“I knew I would win,” beamed David Moyes as he faced the press after a week where men potentially losing their jobs had reached pantomime levels. Instead, it was Frank Lampard, not Moyes, facing the difficult questions about his future. Perhaps the experience of Moyes won the day for him here.
He knew a clean sheet was the most important aspect of this decisive encounter. West Ham played in a pretty dour and defensive fashion yet Everton could have still been playing late into the night at The London Stadium and not found a way to score a goal. Such is West Ham’s quality on the counter-attack – as seen for much of the Moyes era – he knew he could rely on his attackers to pounce at key moments in the match.
Jarrod Bowen provided the spark and quality when required, doubling his season tally in an important seven-minute period that may just have kickstarted West Ham’s season.
“I am trying to get West Ham into the best position and to try and win a trophy,” added Moyes. It seems fending off relegation isn’t even seen as success by the West Ham boss. He knows this team have huge capabilities. And now he just may get the time to try and take them to such outlandish heights.
Lewis Jones.
The longer Everton’s 2-0 defeat at West Ham went on, the easier to see just how much belief is lacking within this current crop of players. They were like a deflated balloon by full-time. Limp and useless. As Frank Lampard noted in his post-match duties, it isn’t for a want of trying but this group are playing like they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.
Perhaps it’s a case of trying too hard. The clear issue is in their forward line. On countless occasions, usually through the drive of Amadou Onana or skill of Alex Iwobi, Everton got into some promising positions. That is shown through their 28 touches in the West Ham box – seven more than the hosts – and whopping total of 93 final third entries. West Ham only managed 53 but were much more clinical with their time when tasked with attacking.
