West Ham United vs Everton: Match Preview and Predicted Lineup | OneFootball

Everton head to the capital this Saturday to face West Ham United, looking to banish the ghosts of a painful derby defeat and keep their European aspirations alive in David Moyes’s return to his former stomping ground.

The Blues' momentum was cruelly halted last weekend at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, where a late Virgil van Dijk winner from a corner secured a 2-1 victory for Liverpool. It was a double blow for Everton, who not only lost the points but also lost their defensive linchpin Jarrad Branthwaite to a season-ending injury.

Currently sitting 10th in the Premier League but only 3 points off the European spots, the maths is simple for David Moyes: Everton need to replicate the away form that has seen them pick up 24 points on the road this season — a tally only bettered by Arsenal. With just five games remaining, there is no room for a derby hangover at the London Stadium.

Team News

Everton Team News

In his absence, Michael Keane is the likely candidate to step back in alongside James Tarkowski, with Jake O'Brien retained at right-back. On a more positive note, Beto is not under a concussion protocol and should be fit to start.

Losing Branthwaite is a hammer blow, and the sight of Michael Keane stepping back into a high-stakes away game will do little for the blood pressure of the traveling Toffees. However, Everton have been a different animal on the road this season.

Jack Grealish remains a long-term absentee, while questions remain over the availability of Charly Alcaraz, who was on the bench last weekend but had been frozen out of recent matchday squads with some mysterious, unspecified injury.

Moyes is unlikely to change things, convincing himself that his selection played well against Liverpool, and is highly unlikely to take any risks by putting potentially more exciting young players, like Tyrique George or Tyler Dibling, into the starting lineup.

If Ndiaye can find the pockets of space he exploited so well earlier in the month, and if the midfield can protect a weakened backline, there should be a result to be had here.

Moyes knows this ground better than anyone, and maybe still has a soft spot for the Hammers. In normal circumstances, he should be desperate to prove a point against his old employers, but perhaps not if it means putting them back down in the Championship.

It won't be pretty, but a gritty point — or even a narrow win — is within reach of the Blues if they can keep Bowen quiet and just avoid conceding from any more dicey corners.

The Hammers, with Nuno Espírito Santo now on to his fourth Premier League assignment, sit perilously close to the drop zone, in 17th, just 2 points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur. They are expected to be at near full strength, though they will be wary of Everton's counter-attacking threat. Jarrod Bowen remains their chief creator, with Lucas Paquetá no longer there as an Everton tormentor and Crysencio Summerville always a live wire looking to run through the lines and get on the end of a shot.

Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Beto.

What the Manager Says

David Moyes: "Going back to West Ham is always special, but the focus is entirely on us. We were all gutted after the derby, especially for Jarrad, but we have to show character. Our away form has been excellent and we need that level of performance again on Saturday."

Match Details

Where to Watch

Due to the 3pm Saturday afternoon blackout, the match will not be broadcast live in the UK. Viewers in the United States can stream the game on Peacock, and fans worldwide should check their local listings for TV coverage. All can follow updates and the inevitable angst on the ToffeeWeb Live Forum.

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Reader Comments (5)

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Mal van Schaick 1 Posted 23/04/2026 at 16:43:41

I expect this to be a tough game with West Ham needing points to stay up, but we have good away form and can banish the derby blues. Keep the shackles on Bowen and we can sneak a win.

Ian Wilkins 2 Posted 23/04/2026 at 16:45:15

Given title chasing City are next up, we need to win really if we are to maintain European place aspirations. Draw probably not enough.

West Ham aren’t good but they’re fighting for survival. I expect Moyes to introduce Keane for Branthwaite as sole change.

We’ll scrap it out and try and nick it, introducing George and others last 15 minutes. We need to contain Bowen and Somerville.

In fairness we have ground out some batting away wins this season. This needs to be another.

Raymond Fox 4 Posted 23/04/2026 at 17:16:49

It looks like another tight game away from home, they bet 7/5 West Ham. 2/1 Everton and 9/4 a Draw. They are approx. odds.

We are very capable of winning this but in many ways it's a more important game for them. Sure it's also very important for us but it's probably not quite of the same magnitude.

It's going to be a hostile atmosphere, but the occasion might get to the West Ham players more than us, you never know.

Moyes will pick the same team minus Jarrad and barring other injuries or illnesses to the rest of them.

I don't think we will lose the game.