For David Moyes's last game in charge at Goodison Park, he named an unchanged team from last weekend's derby at Anfield. Phil Neville did not take part in the game, sidelined with a knee injury, as he also bade farewell to the Goodison faithful after 8 years as captain.
This was David Moyes's 213th and final Premier League home game in charge of Everton. 113 have ended in victory with 47 defeats. Everton now have 42 points at Goodison Park this season, exceeding their previous best home points haul under Moyes of 2009-10. A sixth straight home league win secure a fifth top-six finish in 11 years under David Moyes, and a second successive finish above fierce local rivals Liverpool.
The Everton manager stepped from the tunnel after the teams for the final time and waved to each side of Goodison Park to polite applause — no choreographed flag-waving or guard of honour for the modest hard-working Scotsman, who wanted this to be business as usual as he works through to the end of his current contract.
Everton kicked off with Mirallas looking bright and a couple of early corners coming to nothing. But Everton kept attacking, Baines evaded a lunging tackle to play in Fellaini who moved it quickly to Pienaar and then across to Mirallas, and the impressive Belgian found the net with a strong side-footed shot drilled from the edge of the box to set the packed Everton crowd into a fine mood for this momentous occasion.
A good run by Pienaar but he spoilt it with a wayward pass. Some open midfield play finally led to space for Osman, but his shot was very disappointing — straight at Jaaskelainen. Some excellent build-up play was running rings around the Hammers defence but the final ball did not reach Fellaini waiting on the penalty spot.
Anichebe looked to score Everton's second goal but Jaaskelainen blocked his effort at point-blank range. Osman, getting little protection in midfield as he was customarily brushed off the ball by West Ham defenders. West Ham finally came into the game a bit more, Nolan forcing a vital low save from Howard. on the half-hour. Nolan had another chance but drove a bouncing ball wide.
Jagielka picked out Fellaini with a brilliant cross-field ball but Collins got himself in front of the Big Fella's goalbound shot and Distin could only head behind at the far post. Mirallas was the next to be denied by a desperate defensive block after a nice set-up off a ball headed back by Osman.
Everton continue to dominate after the break, despite a tactical switch by big Sam, with their approach play at times exceptional until that seemingly inevitable final ball goes astray. But it didn't stop the packed Everton crowd from giving a rousing chant that was almost rewarded with a close effort from Osman before they saw another goal from Kevin Mirallas.
A neat ball fed through by Gibson was controlled well by Mirallas who powered his shot into Collins, and this time the block only deflected the shot into the ground and gave it a lovely trajectory, looping over Jaaskelainen and neatly into the top corner of the Gwladys Street net. Part time for the Blues! A yellow card for Mirallas, and an apparently over-exubberant celebration (ridiculous refereeing).
Osman looked to be odds on to score when teed up perfectly but incredibly his shot was just close enough to Jaaskelainen for him to paw it away. A brilliant run from Coleman, and cutback laid it on a plate for Pienaar but another flailing leg glanced the ball agonizingly wide as the Everton players turned on all the form to give David Moyes the biggest possible send-off.
Anichebe was next, a perfect dinked chip laid on his noggin brilliantly by Coleman, and the big man incredibly headed it wide! Why do Everton, playing at their brilliant best, find it so hard to chalk up a big scoreline? Perhaps time for Nikica Jelavic, with only one goal in his last 19 games???
West Ham came so close to scoring, Joe Cole forcing another good low save from Tim Howard. Another fantastic flowing move... another brilliant set-up... another limp powder-puff pass-back from Osman to Jaaskelainen! Unbelievable! Collins blocked Pienaar but was not given a second yellow as Baines floated the ball to Fellaini ghosting in at the far post but the Big Fella could only blast it over the bar.
West Ham still had a little left, creating some panic in the Everton defence before Carroll headed onto the face of the post, something of a let-off, encouraging David Moyes to think about making a late substitution with one of his most faithful servants: Tony Hibbert, on for Leon Osman.
In added time, David Moyes made the last substitution, allowing goalscoring hero Mirallas to milk the crowd's applause as the team prepared for a lap of appreciation and a last chance for the Goodison faithful to bid a final farewell to David Moyes after 11 years as he moves on to take up the daunting challenge of managing Manchester United. It was an emotional moment for the Scotsman, the end of an era for Everton Football Club.
Michael Kenrick
Two days can be a long time in football let alone a week. On Tuesday, the Everton squad was no doubt transitioning its collective thoughts from the post mortem of the goalless draw at Anfield to preparations for the final home game of the season against West Ham United.
By Wednesday evening it was pretty clear that manager David Moyes was about to be named the next manager of Manchester United. Tottenham's late equaliser at Chelsea, one that all but ends the Blues' hopes of qualifying for the Europa League, may have changed the character of Sunday's game but there is no question that the significance of the occasion has now been transformed by the events of the past 48 hours.
Though the team will be striving for all three points while fifth place in the Premier League remains a slim but mathematical possibility, Sunday will be all about a send-off for Moyes after 11 years at the Goodison Park helm. That in itself may provide the players the impetus they need to win, although there is always the danger that the uncertainty of what lies ahead could needle away at the psyche.
For his penultimate game in charge, Moyes's Everton side are 8/15 favourites to top West Ham and record what would be their first and only double for the 2012-13 season. The Hammers have won only three times away from home this season — their last win coming at Stoke at the beginning of March — and are comfortably in 10th place in the table despite having only one won of their last six.
The Blues, meanwhile, are on a run of one defeat in their last nine and they can cement a sixth-place finish at least with victory before heading to Chelsea on the final day. They are, of course, the draw specialists of the top flight this season and the odds are currently 16/5 on this one ending the same way this fixture did two years ago when it required an injury time equaliser from Marouane Fellaini to earn a point.
Having opted for his favoured 4-5-1 formation against Liverpool, Moyes could revert to the two-pronged attack he deployed against Fulham where he paired Nikica Jelavic with Victor Anichebe, although that would require a change in central midfield if Darron Gibson is fit again to start.
The Irishman missed the win over Fulham but played at Anfield last weekend, albeit at a level below the standards he has set for himself since coming to Everton last year, and it's likely that he or Leon Osman would have to make way should Moyes plump for a 4-4-2. Alternatively, he could stay with an unchanged starting XI but give Fellaini greater license to get forward than was the case in the derby.
A victory in front of the Goodison faithful would, of course, be the ideal parting gift from Moyes and while he wasn't able to provide that long-elusive first win across Stanley Park, it would secure a second-successive finish above neighbours Liverpool.
Should the Blues pick up all three points and Tottenham lose at Stoke, they would go into the final game of the season knowing that the same outcomes for both sides could, depending on the scorelines, put Everton in fifth place on goal difference. Naturally, it would take a first League win for Moyes at Stamford Bridge but it would be poetic.
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* Everton deducted 8 pts; †Forest deducted 4 pts for PSR breachView full table
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