Everton 1-1 West Ham: Final | O’Brien preserves unbeaten run

Fulltime Thoughts – That’s nine games unbeaten now for Everton, though it’s four wins and five draws in that run. Probably a fair result given how the game went.

90+4’ – Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh Alcaraz. Ball fell to him in the box and he scuffs his shot just wide of the far post with the goalie beaten. That could have been the winner there.
There was only four minutes added on, and despite the goal and the subs happening in time added on, the ref only adds forty seconds, there’s the final whistle.

90’ – Myko wins a corner on the left. Alcaraz’ corner is cleared.
Tarky finds Chermiti on the left, hammers a shot goalwards, Areola punches clear. Falls to Alcaraz at the left corner of the box, crosses to an overlapping Gana on the right, volley across the goal and JAKE O’BRIEN HEADS HOME!! 1-1 late on!!

84’ – Chermiti wins a corner that is cleared. The Everton forward then commits a foul to prevent a counter and is booked as well.

81’ – Ironic cheers as Paqueta finally goes in the book for what feels like his seventh foul today.
The Brazilian goes off, taking his time applauding the away fans, while the Goodison crowd is booing the player who has likely played his last football game with the matchfixing charges hanging over his head.

78’ – Three changes coming up for the Blues! Chermiti, Broja and Iroegbunam coming on in a bit, but for now Ward-Prowse has fouled Alcaraz in a promising position. Garner freekick is cleared by Areola and Kudus nicks the ball off Gana and wins a foul.
It’ll be Beto, Harrison and Garner going off.

75’ – Next corner from Harrison is into the box, Areola knocks it high in the air, Paqueta partly clears before Harrison loses possession.
Another cross from JOB, AWB lays out to clear it. The Blues have all the possession, but do they have the key to unlock the visitors?

73’ – Poor clearance from Areola, ball recycled to JOB on the right, cross blocked for a corner. Fizzed in by Harrison, Alcaraz tries to flick it on but it goes just over his head.
Ball isn’t cleared and falls to Harrison, his volley is deflected for another corner.

70’ – Bowen breaks free now as Everton look a bit dishevelled after that goal, low shot saved by Pickford, rebound is put out for a corner.
Corner met by Beto, out for another corner. Next corner back into the box, Soucek meets it, Pickford saves.

68’ – Everton’s struggles to clear the ball continue with missed tackles galore, Bowen gets into the box, finds Soucek and he tucks the ball home at the far post. West Ham have been in the ascendancy, and now lead 1-0.
Doucoure is off, Lindstrom has come on.

65’ – Ball pinging about in the Hammers box, Areola lets the ball bounce and Beto goes in with a flying scissor-kick, only makes partial contact and the goalie gathers.

62’ – Hammers putting the pressure on the Blues now, Everton having a difficult time clearing their lines but manage to do so.
Bowen with a shot from a narrow angle, and again Pickford saves.

54’ – Lovely ball to feet from Tarky to Beto, but the striker is offside.
Dangerous counter from West Ham, Emerson in the box in space, his cutback to Bowen comes off the forward’s hand, before Garner is fouled trying to clear the ball. Handball is given, Everton ball.

49’ – Tarky gives away a needless foul just outside the box. Ball into the box and Everton clear, can they launch a counter? No, Areola gets to it first.
Now a footrace between Branthwaite and Wan-Bissaka, with the West Ham player looking like he has the edge until he puts the ball out of play.

46’ – Second half underway.

Halftime Thoughts – Everton will feel they should be ahead with all the chances they created, but it’s nil-nil at the break.

45+1’ – There’s the halftime whistle.

43’ – Harrison cross comes off Emerson’s arm and ref says no handball, he was outside the box.
Now Beto goes down in the box, and the ref points to the spot! The replay though shows that Beto kicked the ground with his left foot, but then his right foot is stamped on. There will be an on-field review by VAR and this will be chalked off. That’s fair.

Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images

39’ – Hammers freekick, Blues struggling to clear their lines but eventually do. Kudus can’t beat Harrison but wins a corner. Ward-Prowse again, goes direct, and straight out.

36’ – Everton have the bulk of the possession here at 53%, the Hammers are happy to play on the counter.
Gana a bit late on Paqueta and the Brazilian is on the ground writhing and screaming. Ref says it doesn’t warrant any action.

33’ – The Toffees are set up outside the Hammers box passing it around, ball comes to JOB in space and he hammers a shot that Areola just about fends away. Another cross eventually blocked and the Blues have their first corner of the game, from the left.
Garner, short to Alcaraz, back to him and a cross to the back post, a bit too deep.

27’ – Argh! O’Brien low cross into the box, and Doucs and Beto get in each other’s way!
Hammers sharp on the counter led by Kilman (!), he finds Bowen who swivels and shoots, straight at Pickford who parries it over the bar.
Ward-Prowse corner from the Everton right, cant beat the first man Myko.

24 – Another cross in, this time from Myko, and Beto’s header fizzes just over! It’s all very simple football, but it’s working right now.

21’ – Chance! Everton counter ball comes free to Harrison on the right, he chooses to cross instead of shooting, Doucs header, Todibo gets in the way and the ball bounces down harmlessly to Areola.
Another chance! Doucs tries to play Beto into space, instead it’s Harrison who is bearing down on the ball, Mavropanos plays it safe with Areola charging out and clears. From the throw-in a cross into the box, Beto heads over!

20’ – Good play on the right sees O’Brien get the edge, ball comes to Harrison for the left-footed cross, deep ball headed down goalwards by Alcaraz, no real power on it and Areola collects. That was a chance.

19’ – The first 15 we pressed hard had them bottled up, now we’re backing up and they’re getting more of the ball and starting to open us up.
Nothing on the attacking front for us, creatively. Looking at our side, can’t expect too much either.

17’ – Now a Doucoure foul by the sideline, and from a similar area West Ham have a freekick that comes to nothing.

15’ – Beto upended on the edge of the attacking third. Garner and Harrison over it, it’s the latter that takes it but it’s too close to Areola who collects under no pressure.

12’ – The first time the Hammers can play through the press they win a corner on their left. Ward-Prowse takes, Bowen’s header deflects off Branthwaite from the six yard line and a brilliant point-blank save from Pickford!! Wow.

7’ – Alcaraz is on the left, Harrison on the right. The Argentine is in the half space with Garner going wider than him. Everton’s press has been pretty fierce, giving the Hammers no time on the ball at all.
Oooh lovely play there. Alcaraz finds Harrison in a central spot outside the box with his back goal, and the wide man swivels with the ball and tries a shot, blocked by Soucek.

5’ – Gana and Alcaraz hunt down Kudus outside his own box and nick the ball, but the ref says foul.

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

4’ – Brilliant long ball from Branthwaite finds Mykolenko in space, he brings it down but then his cross is woeful and goes out.

1’ – Garner gets us underway, Everton attacking the Park End which is buzzing with banners and flags, thanks to the great work from The 1878s. Ball immediately lumped forward and Beto goes down in the box. Nothing in that, and VAR confirms that.

Just the five games left to play at Goodison Park – the siren has gone off, Z-Cars has played and the players are on the pitch.

Everton – A surprise as David Moyes drops Jesper Lindstrøm and hands the start to Carlos Alcaraz instead. Also, Armando Broja is on the bench.

West Ham – As expected, Potter pretty much has his best lineup available.

Everton are not unbeaten in the last eight league games, but things haven’t been necessarily rosy with half of those results coming as draws. The Toffees have a chance to get back to winning ways against a struggling West Ham outfit that has struggled mightily in the aftermath of David Moyes leaving the Hammers.

The two sides are locked together in the league table, tied on points, and the winner should take all the spoils with nine games left to play in the league after this.

Competition: Premier League Matchweek 29

Date and start time: Saturday, March 15th at 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m ET / 3:00 p.m. BST

Stadium: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom

Capacity: 39,572

Weather: 44°F/7°C, rain showers, 20% chance of precipitation, 8 mph winds

TV: Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSO Telemundo – United States; N/A – United Kingdom; Fubo – Canada, beIN Sports Premium 2, SuperSport Action Africa, Star Sports Select 2

Radio: evertontv, SiriusXM FC

Live stream: Fubo, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, ESPN Play Sur, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, DStv Now, RUSH, Hotstar VIP, JioTV

Gamethread: There will be a live blog for this game, with our coverage continuing after the final whistle with the match recap and reaction.

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Information from LiveSoccerTV.com

The Blues had fought out a scoreless draw with today’s opponents in the earlier leg of this game in London. Last season though they were soundly beaten 3-1 at Goodison Park with Beto getting the lone goal for the Blues.