West Ham 2-1 Everton: Aaron Cresswell and Jarrod Bowen goals take Hammers fifth

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Aaron CresswellAaron Cresswell's goal for West Ham was his first since he scored in their opening match of the season - a 4-2 win at Newcastle

West Ham moved up to fifth in the Premier League with a win over 10-man Everton, a result that keeps the Toffees in relegation trouble.

Aaron Cresswell scored a wonderful free-kick to open the scoring for the hosts when he curled the ball past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at London Stadium.

But Everton, without an away league win since 28 August, started the second half brightly as Dominic Calvert-Lewin struck the angle of post and crossbar before Mason Holgate's well-controlled half-volley made it 1-1.

However, they were only level for five minutes. Michail Antonio burst clear of the Everton defence and his shot was blocked by Pickford but the rebound fell to Jarrod Bowen, back in the side after recovering from a fractured foot, and he steered the ball into the unguarded net.

Things then got worse for the visitors when captain Michael Keane was sent off midway through the half for his second bookable offence, following his second late challenge on Antonio. There was no way back for the visitors after that.

Everton are 17th in the Premier League, three points clear of 18th-placed Watford. On Wednesday they face a vital game at Burnley, who are 19th.

West Ham continuing to dream

For West Ham it was a welcome win after two losses in their past three matches had dented their hopes of automatic qualification for Europe, and dropped them to eighth in the table.

The Hammers have never played in the Champions League and are now three points behind Arsenal in fourth - the last qualifying spot - although the Gunners have three games in hand.

This result continues a hugely impressive season for David Moyes' side, who face Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday with Barcelona a potential semi-final opponent if they get there.

If they win that competition it would be their first European trophy since lifting the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965 and would secure a Champions League spot, regardless of their final Premier League position.

At a packed London Stadium, Cresswell's brilliant free-kick gave them the lead and they had chances to make it 2-0 but Pablo Fornals shot just over and Antonio, after rounding Pickford, could only shoot into the side-netting from a tight angle.

Those misses looked to have been costly when Holgate, a last-minute addition to the Everton side after Donny van de Beek was injured in the warm-up, superbly controlled a half-volley after Richarlison had nudged the ball into his path.

But only a few minutes later Everton's Alex Iwobi lost possession, Antonio broke clear and Bowen scored the follow-up for his 13th goal of the season in all competitions.

Everton's miserable away run continues

The result continued a terrible run of form for Everton in matches played outside Goodison Park. Indeed, their total of six points from 14 away games this season is the lowest from any of the 92 sides in the Premier League or the EFL.

Their past two away games had seen them thrashed 5-0 and 4-0 by Tottenham and Crystal Palace respectively, with boss Frank Lampard challenging his side's players to show their character after the second of those losses.

He will be pleased with how they started the second half and their equaliser, but equally frustrated by the manner in which they quickly fell behind again and the dismissal of Keane after he had given Michael Oliver no choice but to send him off with a rash sliding challenge on Antonio when already on a yellow card.

Everton, who recently announced losses of £120.9m for the 2020-21 season, have played in English football's top flight in every season since 1954-55, but they face a battle to keep that run going with 10 games of their season remaining.

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West Ham United

  1. Squad number1Player nameFabianski

  2. Squad number24Player nameFredericks

  3. Squad number15Player nameDawson

  4. Squad number4Player nameZouma

  5. Squad number3Player nameCresswell

  6. Squad number28Player nameSoucek

  7. Squad number41Player nameRice

  8. Squad number20Player nameBowen

  9. Squad number22Player nameBenrahma

  10. Squad number8Player nameFornals

  11. Squad number9Player nameAntonio

  1. Squad number7Player nameYarmolenko

  2. Squad number16Player nameNoble

Everton

  1. Squad number1Player namePickford

  2. Squad number2Player nameKenny

  3. Squad number5Player nameKeane

  4. Squad number22Player nameGodfrey

  5. Squad number19Player nameMykolenko

  6. Squad number16Player nameDoucouré

  7. Squad number4Player nameHolgate

  8. Squad number17Player nameIwobi

  9. Squad number11Player nameGray

  10. Squad number9Player nameCalvert-Lewin

  11. Squad number7Player nameRicharlison

  1. Squad number24Player nameGordon

Line-ups

West Ham

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Fabianski
  • 24Fredericks
  • 15Dawson
  • 4Zouma
  • 3CresswellBooked at 90mins
  • 28Soucek
  • 41Rice
  • 20BowenSubstituted forNobleat 70'minutes
  • 22BenrahmaSubstituted forYarmolenkoat 82'minutes
  • 8Fornals
  • 9Antonio

Substitutes

  • 5Coufal
  • 7Yarmolenko
  • 11Vlasic
  • 13Areola
  • 16Noble
  • 23Diop
  • 26Masuaku
  • 33Král
  • 42Alese

Everton

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Pickford
  • 2Kenny
  • 5KeaneBooked at 65mins
  • 22Godfrey
  • 19Mykolenko
  • 16Doucouré
  • 4HolgateBooked at 84mins
  • 17Iwobi
  • 11Gray
  • 9Calvert-LewinSubstituted forGordonat 78'minutes
  • 7Richarlison

Substitutes

  • 15Begovic
  • 24Gordon
  • 31Lonergan
  • 32Branthwaite
  • 33Rondón
  • 34El Ghazi
  • 36Alli
  • 60Price
  • 61Dobbin

Live Text

  1. Match ends, West Ham United 2, Everton 1.

  2. Second Half ends, West Ham United 2, Everton 1.

  3. Attempt missed. Mason Holgate (Everton) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Demarai Gray with a cross following a set piece situation.

  4. Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  5. Foul by Pablo Fornals (West Ham United).

  6. Richarlison (Everton) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  7. Foul by Kurt Zouma (West Ham United).

  8. Anthony Gordon (Everton) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  9. Attempt missed. Vitalii Mykolenko (Everton) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Alexander Iwobi.

  10. Foul by Craig Dawson (West Ham United).

  11. Richarlison (Everton) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  12. Mason Holgate (Everton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  13. Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  14. Foul by Mason Holgate (Everton).

  15. Substitution, West Ham United. Andriy Yarmolenko replaces Saïd Benrahma.

  16. Attempt missed. Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Michail Antonio.

  17. Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Vitalii Mykolenko.

  18. Substitution, Everton. Anthony Gordon replaces Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

  19. Attempt missed. Saïd Benrahma (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Michail Antonio.

  20. Hand ball by Jonjoe Kenny (Everton).

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