West Ham 0-0 Everton: Tale of missed chances as Premier League strugglers settle for point apiece
West Ham couldn't capitalize on their dominance in the second half, as struggling coach Julen Lopetegui observed his team settle for a scoreless draw against Everton at the London Stadium.
The pressure continues to build on the Hammers coach after his team squandered several chances after halftime, which could have given them their third consecutive home win in the Premier League.
Crysencio Summerville had the biggest opportunity when his shot struck the inside of the post, thanks to a pass from Lucas Paqueta. Danny Ings, who came on as a substitute, had a shot that Jordan Pickford stopped. Pickford then made an even more impressive save against Ings in stoppage time after the ball took a big deflection off James Tarkowski.
West Ham Player Ratings: Fabianski scored a 7, Wan-Bissaka received a 5, Todibo was rated a 7, Kilman also got a 7, and Emerson Palmieri was rated at 6. Soucek and Rodriguez both earned a 6 and a 5, respectively. Bowen scored a 6, while Lucas Paqueta also received a 6. Summerville impressively got a 7, and Antonio finished with a score of 5.
Substitutes: Soler (6), Coufal (6), Luis Guilherme (n/a), Ings (7).
Everton: Pickford (8), Young (7), Tarkowski (7), Branthwaite (7), Mykolenko (6), Gueye (7), Mangala (7), Lindstrom (7), Doucoure (6), Ndiaye (7), Calvert-Lewin (6). Ratings for Everton players are as follows: Pickford received an 8, while Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Gueye, Mangala, Lindstrom, and Ndiaye all earned a score of 7. Mykolenko, Doucoure, and Calvert-Lewin were rated slightly lower with scores of 6.
Substitutes: Beto (6), Harrison (not available).
Man of the Match: Jordan Pickford.
Everton put forth their strongest performance during the first half. Summerville made an important defensive play, racing back to successfully tackle Abdoulaye Doucoure and prevent what seemed like a guaranteed goal. Additionally, Lukasz Fabianski later showcased his skills by making an excellent save, pushing Jesper Lindstrom's header—set up by Orel Mangala's cross—over the bar.
As a result, Everton is currently in 16th place with 10 points, while West Ham is two positions higher and has two more points than Everton. However, this didn't stop their fans from booing them off the field when the match ended.
"I’m used to working in high-pressure situations," Lopetegui declared. "This isn't unfamiliar territory for me. We believe we can accomplish our goals, and plenty can shift in just a few months. At the moment, we’re not satisfied... we’re not performing consistently enough. We need to develop as a team and demonstrate stronger character."
Lopetegui Finds Little Comfort In Draw
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West Ham has been hoping to take advantage of their home advantage, having secured victories in their last two Premier League matches at the London Stadium. However, their fans expressed their discontent with boos at the end of the game.
Lopetegui is still feeling the heat following last Saturday's 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, which has left the team struggling in the lower half of the standings. They are currently only six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, especially after Wolves secured a victory against Southampton.
It’s clear that the West Ham leadership is not interested in changing their manager. However, another lackluster performance that only picked up in the final moments won’t improve the overall atmosphere around the club.
The guests were the stronger side in the first half, with Summerville making an important block to stop Doucoure from scoring early on, just eight minutes into the match.
With only three victories in their first ten league games—one of which was a very lucky home win against Manchester United two weeks ago—West Ham’s choice to replace David Moyes with Lopetegui is being heavily scrutinized. However, it wasn’t until the later part of the first half that there were any indications of a spirited comeback.
It wasn't until the 44th minute that Pickford had to make a save, stopping Jarrod Bowen's attempt at the near post. Just moments later, he blocked a shot from Michail Antonio at a difficult angle. Another shot from Bowen went wide after deflecting off a defender, and Pickford had to extend to deflect a powerful strike from Guido Rodriguez away from the goal.
Everton seemed to run out of steam as West Ham began to take control of the game, but Pickford stepped up when it mattered most, making sure his team walked away with at least a draw. After witnessing Summerville's shot hit the goalpost, he first parried Ings' initial attempt and then made an excellent save right at the end, managing to deflect a shot from the ex-Liverpool player that had taken a deflection, securing a valuable point for his team.
Lopetegui remarked, "It's understandable that the fans are feeling dissatisfied, and we recognize the reason for that—having only 12 points is part of it. However, there are teams that are just three points ahead of us and seem content. We know we can improve, but we should also focus on the positives."
"We managed to keep a clean sheet against a team that has some skilled players who are effective on the counter-attack, and we allowed them just one significant opportunity, which was saved by Fabianski."
"We're committed to putting in the effort around the clock to improve. Even though we have a few key players missing, that's not an excuse for us. The players who stepped up in the second half demonstrated that they're ready to seize their chance, and I'd rather concentrate on the good things."
Dyche: We Missed 'The Devil' Up Front
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Everton manager Sean Dyche:
"That's a great observation, and it's impressive to have a solid defense. It was a hard choice to remove Keano [Michael Keane] from the lineup, but the back five had a strong record of shutouts last season, and they managed to replicate that performance today."
"We didn’t quite discover that little spark or edge that sets teams apart, but overall, the performance felt strong. In the end, we left the game with a sense of questioning whether we could have secured a win. However, Jordan stepped up with a great save that ensured we walked away with a point."
A Disappointing Meet With No Quality
Ben Grounds from Sky Sports reports live from the London Stadium:
This bold match that ended without any goals was definitely not one you’d want to come out on the losing side of.
A week ago at St Mary's, Everton experienced a heartbreaking last-minute defeat. When Ings entered the game as a sub in the second half, those fans who traveled down to the capital might have worried they were in for another disappointing finish.
Only Pickford's outstanding performance prevented that outcome, but honestly, neither team showed they were worthy of a victory in a dull match that seriously lacked skill.
Summerville's defensive performance stood out during a disappointing first half. He had a notable moment in attack when Paqueta skillfully broke through Everton's defense.
You can easily understand what Dyche is getting at when he talks about encountering challenges. Defender Vitalii Mykolenko mishit a shot, sending it wide with his weaker foot. This play reflected the overall confidence of both teams struggling at the lower end of the Premier League table, but the match itself is unlikely to be remembered for long.
