Champions League after being pitted against Josko Gvardiol’s former club in Thursday’s group stage draw in Monaco. City hammered Leipzig 7-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie last season, having also beaten them 6-3 in the group stage the season before last. Also in City’s group are Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade, winners of the European Cup in 1991, and Swiss side Young Boys, with Pep Guardiola’s side seeking to build on their success in Istanbul last season by retaining the title at Wembley next June. Arsenal, back in the Champions League for the first time since 2016-17, face seven-time Europa League winners Sevilla in Group B. The Gunners, who were runners-up behind City in last season’s Premier League, are also up against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven and French team Lens. Scottish champions Celtic were placed in Group E alongside Eredivisie champions Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid of Spain and Italian side Lazio. The first round of group games will be played on September 19 and 20. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Provisional England World Cup place ‘extremely satisfying’ for Dawid Malan Ollie Chessum knew ankle injury was bad after reaction from England team-mates Marco Silva admits Fulham success will lead to interest amid Joao Palhinha links

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