Well now. Bowen. Benrahma. Fornals. All with some pace and creativity. Lanzini on the bench provided cover for that trio if, or when, fresh legs were required. Those players had long been looked at as what is needed to find a way to unlock whatever it is that is inside Haller. Would we see that today? David Moyes certainly hoped so. Since he bid farewell to Goodson Park for the poison chalice of Old Trafford he had visited his old home four times, and lost four times. Everton had won four in a row, and the news right before kickoff that Randolph had to be called into emergency service when Fabianski got hurt in warmups added a bit more negativity to what would already be a somewhat pessimistic outlook. How different it looked two hours later.
West Ham showed good energy in the opening minutes of the match, with Benrahma and Fornals pressing and winning the ball high up the pitch on a couple of occasions. Fornals fed a cross into the box that missed Haller but Bowen got a glancing header on it that rolled wide. On the defensive side Dawson made a touch on a low cross into the box that Randolph smothered before it could go out for an Everton corner.
If, and I emphasize “if”, Moyes ever decides Fornals is not the answer to his midfield questions, a moment around the 12th minute will be an example as to why. West Ham broke with Fornals in the middle, Benrahma on his left, and Haller on his right. He had space. He had time. He decided to roll a pass to Benrahma, and the ball had absolutely no zip to it. That allowed Mina to intercept and move the ball quickly back down the other way. Those are the kinds of moments where Fornals seems to fall short of expectations time and time again. I like him, and I would keep playing him. But if I notice it, Moyes certainly does.
West Ham won their first corner of the match in the 24th minute when Coufal had a cross blocked out by Bernard. Bowen put a very good ball into the box, but neither Haller or Soucek could reach it and it went out for a goal kick. Five minutes later Coufal put a fine ball into the box for Haller, but the struggling center forward couldn’t square up for a shot and lost possession. Seconds later the Hammers were on the attack again, with Benrahma rolling a ball for Cresswell on the left. The Liverpool native tried a low shot that rolled wide and just eluded Bowen at the far post.
West Ham won another corner in the 35th minute when Benrahma did a fine job chesting down a ball, then tried to lob it over Holgate who had to put it behind for the set piece. More pressing won a second corner, but the delivery from Cresswell was poor. For all of the energy and possession, West Ham had no shots on target by the 40th minute. Neither did Everton for that matter. Still, the match didn’t look as plodding as the statistics suggested.
Everton finished the half with two set pieces. The first was a free kick outside the box on the right, but Sigurdsson put his delivery over everyone. Bernard was able to retrieve the ball and win a corner, and while the set piece didn’t amount to anything the ball eventually found Bernard near the top of the West Ham eighteen yard box. He wrapped his right foot around a shot that became the first on target of the match, and Randolph dove low to his right to make the save.
Halftime
Everton 0
West Ham 0
The first ten minutes of the second half were in essence the same as the first forty-five. A lot of up and down, with the ball almost exclusively in the middle two-thirds of the pitch. It was predictable enough that I felt fine putting the IPad down and watching from a standing position in my bedroom. Good for circulation, you know what I mean?
West Ham had a decent half chance in the 55th minute when a set piece was played to Rice on the left. The young captain made a run and sent a terrific ball into the box. It had pace, but it didn’t have a target. Haller tried to slide in and make contact, but to no avail in what would be his last action of the day as he was pulled for Antonio.
West Ham won a free kick in the 60th minute just outside the Everton area after a fine run by Coufal. Cresswell went for goal on his delivery, which forced Pickford to make a save with his outstretched hand. Moments later Benrahma earned the Hammers a corner, and while Cresswell’s delivery didn’t amount to anything Fornals was able to try a long range strike that Pickford handled with ease. A minute later Everton had a chance to test Randolph but Coleman’s shot in the box had very little pace. A few seconds after that Fornals had his customary open look from inside the box that he couldn’t convert when Bowen put a cross in the box but the young Spaniard could only muster a soft header. Seconds later Antonio had his first look when he ran into the box with Benrahma but tried to find the far post with a side footed shot that Pickford stopped. The match finally stretched into both boxes with both teams seemingly looking to steal three points.
Everton won a free kick in the 72nd minute when Richarlison made a run at Bowen, and the little Claret engine that could took him down. But the shape of West Ham held and the ball was cleared. That turned out to be Bowen’s last moment of the day as he and Fornals gave way for Lanzini and Yarmolenko. The first substitution I understood. The second, not so much. But they were both, by and large, attacking changes which seemed to indicate Moyes wasn’t quite ready to settle for the point.
Everton won another dangerous free kick in the 80th minute after Yarmolenko gave the ball away needlessly deep in Everton territory, which allowed the Toffees to counter. Soucek was guilty of taking Richarlison down, but again West Ham held firm and Ogbonna cleared the delivery.
As the match wound down to what looked to be another draw, I started to formulate what I would say about a third consecutive stalemate. And it was going to be reasonably positive. I mean, when has a draw at Everton been a disappointment? Then Yarmolenko flicked a little pass to Soucek in the box, and possibly the best signing since Payet sent a hard volley towards goal that Pickford punched away. The ball rolled out to Cresswell, about 25 yards from goal, and even looking at the back of his head you just knew his eyes were bugging out like a cartoon character. He drilled a low shot that deflected off Mina and into the path of Soucek, who had the presence of mind to direct it into the back of the net.
Everton 0
West Ham 1
I went into full pacing mode, refusing to write a word about the final minutes plus added time. Antonio had what I thought was a legitimate shout for a penalty when Mina shoved him in the back as he tried to shoot, and down the other side Lanzini made a crucial interception on a pass from one guy for Everton to another guy for Everton before Rice was able to clear. I couldn’t see who the players in blue were because my fingers were only barely apart, obstructing the view through my hands at the TV.
Final Score
Everton 0
West Ham 1
One of the problems in these Holiday Season fixtures is we often lump them together as a single unit. Three matches, nine points on offer. If the match had ended in a draw, many would have viewed three points as a disappointment. Not me, despite my chronic pessimism. The only thing we can shake our head about was the Brighton result, and even then Moyes took the blame for his starting eleven. Four points from two away matches against two teams ahead of us in the table is more than commendable. It’s downright good.
A Festive Period indeed.