West Ham completed a 3-goal, 15 minute comeback, stunning Everton at Goodison.
As far as performances typical of the contemporary Everton oeuvre go, this was harrowingly distinctive of the worst of Roberto Martinez’s team. A career in dog-walking would not befit the former Wigan and Swansea manager; so often, he seems unable to hold onto a lead. Against Bournemouth, Chelsea, Stoke and, now, West Ham, had these matches had ended at the 80th minute, the Toffees might now be pushing for a Europa League spot, instead of slipping into the bottom half of the table.
By that point in this match, they were 2-1 up, with Romelu Lukaku having missed a penalty, as well as another golden chance to stretch their lead to three goals. Everton had performed well for five-sixths of the match, outside of Kevin Mirallas; Lukaku had bagged his customary goal against West Ham, and Aaron Lennon was terrorising the Hammers back line, all zest and zip. Their opponents were a man up, but hadn’t really threatened Robles’ goal.
But then, some odd substitutions; Martinez thought it prudent to remove Lennon, with the score at 2-0 and with a man in the baths, for Oumar Niasse, a striker. Niasse, it must be said, did not really put in a defensive shift, not unexpectedly for a player who prefers to float around the final third. Then, with the score at 2-2, Lukaku, who had dominated the Hammers’ centre backs, was removed for Gareth Barry, an admittance of defeat (or at least, of being content to draw). But Dimitri Payet, who had already provided an assist for the equaliser, profited from an highly proficient, if direct, sequence; a clipped, crossfield ball from Aaron Cresswell to Andy Carroll was headed down, then exquisitely flicked on by Diafra Sakho, for Payet to slot through Robles’ legs. Comeback completed, as Goodison reeled.
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West Ham now have 49 points this season (after 29 games), 2 more than they gained in the whole of last season. pic.twitter.com/8mUb5FJzvl
— Uber West Ham (@UberWestHam) 5 March 2016
