Moyes Extends Good Everton Record
After ending February with a home win against Brentford on Monday night, West Ham United picked up their first away win since the 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur back on December 7, as they came from a goal down to beat Everton 3-1 at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon.
David Moyes decided to stick with the same team that earnt the 4-2 success against the Bees five days earlier, even though Kalvin Phillips was available again after suspension. The Manchester City loanee was included in the matchday squad however, as the midfielder was an option from the bench. Divin Mubama was the only youngster to take his place amongst the substitutes.
Moyes has had a good record when taking the Hammers back to his former club in recent years and if he could notch up another win here, then his current club would surpass the 40 point mark.
Everton were still looking for their first win of 2024 but the Irons were determined not to let them get into any sort of rhythm and similar to the way they performed against Thomas Frank’s men in Stratford, they started this encounter in the same way as they were blocking everything that Sean Dyche’s men were throwing at them whilst being content to keep possession.
It wasn’t the fast start that they had shown on Monday night but having said that, Edson Álvarez did go for goal with a right-footed shot from long-range but, Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford denied him.
Mohammed Kudus created a chance for the visitors to go ahead when he earnt a corner for his side. As always James Ward-Prowse was in charge of taking the set-piece and when he sent it over, Konstantinos Mavropanos got his head to the ball but it unfortunately went narrowly wide of the far post.
The home side then grew into the game and could have gone ahead but Alphonse Areola has been in great form recently and he was again here, as he made a superb save from Beto.
Just when it looked as if the two teams would go into the break on level terms, there was a handball shout from the majority inside the stadium against West Ham Captain Kurt Zouma after he intervened to stop Beto’s shot. Referee Craig Pawson initially gave nothing but was advised by VAR to review his original decision on the pitchside monitor.
We all know what often happens after a review and it did so again, meaning the spot-kick was awarded. The large travelling support were relieved when the man who won the penalty had his effort saved by Areola, which meant that both teams could reset ready for the second-half.
Everton certainly stepped up a gear after the restart and just five minutes in, the Frenchman thwarted Dwight McNeil when he went close to giving his side the advantage.
The resilience from the visitors was eventually broken with fifty six minutes played. West Ham lost the ball and Beto made up for his missed penalty when he held off Mavropanos and headed past Areola.
The home side only held the lead for six minutes. Another corner from Ward-Prowse was headed home by Zouma after a shot from Kudus was deflected behind to give Ward-Prowse the chance to deliver into the area.
That was the last contribution of the game for Ward-Prowse, as just four minutes later, Moyes replaced him with Phillips.
There were then chances for both sides as the game gathered pace. Lucas Paquetá tried his luck but to be fair, it never troubled Pickford. Up the other end, Areola denied both McNeil and Beto, before Tomáš Souček did brilliantly to prevent the hosts from going further ahead with a crucial goal-line clearance.
On seventy four minutes, Dyche introduced Dominic Calvert-Lewin in place of Beto.
Both managers made changes with ten minutes of normal time to play, as Michail Antonio entered the fray for Paquetá, while the former Watford and Burnley boss shuffled his pack with Leeds United loanee Jack Harrison making way for André Gomes.
No sooner had the match gone into five minutes of added time than Souček had effectively won the game for the visitors. He controlled a cross from Kudus on his chest and rifled the ball into the net, giving Pickford no chance.
Shortly after, the Hammers widened their margin of victory when Álvarez beat Pickford and if the away fans were pleased to have seen Souček’s effort hit the net, then imagine what the atmosphere was like when the Mexican midfielder claimed his first ever Premier League goal!!!
The managers threw more substitutes on in the dying embers of the contest with Angelo Ogbonna and Ben Johnson taking the places of both Emmerson Palmieri and Kudus for the East Londoners.
With consecutive top-flight wins having been achieved, you would have to say that that is pretty good preparation for another two meetings with Germany’s SC Freiburg.