West Ham United 0-1 Everton
Premier League, London Stadium, Sunday 29 October 2023, 1pm BST
West Ham United’s indifferent form continued as Everton left London Stadium 1-0 Premier League winners on Sunday.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was again the scourge of the Hammers, scoring the only goal of the game six minutes after half-time – his sixth in eleven appearances against the east Londoners and second career winner at London Stadium.
Coming on the back of a Premier League defeat at Aston Villa and UEFA Europa League reverse at Olympiacos, the Irons have now lost three games in a row for the first time this season.
Before kick-off, Sir Geoff Hurst joined the two managers in laying wreaths in memory of his fellow 1966 FIFA World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton and long-time Everton Chairman and lifelong supporter Bill Kenwright CBE, both of whom have passed away in recent days. Mercifully, the heavy rain which had been falling on London Stadium stopped in time for the ceremony.
It was soon tipping down again once the game kicked-off, though, and the quality of the first half matched the quality of the weather, for the most part.
West Ham started the better, with Mohamed Kudus showing well on his full Premier League debut. He teed up Michail Antonio early on, but the No9 was crowded out. Moments later, Jordan Pickford was out to block Paquetá’s ball in with Jarrod Bowen lurking. Midway through, the same pair combined again after Paquetá had ghosted past Nathan Patterson, but Bowen dragged his shot wide.
Then, after Pickford and Kudus had been booked, Everton, who had sat deep and in shape for the most part, improved their own attacking output. Bowen blocked James Tarkowski’s header from a corner, then Jack Harrison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Amadou Onana sent efforts over Alphonse Areola’s crossbar.
And their improvement continued after the break as, after Bowen had headed over, Calvert-Lewin put the visitors in front, collecting Harrison’s pass, turning away from Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd and firing low into the bottom left-hand corner.
It could have got worse before the hour-mark, too, but Areola made a superb save low to his left to deny Abdoulaye Doucouré after the Malian had burst onto Calvert-Lewin’s flick-on.
West Ham introduced Saïd Benrahma, but to little effect. Instead, Everton continued to threaten on the break, with Dwight McNeil testing Areola from range.
Tomáš Souček was sent on next, then Danny Ings, but still the hosts struggled to create anything clear-cut, aside from a wayward Aguerd cross that Pickford was forced to tip over.
Instead, both Paquetá and Edson Álvarez were shown yellow cards that will see them suspended for next weekend’s trip to Brentford.
Benrahma did belatedly go close with a rasping volley which Pickford pushed aside but, as the sun came out, defeat was confirmed by referee Stuart Attwell’s full-time whistle.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Zouma ©, Aguerd, Cresswell (Ings 85), Álvarez, Ward-Prowse (Souček 73), Bowen, Kudus, Paquetá, Antonio (Benrahma 57)
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Kehrer, Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Fornals, Cornet
Booked: Kudus, Paquetá, Benrahma, Álvarez
Everton: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski ©, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Garner, Doucouré, Onana, McNeil, Harrison, Calvert-Lewin (Chermiti 89)
Subs not used: Virgínia (GK), Lonergan (GK), Godfrey, Gueye, Hunt, Dobbin, Danjuma, Beto
Goal: Calvert-Lewin 51
Booked: Pickford
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Attendance: 62,469
