At the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, on Monday, September 29, Everton and West Ham face off in the closing fixture of Premier League Matchday 6. This is a crucial clash between two teams desperately searching for points to improve their position in the standings, while also trying to bounce back from disappointing defeats in the previous round. The hosts are in a slightly better situation, having collected 7 points so far, while the visitors are struggling badly with just 3 points. David Moyes’ side will aim to take advantage of West Ham’s difficulties to return to winning ways after two rounds without success, which would help them achieve a double goal: moving away from the relegation zone and edging closer to mid-table. West Ham, meanwhile, are in the middle of a crisis, worsened by the sacking of Graham Potter just hours before this clash with Everton. The leading candidate to replace him is Nuno Espirito Santo, recently dismissed by Nottingham Forest. The Hammers’ board hopes this shake-up can deliver an immediate impact, with a victory that has been missing in the league for two games and could mark the start of a slow climb up the table.

Everton's recent form and key stats

Everton come into this match after two consecutive defeats: 2-1 in the Merseyside Derby against Liverpool and 2-0 versus Wolverhampton in the EFL Cup Round of 32. Including the 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on September 13, the Toffees are winless in three games and will be highly motivated to return to victory against West Ham.

Moyes’ team have shown inconsistency so far in the Premier League, collecting 7 points from the first 6 matches (2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses) with an average of 1.2 goals scored and 1 conceded per game. Their top scorer in the league so far is right winger Iliman Ndiaye, with 2 goals in 5 appearances.

The Blues have a strong home record, losing just once in their last 11 Premier League matches at Hill Dickinson Stadium (6 draws and 4 wins). This season, they have earned 4 points at home thanks to a 2-0 win over Brighton and a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa.

West Ham's recent form and key stats

It’s also a difficult moment for West Ham, who after a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on August 31, suffered back-to-back London derby defeats: 0-3 to Tottenham and 2-1 to Crystal Palace, which ultimately cost Graham Potter his job. Overall, it has been a dreadful start to the season for the Hammers, losing 5 of their first 6 competitive matches.

As it stands, pending the official announcement of Nuno Espirito Santo, West Ham are sitting second-bottom in the table with just 3 points. Their biggest weakness is the defense, conceding an average of 2.6 goals per match. In attack, Paquetá and his teammates have averaged just 1 goal per game—far too little when they are conceding more than double that amount.

Ahead of the clash with Everton, there is at least one encouraging sign: their only win this season came away from the London Stadium, a 0-3 triumph at Nottingham Forest with goals from Bowen, Paquetá and Wilson. However, in the other two away fixtures, they suffered defeats to Sunderland and Wolverhampton (EFL Cup).

Everton vs West Ham prediction and tactical overview

Both Everton and West Ham have struggled offensively so far, lacking a true striker capable of leading the team with goals. For the hosts, more is expected from Beto, while for the visitors, both Wilson and Fullkrug have underperformed.

Given the fragile moment both sides are experiencing, it’s likely they will approach this match cautiously, with the fear of losing outweighing the need to win. Therefore, this is expected to be a low-scoring affair with fewer than three goals in total.

In fact, Under 2.5 goals has been a consistent trend for Everton, with their last four home matches all ending that way. Moreover, they have yet to concede at Hill Dickinson Stadium in the Premier League this season, making it something of a fortress.

• Everton vs West Ham prediction by BetMines: Under 2.5 goals with 55% probability
  
  
• Everton vs West Ham prediction by BetMines: Over 2.5 goals with 45% probability

Predicted lineups Everton vs West Ham

EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Beto. 

WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Areola; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Diouf; Fernandes, Ward-Prowse; Bowen, Paquetá, Summerville; Wilson.