Jesper Lindstrom delivered a blunt assessment of Everton's performance against Southampton, as Sean Dyche's team prepare for a crunch fixture against West Ham. (More Football News)
Saturday's trip to West Ham, whose coach Julen Lopetegui is under pressure after a poor run of form, represents a big game for both clubs
Jesper Lindstrom delivered a blunt assessment of Everton's performance against Southampton, as Sean Dyche's team prepare for a crunch fixture against West Ham. (More Football News)
Everton suffered a 1-0 loss at Southampton on Saturday, as the Saints claimed their first Premier League win of the season.
That defeat snapped a five-game unbeaten run in the league, albeit Everton are still only on nine points after 10 games.
Saturday's trip to West Ham, whose coach Julen Lopetegui is under pressure after a poor run of form, represents a big game for both clubs.
And Lindstrom, who joined Everton on loan from Napoli in July, said there are few excuses for the Toffees.
"We want to win games, we want to win points, we want to win games like this. It's not good enough," he said, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
"Overall we have to demand more of each other. We have to train hard, we have to keep going.
"The first half especially was not good enough, was not what we expected. We are a much better team than we showed.
"The second half was better we were running more, fighting more, creating chances. I think we deserved at least a point with all the chances but on the other hand I don't think we deserved it because I know we can play much better than we did.
"In the first half, we were too far from each other. From my perspective, my touches were not great.
"It was better in the second half. We created good chances of receiving the ball high but didn’t have the last part, the shot."
West Ham lost 3-0 to in-form Nottingham Forest last time out.
After that match, Jarrod Bowen told Premier League Productions: "We've been on the receiving end of a lot of defeats by a lot of goals, so we need to look at ourselves as players. I think that's a given, but I think we've got to accept this feeling, accept it today, move on and in the last game before the international break we have to put it right."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
West Ham - Jarrod Bowen
Bowen has scored in his last two Premier League home games for West Ham, last scoring in three in a row at the London Stadium in February 2022.
The England forward has also had a hand in five goals in his last six league games against Everton (three goals, two assists).
Everton - Dominic Calvert-Lewin
All three of Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League goals against West Ham have come at the London Stadium, with the last two coming in 1-0 wins for Everton.
Only against Newcastle United (five) has he scored more away goals in the competition than he has at West Ham.
MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN
West Ham have conceded 15 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League games so far in 2024, the most such goals any side have conceded in a single calendar year in the competition. Five of those have come so far this season, a joint-league high, along with Ipswich Town.
However, having lost their first three Premier League home games this season, West Ham have now won their last two at London Stadium. They last won three in a row in May/August 2023, while they last did so in the same campaign in October 2022.
Everton, meanwhile, have lost their last three Premier League away games against London sides by an aggregate score of 12-1. They last lost four in a row in the capital between January and September 2018.
West Ham have won five of their last eight Premier League games against Everton (L3), as many as they had in their previous 30 against them (D9 L16).
However, the Toffees - who won the corresponding fixture 1-0 last season - have taken more Premier League games in total (29) and away from home (13) against West Ham than they have against any other opponent.
Dyche's team have lost their first four Premier League games this season, conceding 13 goals in the process. However, they have lost just one of their subsequent six (W2 D3), with their four goals conceded the fewest of any side in that time.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
West Ham - 50.2%
Everton - 24.6%
Draw - 25.2%