In Saturday’s 3-1 comeback victory at Goodison Park, Tomas Soucek, a midfielder for West Ham United, scored a breathtaking late goal that left Everton manager Sean Dyche applauding a “great” finish.
Sean Dyche was regretting Everton’s wastefulness for the third time this season, and it’s likely not the last, as his team threw away three crucial points against a West Ham team who shown a clinical streak that their hosts were sorely lacking in.
Even Dyche’s opponent, David Moyes, conceded that West Ham is the beneficiaries of the 3-1 result, praising goalkeeper Alphonse Areola’s “brilliant” efforts. The highlight of a magnificent performance was the Frenchman’s saving of a Beto penalty.
When Tomas Soucek, Areola’s West Ham teammate, curled home a magnificent shot to give the visitors the lead for the first time in the 91st minute, Dyche had a few rueful words of appreciation for him.
Dyche feels let down by Everton’s defeat against West Ham.
The gravelly-voiced manager airs well-known frustrations to BBC Sport, saying, “We’re pretty much – not controlling the whole game – but we’ve got a firm hand on the game,” as a relegation-threatened Everton watched their winless streak stretch to eleven games.
“We must go ahead and score. Every week, I can’t stand here and say, “The XG is through the roof.” Though it’s a marker, it doesn’t help you win games. Scoring at one end and preventing the other from scoring wins games.
To be fair to them, Soucek scores a fantastic goal for them to take the lead. We have so many opportunities now. We have excellent opportunities in excellent locations, but we fail to score a goal. That’s the player’s obligation as much as mine.
David Moyes’s big week
In stoppage time, Soucek—who is frequently known for his massive headers and valiant efforts—scored what was perhaps the best goal of his West Ham career. After two victories and seven goals in a week, midfield partner Edson Alvarez ended the match on a counterattack, relieving pressure on former Everton manager Moyes.
Meanwhile, Moyes called Soucek’s outstanding curling performance “brilliant.” With nine goals this season, the towering international from the Czech Republic is one goal shy of his career high.