Match Report Everton had Jordan Pickford to thank for the point they ground out at the London Stadium as the England star pulled off important saves at the end of either half in this afternoon’s lacklustre goalless draw with West Ham. Having denied Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio shortly before half-time and Guido Rodriguez just before the hour mark, Pickford made a stunning one-handed save to turn Danny Ings’s shot over in second-half stoppage time while Crysencio Summerville saw an earlier strike come back off the post. This was a frustrating game that will ultimately be seen as an opportunity missed by two poor sides bereft of confidence and lacking quality in forward areas. Everton were the better side on balance, but West Ham had the the more clear-cut opportunities, with Sean Dyche’s men struggling to turn their superiority into goal-scoring chances The manager had brought Jarrad Brathwaite back into the starting XI and was able to welcome Abdoulaye Doucouré back from injury, although he was deprived of the services of Dwight McNeil, who continues to be hampered by a knee complaint. Dominic Calvert-Lewin kept his place up front, despite Beto’s recent good form, but, once again, the former England international toiled fruitlessly as the lone striker and had just one effort on target during his 75 minutes on the field, a routine header that was claimed by Lukas Fabianski. The Hammers came into this fixture with plenty of doubt and speculation over Julen Lopetegui’s future, and there was a tangible apprehension and disenchantment from the home fans at their team’s display for much of the contest. Contrary to their recent pattern of ceding, territory and possession to the opposition, the Blues on this occasion were content to try and keep the ball and break the hosts down, but all too often the the final ball was desperately lacking. Jesper Lindstrøm was willing but ultimately ineffective, Iliman Ndiaye was all too often isolated and peripheral on the left flank, but the industry of Doucouré, Idrissa Gueye and Orel Mangala in the middle ensured that Everton were mostly on the front foot. However, it was Doucouré who was guilty of squandering one of Everton’s best openings on the day early on when he was put into the clear by Gueye but, rather than striking first time, he delayed his shot and was charged down by the covering tackle from Summerville. Ndiaye was able to wriggle free, cut in and despatch a tame low shot that Fabianski gathered easily in the 12th minute and the Senegal international wasn’t able to steer a header on target midway through the first half but after being subdued for most of the first period, West Ham were almost allowed to steal an unlikely lead by errors at the back by Everton. Branthwaite got a crucial tackle in on Bowen but James Tarkowski wasn’t able to complete the job and it took a superb stop by Pickford to keep the winger’s powerful effort out. Then, in time added on at the end of the first half, Tarkowski’s poor giveaway let Antonio in but Pickford was there again to force the attacker wide and block his shot behind for a corner. Early in the second half, it was an uncharacteristic error from Branthwaite that was pounced on by Bowen but his shot was deflected wide while, at the other end, Lindstrøm could only guide Calvert-Lewin’s cross off target with his shoulder. The Dane had the Toffees’ best chance of the game with an hour gone, though, when he was well-placed to meet Mangala’s chipped cross from the byline but Fabianski palmed his header over the bar. Mangala himself wasted an opening by slicing horribly wide but in the closing stages it was Lopetegui’s side who almost pinched the points. Summerville was sent clear by Lucas Paquetà’s slide-rule pass but through he placed his effort wide of Pickford’s glove, the ball hit the base of the post and was swept clear by Branthwaite. Then, after Pickford had pushed Ings’s low shot aside for Young to belt away for a throw-in, the former Liverpool and Aston Villa marksman looked to have won it in injury time but despite a heavy deflection off Tarkowski, Pickford was able to fly to his right and divert the goal-bound shot over. In the final reckoning, neither side deserved to win this contest between two out-of-form teams. Lopetegui will have done little to convince Hammers fans that he is the long-term solution for them and Dyche will, no doubt, be content with a draw on the road, but with difficult games coming up in December, it’s hard not lament two more points that slipped away. Lyndon Lloyd top Matchday Updates Everton travel to the London Stadium this weekend to face fellow strugglers West Ham, with Jarrad Branthwaite finally selected to make only his second start his season with Michael Keane making way. Abdoulaye Doucouré also returns alongside Gana and Mangala in a rare 3-man midfield but Seamus Coleman has suffered a relapse with a minor hamstring strain that keeps him out of today's clash. Dwight McNeil has not recovered from his injury sustained last week. Armando Broja is getting closer, while Youssef Chermiti has some distance still to go. James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam remain on the injury list. There was talk of youngsters being called up and the new name on the bench alongside Harrison Armstrong is that of Callum Bates, a solid performer for the U18s and more recently the U21s. The Hammers kicked things off with a Pickford style hoof upfield from Fabianski, Antonio taking an early tumble. Doucoure was too slow to chase a flick-on at the other end. Everton then shaped a decent break but Gana's shot deflected behind off Mangala. A pattern of scrappy transitions followed until Bowen forced a corner off Branthwaite. But Everton broke at pace, 4 in Blue surging over the half-way line in support of Calvert-Lewin but Doucocure again wanting too much time, his shot blocked at source. Branthwaite drove forward and Mykolenko cut inside, firing low for Fabianski to save. Everton looked lively with pressure around the West Ham area, Young fouled wide right for Lindstrøm to deliver in hard at head height but West Ham cleared it. Everton tried to play it out from the back but it was messy, Young giving up a throw-in. West Ham finally broke another sequence of transitions – Antonio feeding Bowen who had strayed offside. Ndiaye did well to advance and feed a ball toward Calvert-Lewin that he could not pick up, and West Ham surged back up the other way, the game fairly even. Bowen got a free-kick when Ndiaye bundled into him but it was nicely delivered into Pickford's hands. Young put in a second decent cross but it was cleared, another headed weakly wide by Ndiaye as Everton lacked the guile to get close enough to really threaten. Calvert-Lewin almost dispossessed Fabianski well outside his area. A 50-yard pass from Tarkowski found Mykolenko advancing down the right but his cross found a defender instead of Calvert-Lewin, the corner easily cleared. But another brief period of Everton pressure in the final third again produced little to nothing. At the other end, Branthwaite read the danger from Paqueta and Bowen, intercepting vitally before anything came of it, and both sides continued to neutralize each other in a manner that made the game very flat. Lindstrøm looked to cut in down the inside right channel but his woeful ball was well away from Calvert-Lewin, easy meat for Fabianski. Branthwaite's deep cross to the far post for Calvert-Lewin was easily collected by the West Ham keeper. Everton tried to play something approaching front-foot stuff but the final ball in to Calvert-Lewin saw his long-range header easily saved. Another Young cross was overhit and eventually cleared into something of a break by Antonio, another vital boot extended by Branthwaie to slow his progress, Bowen's final shot parried brilliantly at the near post by Pickford. The resulting corner into a crowded 6-yard box was headed goalward by Paqueta but cleared. Then Bowen anticipated an awful midfield pass by Tarkowski, with Pickford having to come out wide to stop Antonio's approach at the expense of a defended corner that ended a largely very flat half of poor quality lower Premier League anti-football. Doucoure kicked off the second half, Calvert-Lewin getting brought down by Emerson… big chance for Lindstrom: decent enough ball but headed behind for an early Everton corner, and shouts for a penalty but it actually hit Kilman on the knee. At the other end, Branthwaite was totally bamboozled by Bowen, his shot then deflected for a West Ham corner that was eventually cleared. A decent Everton move down the left ensued but with Calvert-Lewin crossing to Lindstrom and a weak header wide the almost predictable result. Better Everton play saw Young cross to Calvert-Lewin at the far post but he was the wrong side of the defender who headed behind. Young needed treatment after an earlier elbow in the neck from Soucek. A bullet from Rodríguez through the crowd was well tracked and parried away by a diving Pickford. At the other end, Ndiaye danced in and Mykolenko belted the ricochet wide, but deflected for the corner that was wasted. Some great work from Ndiaye and especially Mangala who dug out a cross that was too high for Calvert-Lewin. More positive play saw Calvert-Lewin doing the hold-up thing rather than shooting, Mangala then shooting wide. Some neat passing play won an Everton corner but played out and round to little effect, Gana's shot blocked, followed by fresh legs for West Ham in a triple change. West Ham came forward a bit more often as Everton flagged, but with little effect until Young punted it forward but Calvert-Lewin wasn't interested. Summerville had come to life and he got through onto a fine ball from Paqueta but put his shot onto the far post with Pickford beaten. Beto on for Calvert-Lewin. Gana got the first card for a foul to stop Sommerville getting through again. Everton finally got forward but Lindstr0m's goalbound shot hit Beto and screwed well wide. Coufal forced a corner that caused havoc, with Branhwaite heading behind. Bowen's second attempt was good but headed clear. Young blocked Guilherme for only his second yellow card of the season., Harrison replacing Doucoure. Branthwaite's poor clearance was pounced on and it looked like a certain goal for Ings but Pickford got down well to parry it away. Mykolenko tried to play the perfect cross but it went instead straight to Fabianski in a rare Everton advance. With 4 minutes added, both sides seemed to have accepted a point apiece. Yet Danny Ings was convinced he would score the winner at the death as his shot deflected wickedly off Tarkowski, ricocheting up off the grass. But the reaction save from Pickford was nothing short of incredible to ensure a precious point from another deeply disappointing Everton display. West Ham Utd: Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka (67' Coufal [Y:88']), Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soucek, Rodríguez (67' Soler), Paquetá; Bowen, Antonio (67' Ings), Summerville (83' Guilherme). Subs not Used: Foderingham, Cresswell, Mavropanos, Irving, Scarles. Everton: Pickford, Young [Y:85'], Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gana [Y:76'], Mangala, Doucoure (86' Harrison), Lindstrøm, Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin (75' Beto). Subs not Used: Virginia, Begovic, Patterson, Keane, O’Brien, Armstrong, Bates. Referee: Stewart AtwellVAR: Darren England Michael Kenrick top Match Preview Abdoulaye Doucouré will be given every chance to prove he is fit enough to feature in some capacity when Everton travel to the London Stadium this weekend to face fellow strugglers West Ham. The Frenchman missed the defeat at Southampton last Saturday because of injury and it was initially feared that he might be sidelined for a number of weeks. However, Sean Dyche explained in his press conference ahead of the trip to the Capital that the problem "has settled down" and that Doucouré "has a chance" of being involved as the Toffees look to bounce back from a terrible result at St Mary's that ended their five-game unbeaten run. Iliman Ndiaye, who was withdrawn from the action on the south coast after picking up an early knock and soldiering on well into the second half, is in a similar boat, with Dyche admitting that he was hopeful on the Senegal international as well but the expectation is that he will play. Dwight McNeil, however, has re-emerged as a concern if a report by The Athletic is true. Dyche did not mention the former Burnley man in his presser but it appears as though he is still dealing with the knee injury he sustained in the game against Fulham a fortnight ago. Seamus Coleman has not been selected in recent matches after returning from his own fitness issues but Dyche explained that the Club captain has suffered a relapse with a minor hamstring strain that will keep him out of Saturday's clash with the Hammers and the Republic of Ireland's upcoming internationals this month. Meanwhile, Armando Broja continues to make progress towards finally being available following his loan move from Chelsea. The forward has been involved in training with the senior players for the first time this week, partaking in light drills and ball work as the Club's medical staff build towards contact training and, eventually, practice matches at Finch Farm. With Everton having failed to convince in any of the recent games against Newcastle, Fulham and Saints, fixtures that yielded just two points from a possible nine, there have been calls for Jarrad Branthwaite to be reinstated to the starting XI having been left on the bench for the last three. Michael Keane has retained his place and performed well on the whole but there is growing restlessness among many supporters that Dyche is leaving one of his best players on the sidelines. The manager explained his reasoning on his press conference, alluding to the recent form of Keane and James Tarkowski and the seriousness of the injury that necessitated Branthwaite undergoing surgery over the summer but the indications from inside the Club are that the young defender is fully fit and raring to go. Whether Dyche now relents and restores him to the line-up remains to be seen but the end of the mini unbeaten run provides him with the ideal pretext. Meanwhile, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s indifferent form and the impact Beto has bene making off the bench could prompt a change up front from Dyche. The Portuguese scored the crucial late equaliser against Fulham while against Southampton he rattled the crossbar with a header, scored a superbly-taken but fractionally offside goal and drew a foul from Jan Bednarek that, on another day, might have yielded a red card. Beto hasn’t always looked suited to the lone striker role when starting games but many feel he has more that earned his chance at proving he can cut it, particularly against West Ham who currently hold the longest sequence of Premier League home games where they have conceded at least once. This is a huge game for the Hammers as well, with their head coach, Julen Lopetegui under pressure and increasingly unpopular with a record of just three wins from 10 to start his reign as David Moyes’s replacement in East London. West Ham were soundly beaten last weekend by high-flyers Nottingham Forest and were thrashed by Tottenham 4-1 three weeks ago but at home they have been more convincing in recent weeks, beating Ipswich comfortably and then putting the final nail in Erik Ten Hag’s proverbial coffin with a 2-1 win over Manchester United. Before that, they had been defeated on their own patch by Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea, opposition that Lopetegui might point to as being very tough. The Spaniard has selection problems for the visit of the Blues this weekend, though, with both star man Mohamed Kudus and key midfield man Edson Alvarez suspended and summer signing Niclas Fullkrug still out injured. Given the poverty of the Londoners’ form, this should be a game that Everton go into looking to impose themselves in a way they failed to do last weekend at St Mary’s. There is a fragility about Lopetegui’s side and the home fans’ frustration with the manager is there to be exploited, particularly if the Blues can capitalise on the Hammer’s propensity to concede early goals. Kick-off: 3pm, Saturday 9 November, 2024Referee: Stuart AttwellVAR: Darren EnglandLast Time: West Ham United 0 - 1 Everton Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Mangala, Gueye, Lindstrøm, Ndiaye, McNeil, Beto Lyndon Lloyd top * Unfortunately, we cannot control other sites' content policies and therefore cannot guarantee that links to external reports will remain active.