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Neal Maupay’s second-half goal gave Everton a first win of the Premier League season and an unbeaten run of five following a 1-0 defeat of West Ham United at Goodison Park on Sunday.
It’s a huge sigh of relief for the improving Toffees and another head-scratcher for West Ham, who finds itself in the Premier League’s bottom three.
WATCH EVERTON vs WEST HAM FULL MATCH REPLAY STREAM
West Ham out-attempted Everton 14-7 but Asmir Begovic filled-in well for Jordan Pickford and Toffees center back James Tarkowski was a force in the win.
Everton has seven points, three more than the 18th-place Irons,
[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]
What we learned from Everton vs West Ham
Maupay likes playing the Irons (even in a new shirt): Neal Maupay’s last four appearances against West Ham have now gone like this: Goal in 2-2 draw, goal in 1-1 draw, and 3-1 win to close out the 2021-22 Premier League season. Is it any surprise that move from the Amex Stadium to Goodison Park has not stopped him from delivering a goal against the Irons?
Vibes will be great on Goodison after swing win: As we said on the ProSoccerTalk show this week, this was a big swing game for Everton. A win or a draw would have them unbeaten in five-straight games but a loss would mean a winless streak of five. That’s what draws do, we suppose. So while maybe it shouldn’t have mattered as much as it did, the win allows Frank Lampard to reassess his squad over the international break with the knowledge that Everton’s run has it three points clear of the drop zone and just two behind eighth-place Merseyside rivals Liverpool.
Head-scratching run continues at West Ham: The Irons entered the day with 7.46 expected points but just four on the table. Their three goals scored fell 3.38 behind what xG says they could’ve put in the goal. Throw in the should-be draw against Chelsea and there’s no reason to think West Ham is anything worse than a mid-table team but that’s not gonna change anything as West Ham fans spend the international break with their name under the red line.
Neal Maupay goal video: Ex-Brighton man puts Toffees ahead
Tactical focus
West Ham’s subs of Maxwel Cornet and Said Benrahama changed the game and forced the Toffees to adjust their stance, as sturdy Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure, and Salomon Rondon were put into the game for Anthony Gordon, Demarai Gray, and Neal Maupay. This was all about protecting a 1-0 lead at the expense of growing it or having a chance to overcome an equalizer. To Lampard’s credit, it worked a treat.
[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]
Stars of the show
Alex Iwobi
James Tarkowski
Declan Rice
Vitaliy Mykolenko
Asmir Begovic
Neal Maupay
What’s next?
The international break. Everton is then off to Southampton at 10am ET on Oct. 1, while West Ham hosts Wolves at 12:30pm ET.
How to watch Everton vs West Ham live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 9:15am ET Sunday
TV Channel: USA Network
Online: Stream via NBCSports.com
Key storylines
It’s a possible “swing game” for Frank Lampard’s Everton heading into the international break. The Toffees will feel good about their unbeaten run over four outings, but a loss quickly turns the discussion back to Everton’s zero wins to start the season.
West Ham does sit in the bottom three after six games despite very little question whether the Irons’ quality remains top-half. A loss to Everton would keep David Moyes and the West Ham faithful looking around for answers as to what, exactly, is wrong with a talented, deep squad.
In-form players to keep an eye on
Look no further than Jordan Pickford when it comes to Everton’s steady run of form. The Toffees have only allowed multiple goals on one occasion this season (Aston Villa) despite having the sixth-highest xGA in the Premier League.
Declan Rice continues to control the midfield for West Ham, while Michail Antonio’s been producing over the past few games.
Everton team news, injuries, lineup options
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (knee) is being held out for the benefit of further preparation while Abdoulaye Doucoure (thigh) returns to the fold on the bench and there are still five other absences for the Toffees: Mason Holgate (knee), Jordan Pickford (thigh), Yerry Mina (ankle), Ben Godfrey (broken leg), and Andros Townsend (knee).
West Ham team news, injuries, lineup options
Nayef Aguerd (lower leg) and Ben Johnson (thigh) are out of action, while Aaron Cresswell returns after two weeks out of the lineup.
Everton vs West Ham: Sweet (and deserved) relief for Lampard’s Toffees originally appeared on NBCSports.com
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