LOW CENTRE OF DISPARITY
Everton 1 West Ham 0
A trip to Goodison Park has historically tended to confound form. Sadly, this doesn’t look like following the historical trend. Although the bookies seem to have recognised that West Ham currently can’t even knock themselves out shadow boxing, the hope prevails now Moyes squad boasts starters for the German, Italy and Brazil first elevens. And yet West Ham can’t beat ‘relegated by the end of March’ Nottingham Forest or ‘Who Do?’ Brighton and Hove Albion – not even on the Queen Elizabeth Stadium’s hallowed turf.
I am already trying on my ‘dealing with defeat’ face, the one that historically requires little conjuring after most away games in the Premier League. There’ll probably be just the one goal in it, scored by a player whose details I’ll have to check on before I submit my match report.
Most of the first half is spent trying to conjure up mental pictures of Yarmolenko’s brace here in a 3-1 victory some years ago. Before that was the Payet-inspired 3-2 victory after having been 2-0 down, deep into the second half. And the hosts also missed a penalty in that unexpected home defeat.
It’s difficult to know where the feeling comes from when you know it’s not going to be a good day at the Ninety Minutes, but this is possibly one of the worst halves of ‘football’ I have seen in the fifty years plus I’ve been watching it. It’s hard to imagine Everton or West Ham scoring after that. However, there is always the game of two halves theory that has been put to good use over the years. Plus the worry about Neil Maupay. Yes, the man who has always seemed to piss on our chips at the London stadium.
That worry sees horrible fruition when Neil Maupay scores in the 53rd minute. The Brighton link clicks in again.
Now Benrahma hits the inside of the post with the Everton keeper completely beaten. If all the times West Ham hit the post or crossbar were translated into goals, they would have won the Europa League last season and would be in the top six this weekend.
As Scamacca prepares to come on, Ogbonna coaches him and translates Kevin Nolan’s tactics into English. The Italian number one striker is immediately into the action, such as it is. He is tall but doesn’t seem to be able to jump high enough to win any aerial challenges.
And there is is. A last minute opportunity comes to nothing and we have somehow lost this game. Look at the players West Ham have in the team and on the bench. Just what is happening here?
Hammers have somehow managed to secure the status of sole victim for both Everton and Nottingham Forest this season. Their reward is to find themselves members of the Relegation Three over the International Weekend. Not a bad reverse for a team with two likely starters in the England XI away to Italy in the Nations Cup this Friday. Misery kicketh in.
1 Lucasz Fabianski, 3 Aaron Cresswell, 4 Kurt Zouma, 5 Vladimir Coufal, 8 Pablo Fornals, 24 Thilo Kehrer, 28 Tomas Souček, 9 Michail Antonio, 11 Lucas Paquetá, 20 Jarrod Bowen, 41 Declan Rice (captain)
Substitutes: 22 Saïd Benrahma, 7 Gianluca Scamacca, 14 Maxwell Cornet
