Frank Lampard said he was "delighted" for Neal Maupay after the forward responded to his Merseyside derby miss with the winner against West Ham United.
The 26-year-old had a glorious opportunity in the second half of the goalless draw with Liverpool but was thwarted by Alisson. In his first appearance since that debut he produced an emphatic finish to secure three points for Everton.
Maupay's moment of brilliance proved to be the difference on Sunday and lifted the Blues to 13th in the Premier League table. It consigned David Moyes' visitors to the bottom three heading into the international break.
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Maupay's magic came in the 53rd minute, the striker collecting a pass from Alex Iwobi, turning and firing past Lukasz Fabianski from the edge of the area. The finish mirrored efforts from training at Finch Farm this week, the club having released footage ahead of the game showing forward players practicing shots from a similar position.
It was the perfect response after Maupay had spent the past fortnight lamenting the missed opportunity in the derby. Speaking after the game, Lampard said he was aware Maupay had been disappointed not have scored that chance and therefore he was even happier with his contribution against West Ham.
The Blues boss said: "If you are a striker it [the miss] will play on your mind. And that will happen because you are getting into the positions to score. We needed that, with Dominic being out for a while we needed a player with a feeling to get in and around the box and who can naturally get shots away.
"I thought the goal was fantastic in its nature - the close control, the early take of the shot. I'm delighted for him because I think the fans will see a player today who linked up well at different times, worked really hard and gets the goal that wins us the game."
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