Everton vs West Ham LIVE – score, goals and commentary stream

It’s not just the tired old ‘Sign on’ chants that the visitors have been guilty of in these early exhanges.

Like many neutrals, especially those with Everton connections, I was pleased to see David Moyes break his trophy duck with West Ham United last season but the Hammers fans’ chants of “We know what we are, Champions of Europe” and “Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that” seem a bit rich.

Just over two minutes on the clock and Craig Pawson has already awarded two free-kicks for silly fouls. I just this isn’t a start of things to come.

Just a few minutes in and Everton have started on the front foot, the ball has barely been in Pickford’s half yet.

A portion of the West Ham fans, meanwhile, letting themselves down by quickly breaking into the pathetic, tired chants of ‘sign on’.

Another big boo – this time for referee Craig Pawson.

I was nervous about what the atmosphere would be like here today, wondering whether it would be a bit calmer with the immediate pressure of the relegation battle lifted through those four points coming back. I was wrong to be. This place is bouncing.

James Garner gets us underway as Everton attack the Park End in the first half.

Big day for the Blues but we keep saying that the longer they go without winning.

Everton may have got four of their 10 points back this week at appeal but the Premier League anthem is still roundly booed by large sections of the home crowd.

The Blues now need to get their first on-the-field three points of 2024 against an opponent they’ve taken the most points off in Premier League history.

David Moyes is currently deep in conversation with Jimmy Comer as both sides warm up at Goodison Park. Just one of many familar faces the West Ham boss is likely to bump into this afternoon.

It’s all hustle and bustle down there on the pitch. David Moyes looks very much at home back at Goodison. Jordan Pickford ran down the tunnel a few minutes ago and stopped for a chat with Moyes. The pair looked like they got on really well, their body language looked really pally. Out before them the back four was being put through its paces as Nathan Patterson delivered balls over the top for them to defend as a back four. That was going well until Godfrey sent the ball back with a fair degree of misdirection and it was lost into the half West Ham were training in. Onana was knocking the ball around nicely in a possession drill while it’s a comforting sight to see Andre Gomes back out there in his jet black boots. He certainly looks the part!

All this and the rain has stopped and it has brightened here in L4. Still cold though!

It’s not exactly balmy but after the heavy rain earlier, it’s dried up at Goodison Park and the players are now warming up in the sunshine.

There will certainly be a fair bit of zip on the surface today for both teams to contend with. Let’s hope Everton can start fast for once and get their home fans rocking with some on the front foot play from the kick-off.

A nice moment on the touchline as Kalvin Phillips stops and poses with a young fan for a photo. I’m as intrigued by some of the names in the West Ham squad as I am the Everton one today. Phillips was a player perenially linked with Everton once it became clear his time at Man City was proving difficult. It never looked likely, for a host of reasons I variously reported at different times. He has taken time to settle with the Hammers but has some real quality. The other name I’m drawn to is Mohammed Kudus. He was SO close to joining Everton in the summer of 2022 on a loan with an option to buy from Ajax. Then Man United endured a catstrophic start to the season, panic-bought his teammate Antony and the Dutch giants said no to a move. He flourished with the new opportunity given to him, enjoyed a few goals in the Champions League – including at Anfield, and ended up with a big money move to West Ham. Whatever you want to say about Everton over recent years, one thing the club has not had is much luck.

I wrote earlier in the week that Dyche would seriously consider the prospect of starting Beto today and it turns out he certainly gave it good thought. Leaving Brighton it was intriguing to see how Dyche would interpret the striker’s performance from the bench at the Amex. I thought Beto started well, caused problems for the home defence and was a general nuisance. He coaxed Jan Paul van Hecke into a silly yellow card and provided an outlet. BUT he then of course missed a lovely opportunity to make it 2-0 late on and then, look, I know he is not a defender, but the way Pascal Gross turned him twice before delivering the cross for Lewis Dunk’s stoppage time equaliser certainly didn’t look great. Dyche appears to have seen the promise from those minutes. It’s a good chance for the striker.

Amadou Onana is always a bubbly character around the Everton squad and buoyed by his return to the starting line-up today, he enthusiastically high-fives a couple of Blues mascots straight away as Sean Dyche’s men make their way on to the Goodison Park turf to begin their pre-match warm-ups.

Let’s hope his performance today makes us smile.

A big call from Sean Dyche to drop Dominic Calvert-Lewin to the bench this afternoon. Some might say Beto deserves his chance, but I am not too sure. I don’t think he has done enough in recent weeks. However, this afternoon he has the chance to show why he should be getting nod the from the start. A big afternoon awaits the forward.

With Amadou Onana returning to the starting line-up as Idrissa Gueye is out injured, the dropping of number 9 Dominic Calvert-Lewin to the bench is the big team news.

Ironically, the Everton centre-forward’s last goal came in the corresponding fixture at West Ham United back in October but after barren streak reached 20 matches, he’s finally lost his place. It goes without saying that it’s a huge opportunity today for his replacement Beto who himself has failed to hit the net in his last 15 outings despite having what have arguably more clearcut opportunities than the man he has come in for.

West Ham XI: Areola, Coufal, Mavropanos, Zouma, Emerson, Soucek, Alvarez, Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Bowen.

Subs: Fabianski, Johnson, Cresswell, Antonio, Phillips, Ings, Ogbonna, Aguerd, Mubama,

Alongside Calvert-Lewin on the bench is Joao Virginia, Michael Keane, Seamus Coleman, Nathan Patterson, Andre Gomes, Youssef Chermiti and Lewis Dobbin

Big news from the Everton dressing room.

Sean Dyche has opted to give Beto his first Premier League start since the trip to Nottingham Forest in December, and his first start since that ill-fated dabble with two up top in the FA Cup against Luton Town. DCL drops to the bench after 20 games without a goal.

Amadou Onana has passed his fitness checks after a groin issue and he starts – in for Idrissa Gueye, who was also a doubt due to a groin injury he picked up at Brighton last week. Otherwise Everton are unchanged – meaning Ben Godfrey retains his spot at right back.

Full 11:

• Pickford
• Mykolenko
• Tarkowski
• Branthwaite
• Godfrey
• McNeil
• Onana
• Doucoure
• Garner
• Harrison
• Beto

Hello everyone, Joe Thomas up here in the Main Stand, shivering away in the cold. Team news out shortly and ahead of that news being public the West Ham squad is taking a look at the pitch – several of the players have been out in their training gear to inspect the conditions.

Also visible from the press box has been Josh Wander, co-founder of 777 Partners, the grouo still waiting to find out whether it can take Everton over. He is expected to meet Premier League chiefs this week to try and find a resolution to a saga that is now in its sixth month. Before anyone asks – yes, he did have his cap on.

Everton’s home record against West Ham in the PL is P27 W16 D5 L6

Everton have more wins (29), points (100) and goals (90) against West Ham than any other club in PL games

The Blues can complete a PL double in this fixture for the first time since 2014/15

Everton are winless in nine PL games but have drawn five out of the last six

Everton have conceded only 34 league goals this season, the fourth lowest in the PL

Sean Dyche has won five of ten management meetings with David Moyes (W5 D3 L2)

David Moyes has won just five of his 16 meetings against Everton in all competitions (W5 D1 L10)

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has not scored since netting the winner at the London Stadium last October…the striker however has scored six goals against West Ham, more than any other team

Good afternoon and welcome to Goodison Park. I seem to say this every week, but this afternoon’s game really is a big one for the Blues. After the news on Monday afternoon, it is important that Sean Dyche’s start to build some momentum, they also need to return to winning ways. Not since December 16 have Everton picked up all three points in the Premier League.

West Ham United’s only absentee is Maxwel Cornet. The former Burnley man is expected to miss several weeks with a hamstring injury. However, Kalvin Phillips is available after missing the win against Brentford through suspension.

Everton’s interim chief executive Colin Chong also has his say on the appeal verdict. Although he cautions that Monday’s announcement is not the end of the journey with a second PSR charge still to come, Chong says: “We were particularly satisfied with the Appeal Board’s decision to overturn the original commission’s finding that the club failed to act in utmost good faith.

“That – coupled with the inconsistency of the sanction when measured against past punishments meted out by the League and other governing bodies – was the main focus of our argument in the appeal hearing. It is also why we feel vindicated in pursuing the appeal with such rigour.

“To that end, I would also like to thank our legal team and all those involved in supporting our appeal. I have seen first-hand the dedictation, determination and care that has gone into presenting our case. That work is greatly appreciated and continues with equal gusto.”

Everton captain Seamus Coleman, who was an unused substitute last Saturday at the Amex Stadium, admits the dressing room “felt a bit flat” after they conceded a stoppage time equaliser against Brighton & Hove Albion but like his manager, the skipper is taking heart from the club’s appeal verdict.

Coleman says: “We have to be positive about getting four points back. It showed we were right to appeal the original decision and although nobody here is now sitting back and thinking it’s ‘job done’, we can hopefully build on our new points tally and start to move in the right direction.”

As you’d imagine, there is plenty of reaction to the points appeal verdict from high-ranking Everton figures in today’s programme so let’s start with manager Sean Dyche.

The Blues boss says: “We were pleased to gain some clarity earlier this week in terms of the points deduction we were given in November. Following the club’s appeal, four points were handed back to us from the 10 points that were initially taken.

“That saw us climb two places up the league table, which is naturally pleasing, but our focus must continue to be what it has been throughout the process and that is to concentrate on what we can directly affect – producing performances on the pitch that will earn us points to keep moving in the right direction.”

Good afternoon all.

There’s no getting away from it, the weather is miserable out there right now, wet and cold.

But Evertonian hearts could be warmed by victory against West Ham United this afternoon.

The Blues of course finally got four of their 10 deducted points back on Monday following their appeal so the prospect of another three at Goodison Park could make it a very profitable week.

Sean Dyche’s side have to do the business on the pitch though and while they’ve been competitive for most of the season -a fact borne out by the 13th place they’d currently occupy if it wasn’t for off-the-field sanctions – given that they’re without a Premier League victory since December 16, they really need to start to get back to winning ways so hopefully they can go into this one with a bit more confidence.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Everton vs West Ham from Goodison Park.

Joe Thomas, Chris Beesley and Connor O’Neill will soon be in place to bring you all the latest team news and score updates in what is a pretty crucial match for both clubs today.

A win could move Everton into a much more comfortable position and enable the Blues to start thinking about what’s above them in the table.