West Ham vs Everton match report: Romelu Lukaku cancels out Manuel Lanzini strike to extend scoring record

West Ham United 1 Everton 1

(Getty Images)

A lively first half with two outstanding goals gave way to a quieter second, still end-to-end and occasionally chaotic, all finishing in the draw that allowed the two teams to go into the last international break before Christmas in a healthy enough position. Both managers will welcome the break to restore a few players to fitness.

Much of the game’s quality departed with West Ham’s Dimitri Payet, who was reduced to a hobble by James McCarthy’s heavy tackle and was caught out shortly afterwards in the build-up to Everton’s deserved equaliser.

“A bad challenge and it doesn’t look good,” West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said of Payet’s ankle injury. His replacement, Enner Valencia, lasted less than 20 minutes and although Victor Moses and Manuel Lanzini had moments of creativity, Andy Carroll was well held by the solid defensive partners John Stones and Ramiro Funes Mori.

To nobody’s surprise, Romelu Lukaku (pictured) was the home side’s nemesis, scoring against them for the seventh successive time. In the second half, however, neither he nor West Ham’s Winston Reid could convert the one chance their team fashioned.

“A good game against a good team,” Bilic, who had two injury-prone seasons at Goodison, called it. “Now it’s almost one-third of the Premier season [over] and I have to be happy.”

Everton’s Roberto Martinez conceded: “West Ham started better. Second half we kept them quiet but couldn’t find that little bit of magic.”

West Ham's players celebrate Manuel Lanzini's opener (Getty Images)

Two magical touches had brought the goals. Moses had been exploiting Brendan Galloway’s inexperience down Everton’s left and on the half-hour, he cut in for a shot that deflected off two players to Lanzini, who curled his effort with surgical precision into the far top corner of the net.

McCarthy was rightly booked for clattering Payet, who was then caught in possession by Gareth Barry, and Gerard Deulofeu’s peach of a pass sent Lukaku clear to round the goalkeeper and score.

Adrian had earlier saved from Deulofeu with his legs but other than that it was difficult to recall a serious save by either ’keeper. There was none in the second half, just a header over the bar by Reid from a West Ham corner and a late jab wide by Lukaku as he lunged at Galloway’s low cross.