West Ham vs Everton: Can West Ham make their fans happy today!

West Ham resumes their Premier League campaign following a defeat to Olympiakos in the Europa League this week. David Moyes' team had a promising start to the season, securing three wins and a draw in their first four matches, with their victory over Luton Town propelling them to the top of the league table.

However, their performance has dipped recently, with only one win in their last five games and three losses, including a 4-1 defeat to Aston Villa in their latest league match, which has seen them fall to ninth place. Despite this, West Ham will approach their upcoming fixture against Everton with confidence, given their track record of winning four out of their last six league encounters with them.

In their most recent match, Everton suffered a defeat at the hands of their arch-rivals, Liverpool, during the Merseyside derby, with Mohamed Salah contributing two goals to a 2-0 victory for the Reds. Prior to this setback at Anfield, the Toffees had been in good form, securing wins against Brentford and Bournemouth, though they experienced a 2-1 loss to Luton in between these victories.

This recent positive trend in results was a welcome change after a challenging start to the season, where Everton amassed just a single point from their initial five games. Presently, Sean Dyche's team finds itself precariously positioned, being only two places and two points clear of the relegation zone.

Let’s have a look at the match highlights:

First-half begins!!!

• In the 1^st minute, the Premier League match has commenced.
• In the 4^th minute, West Ham has initiated the game on a strong note, maintaining control of the ball. Ward-Prowse deftly passes the ball to Cresswell, who subsequently delivers a precise through ball down the flank. Antonio swiftly advances through the channel in an attempt to reach the ball but ultimately sends it out of play, resulting in a goal-kick.
• In the 9^th minute, there’s an opportunity! West Ham is effectively retaining possession in the vicinity of the penalty area. Kudus lays the ball off to Paqueta, who cleverly lifts a pass over Everton's defensive line, directing it towards Bowen. Unfortunately, Bowen is unable to reach the ball in time, allowing Pickford to intervene and clear the danger.
• In the 17^th minute, Zouma delivers a precise pass to Kudus, who skillfully maneuvers around Branthwaite, only to be brought down by the Everton player. The match has been characterized by numerous minor fouls in the midfield, which have disrupted the game's rhythm and prevented it from developing a consistent flow.
• In the 23^rd minute, there’s a missed opportunity! West Ham was presented with a golden chance as Paqueta expertly controlled the ball on the left flank and skillfully lobbed it over Patterson's head. He then delivered a precise pass across the penalty area to Bowen, who unfortunately failed to hit the target with his immediate shot.
• In the 25^th minute, it’s a great save! Everton created a scoring opportunity following a mistake from Paqueta, who inadvertently passed the ball to Harrison. Seizing the moment, Harrison propelled the ball forward and advanced towards the penalty box. Although he had teammates available on both sides, he opted to take the shot himself, only to have it securely saved by Areola.
• In the 28^th minute, Pickford swiftly advances from his goal and subsequently receives a yellow card for his involvement in the altercation. Also, Kudus, having been on the receiving end of a tackle from Tarkowski, is issued a yellow card in response to his reaction to the incident.
• In the 35^th minute, Onana has been a pivotal figure for Everton, leading the team in several crucial statistics. He tops the charts for tackles with 22, possession won at 62, duels won with 71, and fouls won standing at 19. Furthermore, he is second in the ranking for aerial duels won and passes made, with 27 and 382 respectively, just behind James Tarkowski who has won 30 aerial duels and made 386 passes.
• In the 42^nd minute, Onana is currently on the ground receiving medical attention following a robust challenge on Kudus. Fortunately, after a brief period of treatment, he is able to stand up and will be fit to resume playing.
• In the 45+3 minute, Bowen is brought down by a foul within West Ham's half, prompting Coufal to attempt a quick restart. Antonio makes a dash down the right flank, but the referee halts play because the ball was still in motion when Coufal took the kick.

Second-half begins!!!

• In the 46^th minute, it’s a block! West Ham commences the second half with vigor. Paqueta skillfully controls the ball on the left and seeks out Antonio in the center. Although Everton manages to clear the ball, West Ham efficiently retains possession, with Bowen eventually receiving the ball just inside the penalty area. He deftly shifts the ball onto his left foot and unleashes a curling shot towards the goal, only for Branthwaite to step in and make a crucial block.
• In the 51^st minute, it’s a goal! Calvert-Lewin finds the net, putting Everton in the lead, 1-0! Calvert-Lewin executes a magnificent finish. Harrison controls the ball at the edge of the penalty area and delivers a clever pass to the striker. Calvert-Lewin skillfully maneuvers past Zouma and Aguard, before driving a powerful shot across the goal and into the bottom corner. An exceptional display of precision and skill!
• In the 54^th minute, there’s a missed opportunity! Paqueta smoothly evades Garner on the left and sends a high cross in Antonio's direction. Mykolenko rises to the challenge and heads the ball up into the air, from where Bowen strikes, but his shot from a difficult angle soar over the crossbar.
• In the 60^th minute, there’s a remarkable save! Everton had a golden opportunity to extend their lead when Calvert-Lewin cleverly flicked the ball into Doucoure's path, leaving him in a one-on-one situation with Areola. Doucoure aimed low with his shot, but Areola was up to the task, expertly diverting the ball wide to keep West Ham in the game.
• In the 69^th minute, Paqueta has been issued a yellow card for dissent. He was lobbying for a corner on the left after Garner blocked his cross, but the referee awarded a goal-kick, deciding that the ball had last touched Paqueta. This decision clearly frustrated the West Ham player, leading to his booking.
• In the 75^th minute, Onana surges forward with the ball and plays a precise through ball that finds Calvert-Lewin, who then breaks free from West Ham's defensive line. His powerful strike rattles the crossbar, but the excitement is quickly doused as the linesman raises the flag for offside. The decision was a close call and could have gone either way.
• In the 77^th minute, Benrahma has been issued a yellow card following a foul on Garner, which occurred after Benrahma lost possession of the ball.
• In the 79^th minute, it’s a magnificent save! Pickford pulls off a phenomenal save to keep Everton in the lead. Coufal delivers a cross that is initially cleared, but the ball falls to Paqueta who volleys it towards goal. Bowen then deftly flicks it to Kudus, whose close-range attempt is thwarted by an alert Pickford. Following the attempt, the linesman's flag is raised for offside.
• In the 83^rd minute, Alvarez receives a yellow card for a late sliding tackle on Onana. As a result of this booking, he will be unavailable for West Ham's upcoming match against Brentford.
• In the 88^th minute, Everton makes their first substitution of the match, bringing on Chermiti to potentially make an impact in the attacking third, replacing Calvert-Lewin. Calvert-Lewin had a significant opportunity to secure the win earlier in the half with his goal, and now Chermiti will have his chance to contribute to the team's success.
• In the 90+6 minutes, there’s an opportunity missed! Ings moves over to the left side to collect the ball, with several teammates available in the middle. He tries to deliver a looping cross into a threatening position, but unfortunately, his effort goes directly into the waiting gloves of Pickford.

And, that’s it! Calvert-Lewin's 50th Premier League goal proved decisive in Everton's victory over West Ham at the London Stadium. In the game's opening moments, Paqueta skillfully lobbed the ball over Patterson and delivered a precise pass to Bowen, who, unfortunately, sent his shot off-target. Areola subsequently saved a shot from Harrison, setting the stage for an eventful second half.

During the latter half, Branthwaite made a crucial block on a shot from Bowen, before Everton went on to open the scoring. Harrison played a deft pass to Calvert-Lewin, who brilliantly navigated past two defenders and drove his shot into the bottom corner of the net. Bowen later had a shot that sailed over the bar, while Doucoure was presented with a golden opportunity after receiving a clever flick from Calvert-Lewin, only for his attempt to be parried away by Areola.