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Football

Everton faces a 2-0 defeat to West Ham United at London Stadium

Everton paid the pay for a lack of possession and costly errors in a 2-0 loss to West Ham United at London Stadium.

The Blues had 68% control of the ball and were often camped in their opponents’ final third in pursuit of a goal, only for two Jarrod Bowen close-range efforts soon before half-time to prove pivotal.

Despite down at the break, Frank Lampard’s team maintained pressure in the second half, with replacements Dwight McNeil and Tom Davies having an impact, but they couldn’t put enough pressure on Lukasz Fabianski to force their way back into the game.

Yerry Mina was picked in central defence alongside Conor Coady and James Tarkowski as the sole alteration to Lampard’s starting XI with Ben Godfrey out with a sprained knee sustained seconds into the Southampton game seven days earlier.

After a quiet start, the Blues displayed their offensive intent for the first time after nine minutes when Alex Iwobi and Seamus Coleman combined after pushing the ball out to the right. With a beautiful chipped pass, the captain sought to put his partner free inside the box, only for Iwobi to be penalised for handball as he handled the ball.

Everton dominated the early stages with good ball control, and the two linked once more for the 16th-minute opportunity, when Coleman squared to Iwobi and ran on the overlap before the midfielder dinked a cross into the box. Angelo Ogbonna cleared with his shoulder, and Mina sent a half-volley rebound past the crossbar.

The Blues were doing an admirable job of keeping the home crowd quiet, controlling possession but failing to create clear-cut chances. However, West Ham were the next to threaten, as Michail Antonio crossed the area for Said Benrahma to take a touch and smash a powerful attempt that Jordan Pickford palmed over the bar.

Just after the half-hour mark, the home team took the lead. Emerson swung in a left-wing cross, former Toffees loanee Kurt Zouma flicked on, and an unmarked Bowen scored from a yard away. There was some optimism that the England international was offside, but the goal was granted following a VAR review.

Four minutes before the break, Antonio beat Tarkowski on the right touchline, went infield, and squared across goal for Bowen to score from close range for the second time.

Faced with an uphill climb, Everton almost cut the lead in half before halftime when Mykolenko’s 25-yard cross dropped to Iwobi, whose goalbound effort was diverted behind by Declan Rice.

Lampard made two substitutions at the start of the second half, replacing Coleman and Mykolenko with Davies and McNeil, and the substitutes almost had an immediate effect.

McNeil, playing left wing-back, floated in a tempting cross that Calvert-Lewin was inches away from tucking home, and when Davies collected the rebound on the byline, he picked up Gana 15 yards out, only for the midfielder’s first touch to let him down and deny a finish.

To their credit, Everton resisted, and another challenging delivery – this time from Iwobi on the right – came agonisingly close to Calvert-extended Lewin’s boot. Gana whirled on the edge of the area seconds later, seeing his shot deflect wide.

In a similar pattern to the first half, the Blues were having all of the ball but it was West Ham who created the genuine chances, a quick counter ending with Emerson breaking into the box and having his fierce shot tipped onto the crossbar by Pickford.

With Everton pushing forward, Rice could have put the game out of reach with a finish across goal from the left side of the box but beyond the far post.

It couldn’t save the Blues, though, as the game drew to a close, sending Everton into a two-week break in the Premier League’s bottom three.

 

Kajal S

Kajal S

kajal

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