West Ham United 0-0 Everton
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 9 November 2024, 3pm GMT
Jordan Pickford and Everton held West Ham United to a rare goalless draw at London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It was just the sixth time in 136 top-flight matches at London Stadium – and second in 2024 – that a game ended nil-nil.
Crysencio Summerville went closest to brightening up a gloomy game on a dull afternoon when his low second-half strike came back off the post, and Jordan Pickford made a pair of superb late saves to deny substitute Danny Ings.
The stalemate meant goalkeepers Łukasz Fabiański and Pickford were able to register welcome clean sheets. For Fabiański, it was his first Premier League shutout since December 2023 but, in truth, the Pole was rarely troubled by Sean Dyche’s side.
The first half was largely forgettable, with Everton having a series of half-chances and the Hammers creating next to nothing.
Idrissa Gueye bobbled a shot wide, then led a counter which ended with Crysensio Summerville sprinting 80 yards and sliding to block Abdoulaye Doucouré’s shot and Dominic Calvert-Lewin lashing the follow-up volley off-target.
That theme continued as Fabiański made comfortable saves to keep out Iliman Ndiaye’s low shot and Calvert-Lewin’s looping header, while Ndiaye also sent a weak header well wide.
It took 37 minutes for the Hammers to muster a shot and even then, Emerson’s effort was not threatening the goal before being blocked by James Tarkowski.
Finally, on 44, West Ham had a shot on target. Lucas Paquetá released Michail Antonio, who powered away from Tarkowski and found Bowen, whose right-foot shot was turned past the near post by a diving Pickford.
Suddenly where had been no action, there was plenty, as Paquetá’s header from Emerson’s corner was headed off the line. Then, in added-time, Bowen rolled in Antonio, but his shot from an acute angle was smothered behind by Pickford. And that was that.
Things could only get better in the second half, surely? Well they did, but only slightly.
West Ham had the first chance as Bowen robbed Jarrad Branthwaite and then saw his shot deflected narrowly wide by Tarkowski. Everton then hit back, with Jesper Lindstrøm glancing Calvert-Lewin’s cross past the far post.
After a short lull, Pickford was worked again, flying to his left to push Guido Rodríguez’s powerful drive to safety. Everton responded again, with Souček blocking Vitalii Mykolenko’s shot past the post, Fabiański tipping Lindstrøm’s header over the bar and Orel Mangala firing wide.
Midway through the second half, with the game drifting away, Lopetegui made a triple substitution, bringing on Vladimír Coufal, Carlos Soler and Danny Ings.
The change sparked an immediate improvement as West Ham suddenly looked a more cohesive and incisive team.
With 17 minutes to play, Summerville latched onto Paquetá’s pass and hit the base of the far post. Then, with four remaining, Pickford plunged to his right to keep out one Ings’ effort, then did even better to tip the striker’s deflected shot over the top in added time and ensure the game ended as it started – goalless.
West Ham United: Fabiański, Wan-Bissaka (Coufal 67), Todibo, Kilman, Emerson, Rodríguez (Soler 67), Souček, Paquetá, Summerville (Luis Guilherme 83), Bowen ©, Antonio (Ings 67)
Subs not used: Foderingham (GK), Cresswell, Mavropanos, Scarles, Irving
Booked: Lopetegui, Coufal
Everton: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski ©, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Mangala, Lindstrøm, Doucouré (Harrison 86), Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin (Beto 75)
Subs not used: Virgínia (GK), Begović (GK), Patterson, Bates, Keane, O’Brien, Armstrong
Booked: Gueye, Young
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Attendance: 62,463
