Everton full analysis after the Premier League against West Ham United at Goodison Park

Having scored on his first start for Everton with what was a late winner at Crystal Palace – that came in the 80th minute – Carlos Alcaraz could have enjoyed a dream Goodison Park full debut when an inviting opportunity fell his way to snatch all three points here, only for his shot to go just wide of Alphonse Areola’s right-hand post.

Having impressed on each of his previous starts – both in London, in the aforementioned Selhurst Park trip plus the visit to Brentford – Alcaraz has found himself somewhat unfortunate to have made way on both subsequent occasions with Abdoulaye Doucoure twice coming straight back in.

Given the considerably different skill-sets of the two players, it needn’t necessarily be a case of one or the other and here, for the first time David Moyes picked a starting line-up that included them both. While Doucoure laboured for long periods before making way, Alcaraz also wasn’t as free-flowing as he can be, but there were still a clutch of moments in which the on-loan Flamengo man was able to demonstrate his qualities.

Deployed like a latter-day wide playmaker in the way Moyes used to use Mikel Arteta, Steven Pienaar or Leon Osman, it was the 22-year-old who crucially switched play from left to right to start the move that resulted in the equaliser. Then of course there was the big chance to win it that almost completed a ‘classic’ Goodison Park comeback from their Scottish boss, but it wasn’t to be as Everton were forced to settle for a fourth consecutive draw.

Czech out the opposition

Moyes quipped that there was plenty of quality in this West Ham United side because they’d invested heavily in recent years and it was him who had spent most of the money.

However, while the Glaswegian wasn’t always totally in control of who came through the door at the London Stadium – a source of frustration that should hopefully be eradicated by Everton dispensing with the director of football position this summer to enable him to once more take the lead on recruitment – it was one of his best buys who almost spoiled his day here.

The Blues can’t say they haven’t been warned over Tomas Soucek given that this was his third goal at Goodison Park.

The midfielder previously struck an 86th winner here for Moyes against Carlo Ancelotti on New Year’s Day 2021 in a coronavirus-induced behind closed doors fixture before firing the Hammers ahead in the 90th minute in what proved to be a 3-1 victory in March last year.

At least on this occasion, the hosts had more time to fight their way back into the contest. Soucek still has another couple of years to run on his contract, but has already been linked with a potential move to Everton this summer to reunite with Moyes.

The 61-year-old has a track record of signing young, hungry players, perhaps as much out of necessity than out of choice but even though he is now the ‘wrong’ side of 30, the 77-capped Czech international looks far from finished. Soucek hit double figures last season and having cleverly worked himself the space to take his chance here, took his tally to seven for the current campaign, a luxury that the Blues certainly don’t possess in the engine room.