It was unhappy return to Goodison Park for West Ham United boss David Moyes on Wednesday as his former club Everton were 4-0 winners in the Premier League.
Wayne Rooney’s hat-trick was followed by an Ashley Williams header as the hosts were comfortable winners on Merseyside.
Toffees captain Rooney added to his first half brace with a spectacular strike from inside his own half on 66 minutes before Williams bagged a fourth.
Manuel Lanzini was given the opportunity, with the score 2-0, to get his side back into the game with a second half penalty, but Jordan Pickford kept the Argentine’s low attempt out and gave Everton a platform to seal the victory.
West Ham were the first to threaten on Merseyside, as Arthur Masuaku left Jonjoe Kenny for dead down the left on the quarter of an hour mark, but could only find the hands of Jordan Pickford in goal with the cross.
And two minutes later, Everton punished David Moyes’ side for not taking the opportunity as Dominic Calvert-Lewin drew a foul from goalkeeper Joe Hart and referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot.
Toffees skipper Rooney stepped up, and despite the England No1’s impressive save low to his right, the former Three Lions captain was able to nod home the rebound which fell kindly.
And ten minutes later, things went from bad to worse for the Hammers as Everton doubled their lead.
Attacking down the right, Kenny found Tom Davies, whose cross travelled – via a deflection – all the way to Rooney at the back stick, and the No10 coolly slotted home from close range.
In the second half, the visitors came out all guns blazing, and despite creating little in the opening period, put the Blues under pressure.
First, Manuel Lanzini collected 25 yards from goal and, with space in front of him, let fly with power and precision. Pickford was forced to beat the ball clear, but it fell for the Argentine again, who slipped in Aaron Cresswell. Sizing up his options, the Liverpool-born full-back smashed across the keeper but his effort crashed against the crossbar, leaving the England international desperately unlucky and inches away from getting his team back into the game.
Moments later, with Everton shaken, the ball bobbled its way to Marko Arnautovic in the box but the Austrian could only scuff goalwards, with Pickford left untroubled between the sticks.
The huge moment of the second half came on 58 minutes, however. Substitute Diafra Sakho, holding the ball with his back to goal, was taken out by Welshman Williams and Lanzini was left with the responsibility of halving the deficit from 12 yards.
Pickford had other ideas, though, springing away to his right to make the second penalty save of the night. While the hosts were blessed with some good fortune as the ball fell straight to Rooney in the first half, Moyes’ side were not so lucky.
And with 24 minutes left on the clock, it was game over for the travelling east Londoners as Rooney scored his second goal from inside his own half against the Hammers, as he had done four years earlier for Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground.
Hart raced off his line to clear an Everton through ball but his clearance fell kindly for Rooney, whose technique was pure class as he fired into the empty net.
Williams completed a miserable evening for the Hammers with a fourth for his side on 78 minutes as he rose highest in the box to nod in a Sigurdsson corner.
Everton: Pickford, Kenny, Holgate, Williams, Martina, Davies, Gueye, Lennon (Lookman 89’), Rooney (Baningime 85’), Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin (Vlasic 90+1’)
Subs not used: Robles, Scheiderlin, Ramirez, Besic
Goals: Rooney 18’, 28’, 66’, Williams 78’
West Ham United: Hart, Zabaleta, Reid (Rice 77’), Ogbonna, Cresswell, Obiang (Sakho 46’), Kouyate, Arnautovic (Antonio 62’), Lanzini, Masuaku, Ayew
Subs not used: Adrian, Fernandes, Noble, Martinez
Bookings: Zabaleta 27’