Calculated West Ham Sees Player Ratings Climb vs. Everton
By Adam Smith
An away match against Everton is never easy and Carlo Ancelotti has improved the Toffees this season, but West Ham’s resolve sees player ratings soar.
A midfield battle between West Ham and Everton showed off two vastly different game plans. For David Moyes and his Hammers, the plan was to suck up the pressure in the midfield and spring the counterattack, for Carlo Ancelotti and the Toffee’s it was to wear down the opposition through the middle of the pitch. The Hammers won the battle and the three points fell their way; here are the player ratings.
Darren Randolph – 7.5/10: After late team news that Lukasz Fabianski couldn’t start, Randolph was given the gloves and put forward a quiet but composed performance that rewarded a clean sheet. However, his distribution was shakey at times lowering his score slightly.
Vladimir Coufal – 8/10: No goals or assists for the Czech fullback but pocketing Richarlison is equally, if not more, important in this match. He recovered possession and intercepted the ball frequently, spurring the Hammers’ attack forward from the back. Great game.
Craig Dawson – 8/10: Dawson missed out on massive injury problems after dropping when mis-hitting a clearance volley. The ball was safe but in heap was Dawson who needed medical attention. It was a non-contact injury but he walked it off and returned. Two matches played, two clean sheets… Dawson FC.
Angelo Ogbonna – 9/10: Tasked with anchoring a back four yet again, Angelo Ogbonna was absolutely terrific in this match, neutralizing Domenic Calvert-Lewin and helping shut down the playmaking of Bernard and Richarlison too. His aerial presence, especially on setpieces, was dominant. So far he’s the Hammer of the Year.
Aaron Cresswell – 8/10: A more reserved Cresswell performance was needed since he was at left-back and that is what we got, moving forward sparingly and only when Rice or Fornals/Lanzini were behind him. His freekick nearly went in and his scuffed shot led directly to the winning goal. Great game as a bounce-back performance was needed.
Declan Rice – 8/10: In a game where the midfield was the major battleground, Rice showed up and dominated the game. His presence through tackling, interceptions, and physicality tipped the scales in West Ham’s favour, captaining the team and steering the ship towards three points.
Tomas Soucek – 10/10: The goalscorer and game-winner! The Czech robot was a force in the air and on the pitch, partnering Rice and jumping into the attack as anticipated. While his goal was created by happenstance, his poise to direct it in and be in that critical area was world-class. Plus a rating boost for the baby celebration for his mate Coufal.
Jarrod Bowen – 7.5/10: The main threat in the first half, Jarrod Bowen ran his way to the rating he earned in this match. He was eventually subbed off and his heaving chest on the touchline after exiting suggested he needed the rest. Still, Bowen does everything right when he plays and is a fixture on the rightwing.
Sebastien Haller – 4/10: Nothing really positive to say here for Haller as his support was limited but his effort levels were also pretty minimal. He is working harder off the ball to win possession back and that needs credit, however, your striker needs to score goals and Haller seems miles off of regular goal scoring.
Said Benrahma – 8/10: No goals and no assists but Benrahma was running hard for the entirety of this match, tracking back and getting forward. The Algerian was quite involved in the second half offensive resurgence and looked more comfortable in this game. More starts are surely headed his way.
Pablo Fornals – 7/10: It was a quiet day at the office for Fornals, bar one pretty bad miss on a blown coverage cross. His role is very unique in that when he plays in a back four system he has to cover very deep in the Hammers’ half while still relied upon to create going forward. The effort and running were there and his performance looked solid.
Substitutes
Forcing Moyes hand in the 59th minute, Sebastien Haller’s short leash was pulled to make way for Michail Antonio. The game changed massively with Antonio on the pitch as his hold-up play allowed for support to catch up to the ball. He nearly buried a chance with time expiring, however his game form is lacking, to say the least. He was able to sprint at nearly full speed and will start the next league game.
Andriy Yarmolenko replaced Bowen in the 72nd minute as well as Manuel Lanzini for Pablo Fornals. Lanzini filled in well on the left side of the pitch and made some crucial defensive plays to close out the match and secure the points. Yarmolenko, on the other hand, gave away possession a few different times and didn’t look up to speed.
A solid game plan, an exciting attack, and the right players picked. West Ham were set up for a positive match and thankfully provided one. Each player can be proud of the win, although some can still improve moving forward.