It’s as easy as Toffees for dominant Everton to leapfrog Hammers

EVERTON took advantage of shambolic West Ham to leapfrog them in the race for seventh.

First-half goals from Kurt Zouma and Bernard secured a comfortable win for a dominant Everton side and kept them firmly in the hunt for a potential Europa League spot.

Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini has never failed to qualify for Europe since he arrived on the continent and is determined to maintain that proud record this term — but it seems nobody has told his players.

Indeed, on this evidence the fact that West Ham are even in with a chance of finishing as the ‘best of the rest’ serves as a pretty damning indictment of the rest of the league.

The hosts were disorganised and disinterested during a dreadful first half, totally overrun by visitors who looked sharper and more motivated from the off.

Notoriously slow starters, West Ham found themselves behind just five minutes in for the fifth time this season.

Zouma (above) was the latest beneficiary, the defender losing Issa Diop at a corner before sending a downward header into the ground, up and over the head of Aaron Cresswell on the goal line.

A second seemed inevitable and it duly arrived in the 33rd minute, Richarlison playing in Seamus Coleman, who brushed off Aaron Cresswell and rolled a simple ball square for Brazilian winger Bernard to tap his first Premier League goal into an empty net.

Everton boss Marco Silva insisted the Hammers were lucky not to be on the end of a real hiding, saying: ‘It was really satisfying and I am very proud of what we did. We played like that against a team with quality.

‘From the first minute we showed our desire. At half-time 2-0 was good for them because it could have been four or five with the chances we created.’

Pellegrini said: ‘It was not only the worst home performance, it was the worst performance of the year — away or at home. We must find a way of thinking and playing as a big team.’