October 17, (THEWILL) – Angelo Ogbonna’s header gave West Ham a hard-fought 1-0 win over Everton, moving them into the top six of the Premier League table.
It appeared that neither side would be able to break the other down in the “Moyes Derby” war of attrition, but Ogbonna rose highest to head in a corner in the 74th minute.
West Ham moved up to sixth place, leapfrogging four clubs while Everton dropped to seventh place with 14 points.
In a sluggish start, West Ham had over 80% possession, but it was Everton who had the best chance to take the lead just before the half-hour mark when Alex Iwobi failed to convert Demarai Gray’s low cross from close range. The ball rolled through his legs as he completely bottled the chance.
As the half progressed, the visitors gained a foothold in the game and thought they had taken the lead five minutes later. Tomas Soucek tapped in a rebound from Jarrod Bowen’s driven strike, which was tipped into the Czech Republic international’s path by Jordan Pickford, but he was offside and the goal was ruled out.
The second half started slowly, with the exception of Salomon Rondon’s narrow header against the post in the 52nd minute, but West Ham eventually broke the deadlock late on thanks to Ogbonna.
The Italian outjumped Godfrey and nodded past Pickford into the far corner for his first Premier League goal of the season.
Everton failed to put Fabianski to the test in their search for an equaliser, and it was West Ham who almost extended their lead two minutes from time through Jarrod Bowen, but Pickford parried his curled strike into the top corner.
Rafa Benitez will have plenty to think about after that result. His team’s undefeated home run has come to an end, and he must now weigh his options. The lack of a first-choice finisher did not help matters today, but his team would have finished second best even if they drew.
On the other hand, it was a big win for David Moyes, and one that the Hammers fans will be delighted with.
Everton’s next match is against Watford at Goodison Park in just over a week, but West Ham will return to the Europa League before then, hosting Paul Onuachu’s Racing Genk on Thursday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
