Everton reinforced their European credentials with a hard-earned win away to Champions League hopefuls West Ham.
After being fourth in the Premier League at the turn of the year, the Toffees slipped to eighth having won just six of their first 18 league games in 2021.
But Ben Godfrey’s slide-rule pass allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score his 16th league goal of the season in the first half at London Stadium.
And manager Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to play with three centre-backs was justified as his side defended resolutely to secure a second straight away win having also won 1-0 at Arsenal last month.
Everton remain eighth but are now one point behind seventh-placed Tottenham and three behind fifth-placed West Ham – with a game in hand on both.
For the Hammers, this is a big blow to manager David Moyes’ hopes of again leading an unfancied team into the Champions League having done so as Everton boss in 2005.
Newcastle won at fourth-placed Leicester on Friday but this defeat keeps West Ham five points off the top four with just three games left.
A Europa League spot would be some consolation for Moyes and his former club aim to join West Ham after claiming their 11th away win in the league this season – and their fifth in London.
Frustrated Hammers fail to get a shot on target
After 34 games last season, West Ham were fifth from the bottom, three points above the relegation zone. At the same stage this term, they were five points off the top four.
Such has been the turnaround in Moyes’ first full season in charge, which saw a 1-0 at Everton on New Year’s Day, sparking a run of 11 wins from 18 league games coming into this game.
That run was buoyed by the arrival of Jesse Lingard on loan, but despite dominating possession, Lingard and his team-mates struggled to play through Everton’s organised defence.
Their best chance of the first half saw Said Benrahma’s wait for his first Premier League goal continue as he headed over from a Pablo Fornals cross.
The Algeria winger has now had 32 attempts without scoring in the Premier League – more than any other player.
After the interval, Fornals had a shot blocked before spreading the play to Vladimir Coufal, whose low shot came back off the inside of the far post and substitute Jarrod Bowen was unable to steer the rebound goalwards.
Lingard was then booked for dissent as the visitors continued to frustrate the Hammers, who failed to register a shot on target.
Calvert-Lewin could have a big part to play at Euros
Ancelotti made three changes to the side which lost at home to Aston Villa last Saturday, bringing Michael Keane and Yerry Mina back into defence.
But Godfrey kept his place, as one of three centre-backs, in a system which allows defenders to step out of the backline when in possession and play the kind of ball that created Everton’s opener.
With West Ham’s defence seemingly set, Godfrey advanced into a pocket of space from halfway before spotting Calvert-Lewin’s run off Craig Dawson and the ex-Norwich defender slid a ball into the right channel for the England striker to latch on to and slot inside the far post.
While the Toffees remained dogged in defence, Calvert-Lewin showed why he is much more than just a goal threat and why he could be so valuable to England manager Gareth Southgate at the Euros.
Calvert-Lewin’s flick allowed Richarlison to test home goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski with a close-range effort in the first half, and he showed great hold-up play before picking out Seamus Coleman’s run into the box late on, but the Everton captain’s shot was blocked.
Calvert-Lewin created another chance to seal victory as he rounded Fabianski before standing up a cross for substitute Joshua King, whose header came back from the post.
With Romelu Lukaku now the only Everton player to have scored more goals in a Premier League campaign, 24-year-old Calvert-Lewin could be a key man for England this summer.
Toffees continue to do well on their travels – the stats
- Only Manchester City (13) have won more Premier League away games than Everton (11) this season.
- Everton’s 11 away wins are their most in a top-flight campaign since 1984-85 (12), when they won the title.
- Everton have won 14 of the 15 Premier League away games in which they have opened the scoring under Carlo Ancelotti, only dropping points from such a position against Arsenal in February 2020 (3-2 defeat).
- Calvert-Lewin has scored 16 league goals this season but is yet to make an assist – he is currently the highest-scoring player without an assist since Benni McCarthy in 2006-07 (18 goals).
- West Ham have lost consecutive league games at home for the first time since December 2019, when they lost each of Manuel Pellegrini’s final four home league games in charge.
- West Ham have hit the woodwork more often than any other team in the Premier League this season (21).
What next?
West Ham visit Brighton next Saturday (20:00 BST), while Everton play their game in hand at Aston Villa on Thursday (18:00) before hosting Sheffield United on Sunday (19:00).
Player of the match
GodfreyBen Godfrey
West Ham United
Squad number1Player nameFabianski
Squad number5Player nameCoufal
Squad number28Player nameSoucek
Squad number18Player nameFornals
Squad number11Player nameLingard
Squad number30Player nameAntonio
Squad number20Player nameBowen
Squad number3Player nameCresswell
Squad number10Player nameLanzini
Squad number9Player nameBenrahma
Squad number15Player nameDawson
Squad number23Player nameDiop
Squad number24Player nameFredericks
Squad number7Player nameYarmolenko
Everton
Squad number22Player nameGodfrey
Squad number9Player nameCalvert-Lewin
Squad number6Player nameAllan
Squad number23Player nameColeman
Squad number12Player nameDigne
Squad number5Player nameKeane
Squad number7Player nameRicharlison
Squad number1Player namePickford
Squad number26Player nameDavies
Squad number13Player nameMina
Squad number10Player nameG Sigurdsson
Squad number4Player nameHolgate
Squad number11Player nameKing
Squad number8Player nameDelph
Line-ups
West Ham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Fabianski
- 5Coufal
- 15Dawson
- 23Diop
- 3CresswellSubstituted forFredericksat 59′minutes
- 28SoucekBooked at 72mins
- 10LanziniSubstituted forBowenat 43′minutes
- 18Fornals
- 11LingardBooked at 75mins
- 9BenrahmaSubstituted forYarmolenkoat 73′minutes
- 30Antonio
Substitutes
- 4Balbuena
- 7Yarmolenko
- 20Bowen
- 21Ogbonna
- 24Fredericks
- 31Johnson
- 35Randolph
- 45Odubeko
- 54Coventry
Everton
Formation 5-3-2
- 1Pickford
- 23Coleman
- 22Godfrey
- 13MinaSubstituted forHolgateat 62′minutes
- 5Keane
- 12Digne
- 6AllanBooked at 77mins
- 26Davies
- 10G SigurdssonSubstituted forDelphat 85′minutes
- 9Calvert-Lewin
- 7RicharlisonSubstituted forKingat 84′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Holgate
- 8Delph
- 11King
- 16Doucouré
- 17Iwobi
- 18Nkounkou
- 20Bernard
- 21André Gomes
- 33Olsen
Live Text
Match ends, West Ham United 0, Everton 1.
Second Half ends, West Ham United 0, Everton 1.
Attempt missed. Vladimir Coufal (West Ham United) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Ryan Fredericks (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Joshua King (Everton).
Substitution, Everton. Fabian Delph replaces Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Joshua King (Everton) hits the right post with a header from very close range. Assisted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Substitution, Everton. Joshua King replaces Richarlison.
Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Michael Keane.
Craig Dawson (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton).
Attempt missed. Tomas Soucek (West Ham United) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Vladimir Coufal with a cross.
Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Lucas Digne.
Allan (Everton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Séamus Coleman (Everton) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Jesse Lingard (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Jesse Lingard (West Ham United).
Tom Davies (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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