Two late goals lift West Ham to 3-1 win at Everton

Photo by James Gill/Getty Images

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Tomas Soucek and Edson Álvarez scored stoppage-time goals as West Ham defeated a wasteful Everton 3-1 at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Saturday to keep the home side in relegation trouble.

Striker Beto had a first-half penalty saved by West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, who was excellent throughout, but put his side ahead in the 56th minute before Kurt Zouma equalised for the visitors.

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Everton wasted several opportunities to regain the lead, before Soucek struck a superb shot past Jordan Pickford, and Alvarez ensured the three points with his first Premier League goal following a lightning counter-attack.

Everton, who this week regained four points from their appeal against a financial rule breach, are in 16th place with 25 points, five above the relegation zone but having played two games more than 18th-placed Luton Town.

West Ham are in seventh with 42 points from their 27 matches.

Everton have a small amount of breathing space between themselves and the bottom three, but with another Profit and Sustainability (PSR) charge looming before the end of the campaign, they do not know how many points they will need and this will be viewed as a missed opportunity.

They created more than enough chances to win the game, with 22 shots at goal, 11 of which were on target, but poor finishing and the excellence of Areola meant West Ham were always in the game.

Everton won their first penalty of the season late in the first half when Beto's attempted cross struck the arm of Zouma, but the Portuguese forward had his effort saved by Areola who dived low to his left.

But Beto would not be denied as James Garner delivered a superb deep cross from the right wing and he rose unmarked to head the ball into the net on 56 minutes.

The home side should have been further ahead shortly afterwards when Jack Harrison chipped a ball into the six-yard box and Dwight McNeil's close-range effort was brilliantly stopped by the excellent Areola.

West Ham scored the next goal as former Everton defender Zouma headed in James Ward-Prowse's corner just past the hour-mark.

Soucek cleared off the line for the visitors from Abdoulaye Doucouré and Everton had several other excellent opportunities to score before they were hit by a sucker-punch from the visitors.

The hosts gave Soucek too much space at the back post to fire past Pickford, before Alvarez finished off a sweeping counter-attack move to compound the home side's misery and send boos ringing around Goodison Park at the final whistle.