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West Ham v Everton: Can Blues win in capital

By Matt Townsend

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: West Ham player Mark Noble is fouled during the Premier League match between Everton FC and West Ham United at Goodison Park on September 16, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: West Ham player Mark Noble is fouled during the Premier League match between Everton FC and West Ham United at Goodison Park on September 16, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) /
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Everton travel to the capital tomorrow afternoon for the live Saturday night game against West Ham United as the Premier League returns.

Traditionally Everton have always done well against the Hammers although the Londoners won at Goodison Park earlier in the season and have in fact won the last two games between the sides, 3-1.

And the Blues record in London is not too impressive overall. But again after beating one club from the capital last time out, this is a game that the Toffees really need to win and travel back from with all the points.

The injuries suffered by Lucas Digne and Yerry Mina together with the uncertainty around Phil Jagielka and Kurt Zouma’s fitness, meant that Everton had plenty of concerns in defence going into tomorrow’s clash.

But Digne seems to have recovered, which is great news and both Jagielka and Zouma are also fit. Otherwise manager Marco Silva has a reasonably full-strength squad to pick from.

As for the Blues opponents, West ham they have an injury concern around surprise recent signing Samir Nasri.

Just like Everton the Hammers have had a very up and down season and have spent most of the campaign languishing in the lower reaches of the Premier League table.

However they have climbed into the top half recently following a run of three wins and two defeats in their last five games.  This has left them two places and two points above Everton. So the game is significant for both sides in terms of consolidating a mid-table position and pushing for Europe.

Unsurprisingly given their league positions both teams are very similar. They have each scored and conceded roughly the same number of goals and have produced some very inconsistent performances.

We all know how erratic Everton have been in what seems to have become another season of lost opportunity and frustration.

West Ham, like the Toffees, also started the season with a new manager as the former Manchester city boss Manuel Pellegrini took over in the summer from David Moyes.

He spent big in an effort to lift the Hammers out of the bottom half of the table, where they have spent most of the past few seasons.

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The team was heavily reliant on the pace, creativity and goal threat of Marko Arnautovic at the start of the season but other players have since stepped up, especially Brazilian Anderson, now their top scorer.

And the hoodoo that seemed to hang over them when playing at their new home of the London Stadium, also seems to be less of a problem now. Conversely the Toffees have a poor away record to overcome tomorrow.

So this is another Premier League game between very evenly matched but often frankly mediocre teams. Everton certainly have the capability to go and win this game, no question, but will they turn up for it?