Everton 2-0 West Ham: Thorough

Everton used a rampant first half to dispatch a dull West Ham side for their second consecutive victory, which is only the second time the Blues have achieved that feat all season. Kurt Zouma scored the opener off a corner kick, and Bernard notched his first Premier League goal on the end of a lovely move from Richarlison and Seamus Coleman.

The win today combined with losses from both Watford and Wolves puts Everton just one point back of seventh place. Of course, Manchester City need to win the FA Cup for it to matter, but the recent uptick in form from the Toffees has been a welcome surprise.

The positives from the win against Chelsea were stretched out into today’s game. Richarlison looks like a new, more complete player. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has transformed into a legitimate Premier League striker, and Bernard seems to truly belong, too. Jordan Pickford has calmed down. Michael Keane is earning his England shirt, and don’t look now, but the set piece goals against are drying up, too.

West Ham offered very little resistance today, which should certainly be considered when analyzing the day’s proceedings. That being said, it’s always a pleasant surprise when the Blues beat teams they should beat, and that happened today.

Knowing what we know about this club, it would be a fool’s errand to suggest they’ve turned a corner. What is true, however, is that it’s fun to watch the boys play right now, and you’ll never hear a complaint about that.