Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has told Sky Sports that he knew his side could expose West Ham United in behind their defence.
West Ham have enjoyed an excellent season, but their backline hasn’t always stood firm.
David Moyes’ side have had a tendency to concede too many goals of late, and Everton capitalised on that.
The Toffees sat back for much of the game and looked to play quickly behind West Ham’s backline.
That tactic paid off in the first-half, when Calvert-Lewin got in behind Craig Dawson and slotted the ball home beyond Lukasz Fabianski.
And Calvert-Lewin said: “We knew we would be able to expose them in behind so the Richi has shown to feet I’ve just time it perfectly, we’ve been working on that in training, and Godders has put a perfect weight on his pass, and then it was just a touch and finish.”
Everton threatened to get in behind again at times, with Joshua King going close late on.
However, it was Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s defensive resilience which really saw them through to the three points.
Everton’s win has lifted their European chances, while leaving West Ham’s top four hopes seriously damaged.
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