Everton 1-1 West Ham United
Premier League, Goodison Park, Saturday 15 March 2025, 3pm GMT
West Ham United’s final-ever game at Goodison Park ended in a 1-1 draw after Tomáš Souček’s 67th-minute opener was cancelled out by a late Jake O’Brien strike.
It looked like the Hammers midfielder was going to be the hero again on Merseyside, as he received Jarrod Bowen’s pass inside the box and curled a wonderful effort into the far corner to send the away end into pandemonium with his third career goal at Everton's historic stadium.
But for all of Graham Potter’s side’s dominance, who forced Jordan Pickford into making four crucial saves, including two one-handed stops in the first half, Everton defender O’Brien popped up with a 91st-minute equaliser to ensure it was honours even come full-time.
With the travelling Claret and Blue support in fine voice, the Hammers worked the first clear-cut chance of the afternoon inside the opening 15 minutes.
Having resisted Everton’s press well in the early stages, Potter’s side won a corner after bright attacking play from Emerson. James Ward-Prowse, as he so often does, produced an inviting, inswinging delivery that was diverted towards his own goal by Jarrad Branthwaite. Luckily for the Toffees defender, his goalkeeper Pickford was on hand to make a smart one-handed stop.
With the ball not fully cleared, it fell to Jean-Clair Todibo on the edge of the box, but his effort was sliced over the bar. Soon after, the defender headed an Emerson free-kick straight at Pickford.
Responding to the wave of West Ham pressure, the home side crafted their first sight of goal on the 20-minute mark, but Carlos Alcaraz’s header was merely goalkeeping practice for Alphonse Areola. Moments later, Beto guided Vitaliy Mykolenko’s left-footed delivery onto the roof of the net.
The Irons looked a threat on the break throughout the first half and the home side’s shot-stopper was called upon again following a swift Hammers counter-attack. Maximilian Kilman was the unlikely orchestrator of the move, driving Potter’s team up the left-wing. The defender’s incisive pass to Bowen was controlled well by the England international and he unleashed a venomous volley from outside the box that was tipped over the bar by his international teammate.
Pickford’s opposite number then had to be alert at the other end to beat away O’Brien’s driven half-volley.
As the first half drew to a close, Everton thought they were going to get the chance to take the lead when referee Darren Bond pointed to the spot after Dinos Mavropanos appeared to challenge Beto in the area. But the man in the middle was advised to consult his monitor while one minute of additional time was awarded, and he soon reversed his decision.
The disallowed penalty only spurred Potter’s side on, and they came out of the traps flying at the start of the second period - dominating the ball and winning set-pieces in dangerous areas. Ten minutes after the restart, Emerson flew down the left and cut back to Bowen, but the ball was slightly behind our skipper who could only muster an acrobatic effort which didn’t trouble the Everton goal.
Just after the hour mark, a neat West Ham move resulted in Bowen receiving the ball down the left from Mohammed Kudus, but his cross was cut out by Pickford, who beat away the delivery.
The pressure had to tell at some point and the deadlock was finally broken on 67 minutes. Captain Bowen, who was so influential throughout the contest, picked out Souček in the box, who found the bottom-right corner with a superb curling effort before spinning off in celebration to a bouncing away end.
It could have so easily been two in as many minutes, as Bowen forced Pickford into making another save, this time down low to his right. Everton were able to clear before the ball found Ward-Prowse, who was primed for the follow-up.
The Toffees failed to go down without a fight though and after seeing a shooting opportunity from Tim Iroegbunam go begging, they salvaged a late equaliser after O’Brien was on hand to nod home from Idrissa Gueye’s volleyed cross.
It could have been a lot worse for the Hammers, as Alcaraz scuffed a right-footed shot wide from inside the box in second-half stoppage time, but 1-1 was how it ended.
Everton: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski ©, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Garner (Iroegbunam 79), Alcaraz, Doucouré (Lindstrøm 68), Harrison (Chermiti 79), Beto (Broja 80)
Subs not used: Virginia (GK), Young, Keane, Coleman, Patterson
Goal: O'Brien 90+1
Booked: Chermiti
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo (Ferguson 90), Kilman, Mavropanos, Emerson, Paquetá (Soler 83), Souček, Ward-Prowse, Bowen ©, Kudus (Rodríguez 90)
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Scarles, Cresswell, Álvarez, Luis Guilherme, Ings
Goal: Bowen 67
Booked: Todibo, Paquetá
Referee: Darren Bond
Attendance: TBC
