Match Report

No one really wanted to put too much emphasis on one match but with an international break coming and an always tricky away game at Southampton looming on the other side of it, Everton really needed to win today.

Another draw wouldn’t have been catastrophic, of course, but to have completed a fifth of the season without picking up a victory would have been an unsettling return for the Blues in view of last season’s close call with relegation.

As it is, they battled their way to a 1-0 victory, reversing the scoreline from the corresponding fixture last season on the back of Neal Maupay’s first goal for the club. And what a lovely goal it was, a perfectly-placed drive from just inside the box following a neat first touch from the impressive Alex Iwobi’s pass.

Everton didn’t get much change from referee Michael Oliver but their luck held once more — an opposition player struck the post for the seventh time in four games but the ball again stayed out — and though there was a couple of other scares late on, they largely held today’s visitors at arm’s length, with the defensive quartet of Nathan Patterson, Vitalii Mykolenko, James Tarkowski and, newly-installed as deputy captain, Conor Coady excelling when it mattered in the closing stages.

The landmark of picking up the first three points of the season might end up being significant but this wasn’t a performance that will live long in the memory. Everton managed just two shots on target in the 90 minutes, both coming early in the second half and their forward play was often let down by the final ball but Lampard will be all too aware of the calibre of the opposition and he will point to just well David Moyes’s back line dealt with most of what the Blues threw at it.

Indeed, while Maupay led the line well and even won a couple of aerial duels you’d have thought he had no right to win, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s absence from the side was noticeable as Everton crosses, mostly from the right flank were repelled by the likes of Kurt Zouma and Thilo Kehrer in the heart of the Hammers’ defence.

At other times, though, Lampard’s men adapted accordingly and it was their relentless press that opened up opportunities for them in the early going, even if none of them were gilt-edged scoring ones. Too often, a lack of movement along the forward line and options for the pass in the final third let them down… until it all came together in the 53rd minute for Maupay to rap home the winner.

Idrissa Gueye came into the starting XI for his first start since returning from Paris Saint-Germain and formed part of a midfield three that helped cancel the visitors out in what was an even first half short on goalmouth incident.

Coady came close to turning a Bowen cross into his own net in the eighth minute but did well to knock it behind after Mykolenko had allowed the winger to out-muscle him near the byline and neither side managed an effort on target until the stroke of half time when Begovic comfortably caught a header from Zouma.

West Ham had the first chance of the second period when Pablo Fornals got to the byline and centred for Bowen but he swept a first-time effort narrowly over before the lively Demarai Gray drove in from the left flank and forced the first save from Lukas Fabianski with a low shot.

The former Leicester man was involved in the goal shortly afterwards, however, as he knocked a neat pass inside to Alex Iwobi, he picked Maupay out on the edge of the penalty area and having gathered the ball with a tidy first touch, he fired a crisp shot wide of Fabianski and inside the near post to hand Everton the lead.

Moyes’s side responded immediately and Michail Antonio’s header from Bowen’s cross was caught and Tarkowski got a vital block in to deny Bowen what would have been a goal-bound effort while, at the other end, Gray put two teasing balls across the face of goal that just eluded Maupay in the middle.

West Ham would force 14 corners over the course of the game but really only came to scoring off one of them when Tomas Soucek glanced a header a foot wide of the far post.

The Londoners came even closer a few minutes later when Everton were caught trying to play their way out of their own half, Gueye lost the ball and Said Benrahma advanced towards goal before curling an effort around Begovic who watched it bounce off the inside of his right-hand post and fly across goal before being cleared.

Anthony Gordon had had his quietest game for quite a while so it was no surprise when he made way for Dwight McNeil with a quarter of an hour to go and Gray was replaced by Abdoulaye Doucouré a few minutes later but not before he had jinked his way along the 18-yard line and fed Iwobi whose curling shot just cleared the bar by a few inches.

Begovic pushed Cornet’s shot behind after Declan Rice had played him in with six minutes to go and the former Burnley man almost wrapped his foot around the ball after both Tarkowski and Coady had mis-judged the flight of a long ball down the centre and Patterson got a crucial touch that ensured it up in the side-netting.

Finally, Begovic had to tip a sliced Bowen cross over in stoppage time and Tarkowski did well to twice get his head on the ball from the resulting corner as the Toffees held out to claim three points that lift them away from the bottom three.

Despite West Ham’s own slow start to the campaign, this was never going to be an easy game and it was as tight as many were expecting. Less open than the recent contests against Leeds and Liverpool, for example, there were fewer opportunities for Everton in transition and more often than not, the passing lanes between the lines around the edge of the opposition box were closed off.

But as Lampard remarked afterwards, “there’s a good feeling about the place” and a growing sense that the manager is building something sustainable at Goodison Park now, especially with such sound defensive foundations now in place.

The Blues still haven’t scored more than once in a game so far this season and it looks as though goals will continue to be hard to come by, at least until Calvert-Lewin comes back into the side, but the graft, the solidity and the character is there to suggest that the club can start looking upwards rather than over their shoulders this season.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

Everton secured their first win of the season over relegation strugglers West Ham United thanks to a fine strike by Neal Maupay for his first goal in an otherwise difficult match that was full of errors and could far too easily have gone the other way.

Injury problems continue to plague Finch Farm with Jordan Pickford the latest casualty, who joins Godfrey, Mina, and Townsend in the recovery room. But massive expectation surrounded the possible return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose fame as a lethal striker knows no bounds after scoring the dramatic goal against Crystal Palace that kept Everton in the Premier League last season. 

Only he fails to make the squad. Gana Gueye is preferred over Tom Davies, while Begovic steps up in goal, with new stand-in keeper Eldin Jakupovic making his first Everton showing on the bench as Andy Lonergan is injured.  

The visitors kicked off but Antonio soon strayed offside and Everton laboured to play out from the back until Onana was fouled.  Patterson made a poor giveaway that led to a West Ham counter and corner, successfully defended.

It was ponderous at best from Everton trying to move forward until Patterson looked a deep cross to Fabianski.  Maupay did very well to steal of Suofal but Iwobi could not Myko got beaten so easily and the cross almost forced a Coady own goal, the corner swung in but cleared. 

At the other end, a great pass from Onana put Gra into space to cross but it evaded Gordon. Better pressure saw Patterson's cross put behind for an Everton corner that seemed to be falling for Onana, then Paqueta commits and trips Gray wide right for a free-kick and a free header for Onana, who jumped too early. 

Paqueta was allowed another poor challenge, this one on Gueye, but the free-kick was poorly overhit by Gray. Gueye then stood on Bowen's ankle as West Ham countered quickly again. Gray involved again but his distribution was poor. 

Onana brushed off Declan Rice with a deft shuffle and Mykolenko swung in a decent cross but it was cleared and Paqueta was almost played in but for a good interception by Coady. But a string of West Ham corners had to be defended.

Another Gray delivery wasn't good enough, with Mylenko wildly lashing a shot well wide. 

Everton broke through Gray but he kept the ball a fraction too long yet again, and last the ball. Everton's next attack was a little more fluid until Maupay this time delayed things then Gray let the ball run out.

Everton were tested with yet another corner, Begovic saving the header easily. Coady took out Antonio and earned the first yellow card. Mykolenko was next with a silly shirt pull on Paqueta but escaped a card. Everton tried to build again but the pace of the move was lacking and the lack of passing accuracy ultimately saw the move break down. 

Another half-decent Everton build-up and Gray's cross looked good but it was cleared. Continuous Everton pressure ensued but Zouma was a rock getting his head onto most crosses coming in. Zouma then took out Maupay but escaped a card. 

Onana started to get a bit sloppy with his passing but Everton won the ball back and Gordon got a corner. But the balls in were not smart enough and kept coming back out with Fabianski still to make a save or see a shot on his goal. 

Gordon went down easily but won a free-kick. Gray delivered it over everyone, Onana not jumping for it. Gordon made a good strong tackle on Fornals that was much appreciated by the crowd but the Everton build-up again was far too ponderous.

Yet another turnover and Tarkowski needed to put in a strong tackle on Antonio, but it led to another West Ham corner that was half cleared, Cresswell's ball in glanced at Begovic by Zouma. And that ended a half off stalemate where both teams had successfully cancelled each other out. 

A quicker forward move after the restart looked s if Gray had a chance but he didn't really, and the Everton corners were headed clear. At the other end, Bowen should have at least got his shot on target from a very smart pullback off Fornals.

Gray drove in and fired at Fabianski – the first shot on target! But straight at the keeper, when he really should have laid it back. Gordon seemed out of sorts as he passed well behind Onana. Would anything bring this game to life? 

The answer was Yes, and the answer was Maupay, who turned in traffic to lash a brilliant pass from Iwobi between Fabianski and his near post, a fine strike! Antonio tried to beat Begovic but couldn't and Everton surged into attack again.

Everton won a corner that caused momentary panic but they had to be careful when they lost the ball as West Ham flooded forward with pace, Gordon having to play last man at the expense of a corner.

Tarkowski then had to make a crucial block as West Ham kept coming forward. 

Cornet came on for Paqueta and was immediately fouled – yellow card for Gordon, who got wide but his cross was overhit. Gray again advanced and crossed between forwards and goal. 

More corners for West Ham, Soucek so close with a glancing header that flew across goal, Mykolenko stooping to avoid contact at the far post but another corner given, this time a Zouma header was blocked. 

More West Ham corners needed defending but when the ball broke for Gray, he just stopped dead, and any momentum was lost. McNeil replaced Gordon, but it was almost constant West Ham pressure, with painfully slow breakouts by Everton on the turnover, a poor one from Gana leading to a tremendous shot from Benrhama, smacking the far post with Begovic frozen. 

Gray had another great run in and was tackled, Iwobi firing just over the bar.  But Everton were living dangerously as West Ham continued to search for an equalizer. Onana needed treatment for a knock on his thigh as Doucouré replaced Gray.

Cornet overlapped dangerously and fired a good shot that forced a good save from Begovic. Benrhama messed up the corner, much to the annoyance of David Moyes. Everton tried a dangerous game of keep-ball until Iwobi was tempted into a wild shot off-target.

Cornet came very close to scoring, Patterson and Tarkowski getting the finest of touches to push him to the byeline and the side netting, as Rondon replaced Maupay. Into the last minute of real time and more keep-ball from Everton to try and run down the clock. 

Into 5 minutes of added time and a very anxious Goodison park craving for the win, but filled with silent trepidation when West Ham attacked. Doucoure with a chance to make a break played his pass straight path the West Ham player nearest to him.

West Ham came back, Bowen forcing a fingertip touch over for yet another West Ham corner. Tarkowski headed it on to Rice when sent it back to Tarkowski and into the hands of Begovic. 

Scammacca then leapt aggressively into Gueye, causing a bit of a handbag session which added another minute until the final whistle came on a precious first Everton win of the season. 

Everton:   Begovic, Patterson, Tarkowski, Coady [Y:28'], Mykolenko, Iwobi, Gana, Onana, Gray  (81' Doucoure), Maupay  (89' Rondon), Gordon [Y:62'] (75' McNeil [Y:90+4']).

Subs not Used: Jakupovic, Keane, Coleman, Davies, Vinagre, Garner.

West Ham Utd: Fabianski, Kehrer, Zouma, Cresswell (90+3' Emerson), Coufal, Soucek, Rice, Fornals (62' Benrahma), Bowen, Lucas Paqueta (62,' Cornet), Antonio (70' Scamacca [Y:90+5']).

Subs not Used: Lanzini, Downes, Areola, Dawson, Ogbonna.

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

Everton are back in action following the postponement of last weekend's fixtures as West Ham United travel to Merseyside for clash that, rather unexpectedly, will feature two clubs sitting in the bottom four of the early Premier League table.

While the Blues spent much of last season battling relegation and were expected to struggle again this term, the Hammers, under former Blues boss David Moyes, have been fighting at the right half of the table for the past two campaigns. They have, however, made a poor start to 2022-23 and came into this round of games in 18th place, one behind their opponents at Goodison Park.

Moyes's side remain a strong one, though, with the likes of Michaill Antonio, Manuel Lanzini, Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek in their ranks, and as new signings like Gianluca Scamacca and Maxwel Cornet start to bed in, the expectation is that they will begin to move up the table in fairly short order.

West Ham come up against a rapidly-improving Everton, however, who are on a five-game unbeaten run in all competitions under Frank Lampard. Even though they have yet to win in the League, there is a feeling that the combination of the manager's methods and some really positive moves in the transfer market should ensure that a scrap to avoid the drop won't be on the cards again this season.

Idrissa Gueye's deadline-day arrival from Paris Saint-Germain added solidity to what is now a pleasingly balanced and well-rounded midfield and he is expected to make his first start alongside Amadou Onana and Alex Iwobi in a 4-3-3 while Lampard confirmed yesterday that Abdoulaye Doucouré will return to the squad following injury.

Asmir Begovic will make his first start in goal since March as Jordan Pickford recovers from a thigh problem but it's up front where much of the focus will be as Dominic Calvert-Lewin is in line for his first appearance of the season. The striker will be assessed before Sunday's Premier League clash with West Ham to determine whether he is fit enough to start for the first time this season.

Calvert-Lewin has missed all seven of Everton's opening matches to the season after sustaining a knee injury just days before the campaign kicked off, a continuation of the frustration he endured last term when a toe problem followed by a serious quad muscle tear restricted him to just 18 appearances in all competitions.

Calvert-Lewin returned to full training in the middle of last week with the hope of making the substitutes' bench against Arsenal but the postponement of that trip to the Emirates has given him an extra week to build his fitness.

 Lampard indicated that the club's medical staff will be cautious about throwing the 25-year-old back into action too quickly but it looks likely that Calvert-Lewin will be in the squad at least this weekend.

“[Dominic is] close,” Lampard said, “and we'll see come Sunday whether he's ready to start the game or not. We have to be careful with him because he's had a big injury but we'll see.

“We knew we were in need of a striker, a number 9. I was really pleased with [Neal Maupay] on his debut. He worked hard. He's settled into the group really well.”

Lampard also gave updates on players who won't be returning this weekend due to injuries of their own. The manager suggested that Pickford is aiming to be fit following a calf strain in time to face either Southampton on 1 October or Manchester United the following weekend and he will be deputised by Begovic in the meantime.

“Asmir's a very experienced goalkeeper which is a big plus for us,” Lampard said. “He's had plenty of time to get his mind in gear. I think he's always ready.

“Jordan we hope to be fit [soon]. We're looking at Southampton and Man United. Yerry [Mina] won't be fit until after we come back from the international break and probably a similar timeframe to what Mason [Holgate] is [on]. A couple of weeks after.

“[Andros Townsend is] working incredibly hard to get fit. I can't give you an exact date I'm afraid but we're not talking the next few weeks.”

While there is increasing urgency around Everton getting this elusive first win under their belts, it's important that it doesn't become a pressurising preoccupation that begins to play on the players' minds. Recent performances, particularly in the Goodison derby last time out, suggest that if they just keep doing what they have been doing while integrating Neal Maupay and Calvert-Lewin into the new setup, it will only be a matter of time before the Toffees pick up their first three points.

Kick-off: 2:15pm, Sunday, 18 September, 2022
Referee: Michael Oliver
VAR: Mike Dean
Last Time: Everton 0 - 1 West Ham United

Predicted Line-up: Begovic, Patterson, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Gueye, Onana, Iwobi, Gordon, Gray, Maupay

Lyndon Lloyd

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