Everton 1 – 1 West Ham Utd
Everton thought they had done enough through a great header from Michael Keane in the first half but West Ham United increasingly exploited weaknesses at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night until Keane set up Bowen and then deflected his shot past Pickford to deny Everton the win.
No real surprises. David Moyes sticks with the same starting XI from Everton’s previous Premier League match for tonight’s clash, despite the loss they suffered in that game at Anfield, confirming that, in the manager’s mind at least, this is currently his strongest team. None of the fringe players he gave rare chances to in the debacle at Molinuex have been promoted from their places on the bench.
The Hammers are under new management, with Nuno Espirito Santo taking on his fourth Premier League appointment, looking for that infamous ‘new manager bounce’ to get his new charges out of the relegation zone.
First Half
Will Everton come out of the box playing on the front foot, determined to score early and often? Not with that daft ball back to Pickford that loses possession from the kick-off. Three weak throw-ins down the right lead to little, Beto unable to dribble on. And it’s scrappy rubbish in the middle, long balls over the top going nowhere.
Greaslish had come off the wing and was playing very deep, perhaps to evade Walker-Peters. Everton finally had some possession but took their sweet time to advance the ball, painfully slow build-up. Mykolenko eventually got a decent cross in but it was defended away and West Ham mounted their first attack. Bowen did well to beat Mykolenko but Paqueta was closed down.
Everton’s next build-up was a little quicker, leading to a long throw from Mykolenko but it wouldn’t drop for a Blue shirt. Dewsbury-Hall wanted a corner but the ball had ricocheted off him. Summerville went on a great run that had all the alarm bells ringing but it was ultimately thwarted and Everton restored to the slow midfield build-up. A deep cross from Keane didn’t have enough pace for Beto to do much other than head it on to Areola.
Dewsbury-Hall had plenty of space for a transverse run, Ndiaye shooting low at Areola. But it was better from Mykolenko to Dewsbury-Hall, his cross drawing a corner. The first delivery was repelled but a great cross in from Garner was superbly headed in by Michael Keane.
West Ham tried to respond but Everton were up for the challenge, picking off poor passes and pressing high. But Tarkowski was called for a poor challenge caused by Gana’s poor pass back to him, and he was booked.
Jake O’Brien did well to deny Summerville and, from the long throw, Pickford had it covered. Magassa lunged in, fouling Grealish, but no booking for a poor-looking lunge. Dewsbury-Hall curled in the free-kick but it was cleared and Keane was strong in dispossessing Bown.
Diouf fouled O’Brien wide right for another deep free-kick, but the routine did not come off. A poor ball out from Areola saw Everton press high again and work a great move for Dewsbury-Hall to fire in a superb cross but it was not quite right for Beto.
Walker-Peters fouled Grealish and saw yellow but the free-kick was poor and had to be worked around before a nice ball in to Dewsbury-Hall should have been goal number 2… but he didn’t get enough on it.
Summerville was taunting O’Brien and drew a dangerous free-kick but Paqueta headed it against Fullkrug. Still, the Hammers pressed, convinced they had the pace to get behind Everton. Fullkrug almost did but Keane was strong and quick enough to deny him.
Ndiaye was not seeing much of the ball, but Garner went spralling into the rough trying to help him and may have jarred his shoulder. Dewsbury-Hall was deemed to have fouled Mavropanos? But Keane again did well to defend the threat and Everton went in ahead at the break.
Second Half
West Ham pushed up from the break, Everton on the back foot.
Magassa lunged in from behind on Garner as Everton drove forward, the ball coming to O’Brien at the back post, his shot deflected until it was time for the standard effort from Gana, blasted over.
Everton worked it to Grealish who was a little quicker in getting the ball to rner but his shot had the power taken off it by a defender. But Dewsbury-Hall and Grealish found lots of room, Grealish taking it to the byeline before Mavropanos handled the ball off his keeper, his arm way out from his body, surely an obvious penalty — not given.
West Ham got a good ball in behind but it was fractionally ahead of Fullkrug. Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall worked another chance but Dewsbury-Hall’s shot was snuffed out. Garner put in a great cross that won a corner. Garner fired the cleared ball back in but Areola was down well to stop it going in.
Some great defending by Mykolenko stalled Bowen. A simple header back by O’Brien was almost pounced on by Summervilled, Pickford getting a vital touch off his leg to deflect it wide.
But West Ham kept coming forward through Summerville, Keane’s defensive header going out to Bowen, his shot glancing in off Keane to level the game with the first goal Everton have conceded at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
A decent ball up could not be utilized by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye. Moyes’s response was to replace Beto with Barry. A decent move between Garner and Grealish saw him crowded out and West Ham countered, Bowen’s shot deflected behind.
Everton were struggling to control the game but Moyes didn’t seem to feel the need to make any changes, living very dangerously as West Ham were dominating play. Summerville was played in behind but Pickford was out brilliantly to kick the ball off his toes. West Ham were strong at the corner,
Instead, Summerville was incredibly subbed by Nuno!
West Ham won another corner but Diouf blasted it behind as Moyes finally decided on a second change with less than 10 minutes remaining for Tyler Dibbling to replace Iliman Ndiaye.
Mavropanos dragged Dewsbury-Hall back as he drove into the penalty area. Garner lashed the free-kick wide of the near post, hurting himself as he did. Grealish fed Dewsbury-Hall agian but his cross was wayward, Dibling not being given the ball at all.
West Ham came forward again, looking for the winner. Mykolenko and Paqueta clashed. West Ham attacked again and it could have gone anywhere as Everton clung on.
Diouf fouled Dibling wide right, Dewsbury-Hall put it to the far post where Grealish set up Garner but his drive was blocked. Dewsbury-Hall gets his fifth yellow card of the season for a complete non-tackle, just a ridiculous decision.
Once again, Grealish danced in with the ball but once again there was no clear shot on goal and Everton were denied 2 of the 3 points they really needed tonight.
Everton: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski [Y:24′], Keane, Mykolenko [Y:87′], Ndiaye, Garner, Gueye, Dewsbury-Hall [Y:90′], Grealish (80′ Dibling), Beto (69′ Barry).
Subs not Used: Travers, Patterson, McNeil, Coleman, Alcaraz, Aznou, Iroegbunam.
West Ham Utd: Areola; Walker-Peters [Y:33′], Mavropanos [Y:82′], Kilman [Y:64′], Diouf; Magassa [Y:48′] (59′ Potts), Fernandes, Paqueta (90+4′ Igor Julio); Bowen, Fullkrug, Summerville (77′ Guilherme)
Subs not Used: Hermansen, Wilson, Rodriguez, Scarles, Marshall.
Referee: Sam Barrott.
Attendance: 51,890