The biggest take away from a West Ham point of view yesterday afternoon was how ordinary it all felt. They did not play particularly well but such is their improvement and growth over the past two years they can win games with a degree of comfort against low-quality opponents without having to be at their top level.
You could sense it on the pitch and you could hear and feel it in the stands. There have been some raucous atmospheres at London Stadium this season,a sense that the ground is finally beginning to resemble a home.
Beforehand David Moyes had played down any risk of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final against Lyon being a distraction, saying there was no risk of Everton being undermined or one eye drifting to Thursday. And yet it was impossible not to consider this simply a day to get the job done and move on quickly.
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“We could have been cleaner at times with what we'd done but at this time of the season happy to take the points and move on,” Moyes said afterwards, echoing that sense.
The atmosphere was subdued for long spells too, especially in the minutes before Aaron Cresswell’s opener. Perhaps many were saving their voices for Thursday. The risk then may be over-excitement clouding judgment.
Cresswell's long wait
It’s a common held view that Cresswell is a key asset when it comes to set pieces but yesterday was his first time scoring from a direct free kick since a 2-0 win over Manchester United in September 2019. That was also swung into the top right corner to leave the opposition goalkeeper with no chance and it was amusing to hear Moyes poke some fun at the wait afterwards before underlining the left back’s importance to the team while recognising how he has struggled to regain top form since injuring his back in November.
“He played much better before his back injury,” Moyes said. “He was in top form up until mid-November when that happened and there are signs he is getting a little back to it. It's taken a little while. We were trying to work out how many free kicks he has taken before he scored one. I guessed 625. We don't know exactly. He's provided great assists from corners and wide free kicks but I don't remember him scoring many from a direct free kick. Everton have a top goalkeeper so to get it over the wall and in was really good.”
Bowen brilliance
The foul was earned by the man who ended up winning the game. Jarrod Bowen supposedly had concerns about a lack of sharpness when he was told that he would be starting the game. The intention was to play 50 to 60minutes but he lasted 10 more and came through without any adverse reaction. The goal, his ninth of the campaign, was straightforward as he arrived on the rebound of Michail Antonio’s shot first and converted into the empty net. But it was his 17th goal involvement in the league already this season, placing him fourth in the division behind Mo Salah, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane.
Talk afterwards again shifted to whether he should be in England contention. If it was not for the injury sustained at Anfield in early March, Gareth Southgate almost certainly would have included him in the squad for the friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast last week. A senior cap should be coming down the line but the problem for Bowen is the only games before the World Cup are competitive Nations League games.
Everton show spending is not always the answer
Since Farhad Moshiri took control of Everton in 2016, they have spent £560million on new signings. Only the Manchester clubs, Arsenal and Chelsea have committed more on fees and here was yet more evidence that spending without a coherent strategy is perhaps worse than not spending at all.
So much has been made about West Ham’s transfer approach in recent years, the depiction of Dithering Dave and owners unwilling to commit the same amounts as rival clubs. It is indisputable that the one summer they did spend big backfired spectacularly, requiring Moyes to come in and turn things around.
“I don’t think there is a one size fits all, there is a way you go and you decide what your club is,” the West Ham manager said pre-match when asked about Everton’s spending. “You have to remember we spent a lot of money a few years ago as well. I am saying my thought process towards Everton is they have owners who are willing to spend but they needed to think how and watch that they are not trying to be up there right away. It is so difficult to get to that level without time. It is a journey to get to the top.”
West Ham are speeding along on their journey, though still far off the top. Lyon on Thursday will be another significant stop.
