An overview of how the national media viewed Everton's 1-1 draw with West Ham United at Goodison Park in the Premier League
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Everton's Irish defender #15 Jake O'Brien (R) scores their first goal during the English Premier League football match between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on March 15, 2025. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Everton's Irish defender #15 Jake O'Brien (R) scores their first goal during the English Premier League football match between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on March 15, 2025. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Jake O'Brien scores Everton's stoppage-time equaliser against West Ham United at Goodison Park(Image: DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Everton could be on the brink of a “fairytale” if they can follow in the footsteps of West Ham United. The two teams played out a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday.
And Dominic Booth, writing in the Guardian, drew comparisons between what the visitors had achieved since doing what the Blues will do in the summer and leaving an historic venue to move into a new home.
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Booth pointed to the European success since enjoyed by West Ham, which was overseen by now Everton manager David Moyes.
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He wrote: “Everton and West Ham have more in common than many may care to admit. In 2016, the Hammers left a crumbling historic ground for a shiny new stadium and (eventually) enjoyed a renaissance, its apex the 2023 Europa Conference League success masterminded by Moyes.
“Whether Everton can ever write such a fairytale at their new home remains to be seen. With Moyes at the helm, belief is high.”
Because belief has surged, Booth said the draw came as a frustration for the Blues, who could have built on Jake O’Brien’s stoppage- time equaliser by snatching an even later winner only for Carlos Alcaraz to skew his shot wide.
Over at the Mail, Ian Herbert adopted an alternative view in submitting it would West Ham who were the most likely to have finished the game in disappointment.
He wrote: “West Ham should have nursed most regret. They were the more energetic, alert and creative side. The intensity of their press, squeezing the life out of Everton at times, and capacity to get six behind the ball in paid order after losing possession told us that Graham Potter is making strides.
“(Jarrod) Bowen was everywhere, quick of thought and movement, displaying brilliant feet in confined spaces. Time stands still for such a player on form like this. In one beautiful first half moment when he paused, allowed a bounce of the ball and unravelled a shot which Jordan Pickford touched over. It was one of two fine instinctive saves from the England goalkeeper.”
While there may have been room for debate on which side deserved to harbour the greater frustration, few argued it was a game high on entertainment.
Writing in The Times, Ian Whittell described it as a “drab game” that, after Tomas Soucek opened the scoring midway through the second half, suddenly “burst into some degree of activity with Pickford quickly called upon to save a Bowen shot and Soucek header as West Ham sought a second goal.
“But in the first minute of stoppage time, Carlos Alcaraz swept the ball wide to Idrissa Gueye whose chip into the six-yard box was firmly headed in by O’Brien. There might even have been a late winner for the hosts, as Alcaraz rolled a shot inches wide, but it was all a considerable upgrade on the first half.”
For Shamoon Hafez at BBC Sport, the Everton goalscorer was a focal point as a player who did not start a league game under Sean Dyche extended his and Moyes’ unbeaten league run to nine games with his second goal since being given a new chance by the returning boss.
Hafez wrote: “Everton have been rejuvenated under Moyes and none more so than O'Brien, who found opportunities under Sean Dyche limited but has made the right-back spot his own - the Irishman's thunderous effort from range was pushed away by Alphonse Areola… Everton battled on and O'Brien had the final say to spark a cacophony of noise from the home supporters and extend his side's unbeaten run to nine games.”
Meanwhile at the ECHO, the focus was on the reaction of the home fans to their side's forays forward as this game entered its final stages - a response indicative of a desire for the Blues to go on the attack in their final games at Goodison Park: "This is a club that has tormented and tortured its fanbase over a miserable few years. Now sleepless nights are a problem of the past, everyone wants to enjoy the final games even if they mean the odd risk is taken.
"There will be no fear when Arsenal and Manchester City visit this part of L4 for the last time. There will be an expectation Everton will challenge those teams and the resurgence under Moyes suggests that will be possible. As for when the doomed Ipswich and Southampton come, the shackles that held back this side in the turgid draws to the likes of 10-man Brentford and Fulham in the first half of the season must be cast off.
"Supporters want positivity, ambition and desire in the final weeks of the historic farewell campaign and there was disappointment when the players struggled to deliver for much of this game."