Everton approach comes under fire as West Ham loss dents European hopes again
Everton didn’t show enough urgency in their 2-1 defeat to West Ham, as their hopes of securing European football begin to fade.
For the second game in a row, Everton fell to a stoppage-time defeat, this time through Callum Wilson at London Stadium on Saturday.
After conceding a last-gasp winner through Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk last Sunday, many Everton fans would have hoped for an immediate response against David Moyes‘ old side.
Instead, Everton offered very little in the first half and only seemed to get going after Tomas Soucek’s 51st-minute opener.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall gave Everton a deserved equaliser, only for Wilson to spoil the party. Moyes said his team didn’t deserve to lose but the Toffees were too reactive in the capital.
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Everton don’t deliver on expectations
In the first half against West Ham, Everton didn’t really lay a glove on the east London outfit.
The Toffees may have missed in-form striker Beto, who was out with concussion, as Thierno Barry struggled to lead the attack.
| West Ham | Everton | |
| Expected Goals | 1.17 | 1.41 |
| Shots/shots on target | 10/3 | 11/3 |
| Possession | 44 per cent | 56 per cent |
| Touches in opposition’s box | 23 | 28 |
Following the Liverpool loss, Everton dropped from eighth to 10th, and with it, talk of a possible Champions League qualification has quietened down over the past week.
Everton haven’t been in Europe since 2018. So where was the urgency? Why did it take so long for the Toffees to find their feet? Why did West Ham look like the team that wanted it more?
Indeed, former West Ham player Matt Jarvis said he wanted more urgency from Moyes’ side, who are now down to 11th with four matches to go, but Man City are next.
He said on BBC Sounds, “You’re expecting Everton to want to go out and get these goals as they are chasing Europe, they need to express themselves, but it’s been a really tense affair, with both teams cancelling each other out.”
It is still very close in the fight for Europe, but Everton could fall further behind as they take on title-chasing Manchester City on 4 May at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Thierno Barry struggles for Everton
Everton forked out £27million to sign Barry from Villarreal last summer, but so far, the Toffees haven’t had a good return on their investment.
The 23-year-old has scored six Premier League goals in 34 appearances and has flattered to deceive on many occasions.
Indeed, Barry was largely ineffective against West Ham and did miss a couple of big chances.
Everton may be praying for Beto to start for their daunting test against Man City. Players should be allowed time to adapt to the Premier League, but as far as auditions go, this has not been a strong one.
Moyes has been praised for the work he has done at Everton this season, but that narrative could shift if they continue on this current passive trajectory.
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