Hammers Frustrated By Everton
West Ham United’s recent winning run at home may have ended but at least they had a point to show for their efforts on Saturday afternoon, as Everton’s visit to Stratford ended goalless.
The Hammers hadn’t made the best start to November, as they lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest at The City Ground a week ago. The Toffees also wanted to bounce back after their defeat at Southampton.
Julen Lopetegui made two changes from last weekend’s starting line-up, as Michail Antonio and Tomáš Souček came in for both Konstantinos Mavropanos and the suspended Edson Álvarez. Mavropanos dropped to the bench, as the Irons’ Head-Coach changed formation to a back-four.
Youngsters Oliver Scarles and Luis Guilherme were included in the matchday squad.
The visitors were on top as the game got going but the Irons were resilient in defence and even when Sean Dyche’s men found a way through, they weren’t able to test home goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański.
A large number of home supporters had made the journey to watch this encounter and it took their team thirty seven minutes to fashion an opportunity. However, Emmerson Palmieri’s attempt lacked conviction and didn’t even reach Jordan Pickford, as it was blocked by James Tarkowski.
Just before the break, the hosts did have their first meaningful effort on goal when both Lucas Paquetá and Antonio set up Captain Jarrod Bowen but he couldn’t beat Pickford with the former Sunderland stopper making a great save.
The Hammers had further chances to try and take an advantage into the break but Paquetá saw his header cleared off the line, before Bowen tried his luck but again, Pickford was in the right place to gather.
Referee Stuart Attwell’s half-time whistle was greeted by a chorus of boos from the majority inside the stadium, as they had high expectations for their team to build on the results they had recently picked up here.
Lopetegui sent the same team out for the start of the second-half but whatever the Spaniard said in the half-time team talk seemed to have had the desired impact. In contrast to the opening forty five minutes, they were in the ascendancy when the action recommenced, as Bowen took possession away from Jarrad Branthwaite but saw his shot take a deflection off Tarkowski.
Up the other end, Jesper Lindstrøm had a chance to break the deadlock when he was on the end of a cross from Dominic Calvert-Lewin but fortunately, the Dane was unable to turn the ball past Fabiański.
The action was swinging from end-to-end by this point and Guido Rodríguez nearly beat Pickford but again, the goalkeeper had other ideas.
Everton then applied more pressure, as Vitalii Mykolenko went close, only for his shot to be blocked on its way through to goal by Souček. The momentum from Dyche’s men ended when Orel Mangala shot high and wide.
On sixty seven minutes, the Irons made a triple change with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Rodríguez and Antonio all be replaced with Vladimír Coufal, Carlos Soler and Danny Ings.
Nine minutes later, Crysencio Summerville picked up Paquetá’s pass and thought he had found a way past Pickford, only to see the ball come back off the post.
With seven minutes of normal time to play, another change was made for the East Londoners as Guilherme replaced Summerville.
The minutes were running out and Ings had a double chance to secure all three points for his side but Pickford was determined not to be beaten.
West Ham are not in action again until 25 November when they will look to rediscover their away form from the start of the campaign. Having said that, it will not be easy as a trip to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United awaits them.