Irons Suffer Toffees Hammering
West Ham United are out of the Carabao Cup after a 4-1 defeat to fellow Premier League side Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday night.
Names such as Darren Randolph, Ben Johnson, Fabián Balbuena, Mark Noble, Robert Snodgrass, Andriy Yarmolenko, Manuel Lanzini, Felipe Anderson and Sébastien Haller made the starting line-up, while Arthur Masuaku, Angelo Ogbonna, Tomáš Souček, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen all dropped to the bench.
There was also a place amongst the substitutes for youngster Harrison Ashby, who had recovered from a dislocated finger sustained in the third-round win over Hull City to be involved in the squad.
Although the Toffees started well and were controlling the majority of the early play, it was West Ham who tested goalkeeper Jordan Pickford first but unfortunately for the visitors, Anderson’s shot on seven minutes brought a good save from the England international.
It was then the turn of Carlo Ancelotti’s team to have a go and to be fair, they got it right with their first attempt. Dominic Calvert-Lewin made no mistake and beat Randolph. Despite the Hammers appealing for offside, the goal stood, meaning the home side were in front.
Everton continued on the front foot and almost had a second just nine minutes later. Richarlison tried his luck but thankfully, Randolph was equal to his effort and managed to help the ball over the bar.
Calvert-Lewin has been in good goalscoring form since the start of the new campaign and having already scored once in this match, he tried an even
more ambitious effort here but this time, he sent a curling shot over.
Despite the home side’s dominance, the Hammers could have gone into the break level. Lanzini combined to good effect with Cresswell but unfortunately, the Argentine’s header went wide, though it did have Pickford worried.
The hosts had chance after chance to improve the scoreline before the break but one goal was enough to give them the half-time advantage.
Whatever Alan Irvine said to his players in the dressing room certainly had the desired impact, as straight after the interval, Snodgrass found the equaliser. Anderson played him in and the Scotsman did the rest, driving a left-footed shot past Pickford.
Everton were soon back on the attack and went in search of a third goal but they were denied twice when both Gylfi Sigurðsson and Richarlison went close but neither effort did enough to trouble Randolph.
Having said that, Ancelotti’s side were in front again eleven minutes later when Richarlison’s long-range effort took a big deflection off the back of Rice and into the net past a helpless Randolph.
Haller has scored goals in both of the previous two rounds and he almost gave West Ham a second but unfortunately, he directed the ball straight at Pickford.
That seemed to be the cue for another onslaught from the hosts and they definitely made the most of their opportunities.
Calvert-Lewin claimed his second of the game, following in after substitute Alex Iwobi’s shot had hit the post. Then, soon after, he again found himself through on goal and clinched a quarter-final place when Sigurðsson had set him up perfectly.
Unusually, West Ham went through the entire ninety minutes without making a single substitution. They are bound to be back at full strength in their next Premier League match as they travel to The King Power Stadium to face Leicester City in Sunday’s early kick-off.