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Building a West Ham and Everton Combined XI

By Jay Korman

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: Declan Rice of West Ham United runs with the ball under pressure from Gylfi Sigurdsson of Everton during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton FC at London Stadium on March 30, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: Declan Rice of West Ham United runs with the ball under pressure from Gylfi Sigurdsson of Everton during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton FC at London Stadium on March 30, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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West Ham heads to Goodison Park next weekend to take on a struggling Everton side. With the match still a week away, I decided to have some fun and create my best XI from the two sides.

The Hammers head to Goodison Park on Saturday to take on an Everton side that are currently 18th in the table. The Toffees will be desperate in this match, looking for all 3 points, while the Irons will look to bounce back from a bitter home defeat to Crystal Palace. Here is my combined XI for the match.

BACK 5

Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford – Should West Ham stopper Łukasz Fabiański have been fit for this match, I would have slotted him into this position. However, with the uncertainty surrounding Roberto and West Ham keeper situation, ill play it safe and go with the England international

Left-Back: Lucas Digne – Digne has been a huge bright spot in an otherwise dreadful Everton season thus far. The Frenchman is class on the left-hand side of the defense and is great going forward and defensively as well. Both Cresswell and Masuaku have been solid, but for me, Digne is the clear cut choice at this position.

Center-Back: Issa Diop – This is one of the easiest choices for the entire XI. Diop has been an absolute monster this year for the Hammers and should easily slide into the #1 CB position. If Diop keeps up his performances this season, he should be pushing into the French National team in no time.

Center-Back: Angelo Ogbonna – This will probably be one of the most controversial picks in the entire XI. Michael Keane is a very solid defender for the Toffees, however, so far this season Ogbonna has been the better player. As the CB partner of Diop, Ogbonna has played well above expectations this season and has been a huge part of the Hammers’ quick start.

Right-Back: Ryan Fredericks – Fredericks has been a consistent figure in the West Ham XI this season for manager Manuel Pellegrini. With his blistering pace and improved defensive ability, nobody in the Everton squad has been as solid as Fredericks this season at this position.

MIDFIELD 3

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Declan Rice – First name on the XI, Rice has continued to improve this season and has established himself as one of the best holding midfielders in the entire Premier League. A constant in the England setup, Rice is only going to go better and will keep bossing the Hammers midfield.

Gylfi Sigurðsson – Everton’s creative maestro has to be in my XI. The attacking midfielder can pick opposing teams apart with his crisp passing and deadly shooting ability. The Hammers will need to keep him quiet on Saturday if they want to come away with all 3 points.

Mark Noble – This may be another controversial pick, but as a die-hard West Ham fan, how could you not include the captain. Noble has been a calming influence for the Hammers this season and has really helped Declan Rice control the midfield. Noble adds some veteran experience and leadership to Manuel Pellegrini’s side and would be in my XI no questions asked.

Front 3

Andriy Yarmolenko – Many Hammers fans will want Felipe Anderson in this spot, however, Yarmolenko has been better so far this season. Yarmo has been a threat down the right-hand side and has been more clinical than Anderson thus far. He gets the nod from me.

Richarlison – Although he hasn’t been at his best this season, Richarlison gets into my best XI from these 2 sides. The Brazilian gives Everton a mixture of pace and skill that is among the best in the Premier League, and on his day is an elite attacker that can score goals for fun.

Sébastien Haller – The final player for my XI, Haller has been great for the Hammers so far this season. The Frenchman makes an impact in every match he plays in and has shown that he can be an elite striker in the Premier League.

Manager

Manuel Pellegrini – Marco Silva is under a lot of pressure right now, with Everton sitting in 18th place in the table. This is an easy choice for me, as Manuel Pellegrini has guided the Irons to their best start in the Premier League for a couple of seasons.