Dire Everton lose at home as West Ham finally win

Manuel Pellegrini’s first Premier League win as West Ham boss came thanks to a near-perfect away performance, with Andriy Yarmolenko and Marko Arnautovic punishing a sloppy Everton side.

Yarmolenko’s first-half double came before Gylfi Sigurdsson’s header gave Everton hope, but Arnautovic sealed the win with a well-worked goal after the break.

The result eases the pressure on Pellegrini on his 65th birthday, while it also lifts West Ham off bottom and out of the relegation zone into 16th.

There were fears of a mini-meltdown at West Ham, with many wondering how much longer Pellegrini would last if Everton inflicted a fifth-straight league defeat on the Hammers.

As it happens, his West Ham players delivered him the perfect birthday present. With Chelsea and Manchester United to come, it was much needed, and will give them the confidence required when heading into such fixtures.

The Austrian allayed fears that he would perhaps cut the lone figure up front for the visitors – which seemed to be the case in the opening 10 minutes – by going on to put in a sensational performance for West Ham.

He in fact put in the perfect demonstration as to how you play as the lone striker away from home; holding up play beautifully, linking well with his midfielders, and putting away his big chance.

Everton: Pickford 5, Kenny 7, Holgate 6, Zouma 5, Digne 6, Gueye 6, Schneiderlin 4, Walcott 6, Sigurdsson 6, Calvert-Lewin 5, Tosun 4. Subs: Bernard 6, Niasse 6, Lookman 6.

West Ham: Fabianski 6, Zabaleta 6, Balbuena 6, Diop 6, Masuaku 6, Obiang 7, Noble 6, Rice 6, Yarmolenko 7, Arnautovic 8, Anderson 7. Subs: Antonio 6, Sanchez 6, Snodgrass 6.

11’ - GOAL! Well. Well. Well! Yarmolenko scores on his first West Ham start! Too easy for the visitors - Arnautovic is set free with a ball over the top and he lays it on a plate for Yarmolenko, who slots it past Pickford. Devastating counter.

26’ - SAVE! Big chance for the hosts. Digne ghosts past Zabaleta down the left and his cross finds Tosun in the middle of the penalty area. His header, however, is straight down the throat of Fabianski.

31’ - WHAT A GOAL! Everton are the masters of their own destruction... but what a strike from Yarmolenko. Pickford's pass out is woeful and after Noble is brought down, play is waved on as Yarmolenko cuts onto his left foot and curls a beauty past Pickford.

45+2’ - GOAL! What a time to score... Gueye plays it out wide to Kenny, whose cross picks out Sigurdsson - and that's a fine header beyond a helpless Fabianski.

61’ - GOAL! Arnautovic gets the goal his performance deserves. Obiang and Arnie combine in devastating fashion. The former threads it through for the latter, whose first-time effort sneaks under Pickford.

85’ - OFF THE BAR! Digne finds Niasse but he can only volley against the bar from eight yards out! He has to put that away.

Andriy Yarmolenko is the fourth Ukrainian player to score in the Premier League (also Rebrov, Shevchenko and Voronin) and the first since Andriy Voronin for Liverpool against Spurs in May 2008.

Since the start of 2018, only Mohamed Salah (23) has had a hand in more Premier League goals than Marko Arnautovic (16 - nine goals, seven assists).