EVERTON snapped a four-game losing streak as Bernard’s superb solo goal in the first half and midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson’s stunner in added time helped the struggling Premier League side beat West Ham United 2-0 at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The Merseyside club were rewarded for a bright start in the 17th minute when Brazilian Bernard twisted and turned inside the penalty area before poking in from a tight angle after being played through by Theo Walcott.
Substitute Sigurdsson sealed the win with a fierce curled shot that flew past goalkeeper Roberto Jiminez into the top corner in the 92nd minute as Everton eased the pressure on manager Marco Silva and climbed out of the bottom three.
Everton came into the match on the back of four consecutive league defeats that had turned up the heat on Silva, but there was little to suggest they were lacking in confidence despite missing several chances to further improve the scoreline.
The Portuguese has faced criticism for rigid tactics in recent weeks but his decision to deploy Richarlison as a striker paid off as the Brazilian troubled West Ham throughout and had a goal ruled out for offside after the break.
West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini brought on Ukraine forward Andriy Yarmolenko in place of Felipe Anderson at the start of the second half and although the London side appeared a lot sharper, they were unable to score. - REUTERS