Bowen’s deflected equaliser ends Everton’s clean-sheet run and haunts Keane at Hill Dickinson

Jarrod Bowen’s deflected strike spoiled Everton’s celebrations at their new home, as West Ham United fought back to earn a 1-1 draw in Nuno Espírito Santo’s first match in charge.

The winger’s 65th-minute shot, which flicked cruelly off Michael Keane, found its way past Jordan Pickford into the bottom corner. It cancelled out Keane’s earlier header and left Everton stunned, as their clean-sheet record at Hill Dickinson Stadium came to an abrupt end.

Everton began brightly, intent on bouncing back from consecutive disappointments – a derby defeat to Liverpool and an EFL Cup exit against Wolves. They pushed forward with energy, Beto and Iliman Ndiaye both forcing early stops from Alphonse Areola.

The pressure told inside 20 minutes. James Garner’s initial corner was poorly cleared, and when the midfielder whipped in a second cross, Keane rose unmarked to nod home with authority. The Toffees, dominant and aggressive, seemed set to dictate the evening.

But football rarely obeys the script. Idrissa Gueye shot narrowly over and Garner himself went close after the break, yet Everton’s failure to bury their chances carried risk. When Jake O’Brien’s slack header handed Crysencio Summerville a one-on-one, only Pickford’s sharp reflexes prevented an equaliser.

That escape galvanised West Ham. El Hadji Malick Diouf thundered down the left with a lung-busting surge, his low cross ricocheting through the penalty area. Bowen pounced, lashing a curling effort that struck Keane and flew beyond Pickford’s reach. From then on, Everton looked rattled.

Bowen, captaining the side, almost struck again but was denied by James Tarkowski’s desperate block. At the other end, Everton’s late rally fizzled. Jack Grealish tried to inspire his team, slipping a stoppage-time pass to Garner, but the midfielder’s drive was parried by Areola.

When the whistle blew, Everton were left shaking their heads. This was their third straight Premier League game without victory, despite having the better of possession and chances. Moyes, back on familiar ground against his former club, will know his players should have finished the job. Instead, the draw leaves them ninth on eight points, still searching for a ruthless edge.

West Ham, meanwhile, remain in deep trouble at the bottom. The result lifts them only to 19th with four points, yet Nuno will take encouragement from his side’s resilience. Appointed just two days earlier after Graham Potter’s dismissal, and fresh from his own sacking at Nottingham Forest, the Portuguese manager saw flashes of promise in attack.

Summerville’s direct running unsettled Everton, Niclas Füllkrug battled gamely up front, and Diouf’s relentless energy down the flank provided a spark. But defensive frailties continue to plague the Hammers, with Mavropanos caught flat-footed for Keane’s opener – a reminder of the work ahead.

Still, for all their problems, West Ham showed fight. Bowen’s equaliser was as much about grit as luck, embodying the determination Nuno will need to pull them out of danger.

Next up is a daunting trip to Arsenal, unbeaten title contenders and ruthless from set pieces. Unless Nuno shores up his back line quickly, another bruising test awaits.

For Everton, the sense of frustration lingers. A night that promised a celebratory return to form instead ended with more questions, another lead squandered, and a home record shattered by a cruel deflection.