Blues Burst Moyes's Hammers Bubble with fantastic result in London

West Ham United 0 - 1 Everton

Everton traveled to London where they burst David Moyes’s West Ham bubble at the London Stadium with a top-drawer winning goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Ashley Young sat this one out after getting two yellow cards at Anfield last week, with Seamus Coleman, Dele Alli and André Gomes still recovering from injuries.

Harrison and Garner started after coming off at half-time last week. Gana was on the bench where Mackenzie Hunt stepped up from the Under-21s but remained uunused. Michael Keane was initially named on the bench also but had to leave for family reasons half-an-hour before kick-off, with Sean Dyche choosing the safety of two goalkeepers, adding Andy Lonergan in his place.  

Everton pressed high from the off, keeping the home side mostly penned in their half without fashioning any threat on their goal. In the 5th minute, they had to staunch the first Hammers attack before McNeil got forward to make Everton's first cross.

Antonio almost got in behind but his cut-back was smothered as Everton's long-ball probing was achieving little and the home side started to slow the pace down. But a quick ball over the top almost found Bowen with Kudus asking questions and winning a free-kick, earning the first corner that was repelled by Calvert-Lewin.

Branthwaite showed an excellent turn of speed to thwart his man down the wing but Everton were not using their possession very well, Calvert-Lewin unable to control a nice forward ball to feet.  

Some snappy passing saw a great Everton move down the right that ended with Calvert-Lewin straying offside as he received and then lost the ball. At least he was getting the right side of his defender.

A Patterson error allowed Paqueta to set up Bowen but the player messed up his shot. An excellent Harrison steal looked like it had to be an Everton goal but his shot at Areola was poor.

There was a bit of a brawl after Tarkowski tackled Kudus firmly to finally spice things up a bit. Pickford was booked for getting involved with Kudus who jumped up fit as a fiddle after feigning injury. He was rightly booked as well. 

Mykolenko then went down after being stamped on then Kudus went down and won a free-kick. Calvert-Lewin finally got some forward ball and Doucoure won a corner that looked like it could have led to more at the far post before being cleared.

Everton forced a good turnover and the ball sat up for Harrison but his left-foot shot on the spin was horrendous. Everton pressed again but could not fashion a chance. They kept breaking up the West Ham counter only to suffer from a repeated lack of continuity in their own forward moves. 

More tenacious Everton play saw Mykolenko swing in a decent angled cross that flew high and wide off Calvert-Lewin's head.  Onana got tapped on the head by Kudus's flailing hand and needed treatment for a head injury (!) along with 30-second sin-bin. 

Some good work saw Everton build a ponderous attack down the left, Mykolenko with another cross that Onana could only head wide. Garner tackled Bowen superbly after McNeil had gifted him the ball. 

Everton will get credit for a workmanlike and industrious first half but ultimately, without at least one goal – they should really have had more – it was extremely disappointing fayre.

West Ham looked a lot more lively from the restart, Branthwaite getting a meaty thigh on a goal-bound shot from Bowen. West Ham got a foul when Kudus stood on McNeil's foot and Bowen almost scored again, heading off his shoulder.

Everton won a free-kick of their own but created nothing from it. But a fabulous interception by Branthwaite helped to force the ball forward Harrison playing a neat one-two with Calvert-Lewin who produced a top-drawer turn and strike just inside the post. A very very good goal. 

West Ham were suitably exercised, Bowen trying a difficult strike at the far post that flew over. Branthwaite tacked Antonio superbly but again bizarrely considered a foul, Paqueta's acrobatic strike going back into midfield. 

Everton tried to get forward but were their own worst enemy, playing themselves into trouble and backwards before West Ham built an attack with Alverez shooting over. 

Doucoure got free onto a headed backpass but, with only the goalie to beat,  he didn't connect properly and Areola was able to parry it just past the post. Another incredible Everton chance squandered. 

West Ham won a dangerous free-kick, Tarkowski getting annoyed with Alvarez jumping in with both feet. Mykolenko did brilliantly to win the ball and set up an attack which initially went backwards but the attack eventually saw McNeil's strike tipped over the bar by Areola, with nothing coming from the corner. 

The Hammers built another attack, Branthhwaite having to stall Bowen for a corner, with the ball coming off Onana's arm: no penalty. Branthwaite again did superbly to frustrate Paqueta, Patterson adding salt that saw the Hammers man pick up a yellow card for his protests. 

Garner seemed to get free but couldn't fashion a strike and ended up chipping the ball back to Areola. West Ham won a corner but it was defended well by Everton. Benrahma tried a cross that was easy for Pickford. 

At the other end, Calvert-Lewin got free and smashed his shot off the underside of the bar but he was just a fraction offside. Benrahma was booked for a poor challenge from behind on Garner. 

Pickford made an incredible point-blank stop from Paqueta but he was offside. Onana did well to stop a West Ham move as the game entered the last 10 minutes of normal time. As West Ham searched for their goals, Branthwaite was an absolute rock in the Everton defence. 

Kudus got free but pulled back straight to Onana who could clear, Alverez fouling him for another West Ham yellow card.  Everton were having to soak up almost continuous pressure now, Alverez shooting over. 

Pickford had to palm over a deep hanging cross as things became increasingly ragged in the Everton area while Calvert-Lewin looked to relieve the pressure, almost setting up Harrison for a tap-in. The Everton striker then made way for Youssef Chermiti.

Benrahma powered in a fine volley that Pickford parried superbly, even if it was possibly going wide, as Everton needed to hang on for the final 6 added minutes.

The hugely determined Blues did their best to get the ball away from their goal but it just kept coming back, forcing 11 men back and denying any outball. A late Ings cross was gratefully held by Pickford as Branthwaite was rightly accorded Player of the Match, with Pickford making another vital collection before the whistle finally went on a fantastic result.  

West Ham Utd:  Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell (85' Ings), Alvarez [Y:83'], Ward-Prowse (73' Soucek), Paqueta [Y:71'], Kudus [Y:28'], Bowen, Antonio (57' Benrahma [Y:76']).

Subs: Fabianski, Ogbonna, Mavropanos, Kehrer, Fornals, Cornet.

Everton:  Pickford [Y:28'], Patterson, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Onana, Garner, Doucoure, Harrison, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin (88' Chermiti).

Subs: Virginia, Hunt, Keane Lonergan, Danjuma, Beto, Godfrey, Gana, Dobbin.

---

Reader Comments (181)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()

---

How to get rid of these ads and support TW