A first Premier League win of the season and the first goal for his new striker have lifted the gloom for Frank Lampard going into the international break. The Everton performance to defeat West Ham was industrious, littered with brief moments of quality, including Neal Maupay’s sublime winner, but little more. Lampard will not mind how the result arrived but he will be desperate for it to provide lift-off for Everton this season.
The minute’s silence was interrupted repeatedly by boos from home supporters. The away end’s rapid retort was a profane request to shut up, a sign of the lack of imagination in the back and forth to come from Everton and West Ham. Overall the atmosphere at Goodison Park was subdued for large parts as fans watched a side without their No 9, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is yet to feature this season, or Jordan Pickford, also injured. The fiery atmosphere that helped keep Everton in the league last season has been replaced with trepidation and fear. The fans arrived in hope rather than expectation and they were rewarded for their commitment.
