West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui believes his side did enough to claim all three points against Everton in a dour 0-0 draw at the London Stadium.
The encounter, which failed to light up the Premier League weekend, saw Everton dominate early on, though clear-cut chances were in short supply.
West Ham grew into the game after the break, with Crysencio Summerville hitting the post and Jordan Pickford producing a brilliant late save to deny Danny Ings’ deflected effort.
Despite the improved second-half showing, the result leaves West Ham in 14th place, just two points ahead of Everton. The pressure on Lopetegui from disgruntled sections of the fanbase continues to mount.
Speaking after the match, Lopetegui said:
“Our aim was to win the match and we deserved to win the match – we had enough chances to do so. Pickford was their best player in my opinion. He did three or four saves, very good saves, and we also hit the post.
“But I think that despite this, I was not happy with the first half because we can’t [give a] gift to the opponent for 45 minutes. Okay, we defended well but it was not enough.
“That’s why I was not happy with the first half. Not because they deserved to win or they had a chance. No, because I think that we didn’t show the energy and the character that we needed.”
The Hammers were without key players, including Mo Kudus, Edson Álvarez, Niclas Füllkrug, and Alphonse Areola. Lopetegui acknowledged their absence but was keen to highlight the opportunities for others.
“Okay, it’s true that we don’t have [some of our players] right now. Four players, important players, were out – Mo [Kudus], Edson [Álvarez], [Niclas] Füllkrug and Alphonse [Areola] was not on the bench because he had problems.
“But despite this, I think that the team showed in the second half that there is an opportunity for the other players too and that they took advantage of this opportunity.
“It was a pity that we didn’t score the goal because we would have liked a fantastic three points for us. But okay, it’s one point. We are looking forward to the next challenge.”
Lopetegui remains optimistic, insisting the team is close to turning their season around:
“We know that with three or four points more we are looking at our position in another way. We have to achieve this consistency and to be able to improve and to look forward with a positive mind.”