West Ham’s struggles under manager Julen Lopetegui continued with a lacklustre goalless draw against Everton at London Stadium.
Despite a dominant start from the visitors, both sides were unable to break the deadlock in what was a forgettable encounter, leaving both teams to reflect on missed opportunities.
Everton arrived in East London looking to build on recent performances but struggled to break down West Ham’s defence in the first half. While the visitors had more possession early on, they failed to test Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. Iliman Ndiaye’s tame shot from the edge of the penalty area was the only notable effort on goal for Everton in the opening 45 minutes.
West Ham, on the other hand, were far from their best. The hosts were barely in the game as an attacking force, with no real rhythm to their play. However, they almost snatched a goal just before the break. Jarrod Bowen latched onto a near-post cross, but Everton’s Jordan Pickford produced a superb one-handed save to deny him and keep the score level.
After the break, West Ham came out with more intent, showing marginal improvement in their offensive play. Midfielder Guido Rodriguez forced another fine save from Pickford ten minutes into the second half, as his shot from outside the box was tipped wide by the Everton goalkeeper.
At the other end, Fabianski had to be alert to keep out Jesper Lindstrom’s header, tipping it over the bar to keep the match level. However, the second half was still a far cry from the kind of attacking football that West Ham’s supporters would have hoped to see, especially with their manager under increasing pressure.BBC
