Paquetá and Füllkrug Lift West Ham Past Everton in Chicago Thriller
West Ham fans were treated to a dramatic evening in Chicago as their team battled back to defeat Everton 2-1 at Soldier Field in the 2025 Premier League Summer Series. It was a match filled with energy, a few mistakes, and some impressive individual moments that ultimately swung the result in the Hammers' favour.
The game kicked off with West Ham looking sharp and composed, clearly benefitting from a full pre-season under new manager Graham Potter. But despite their early dominance in possession, it was Everton who struck first. A sloppy square pass from young defender Kaelan Casey was picked off in the middle of the park by Harrison Armstrong, who broke quickly and teed up Idrissa Gana Gueye. His low shot slipped under goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, giving Everton the early lead in the 17th minute.
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However, Everton’s advantage wouldn’t last until the break. A moment of misfortune — or perhaps misjudgment — from goalkeeper Mark Travers handed West Ham their equaliser just four minutes before half-time. A looping diagonal ball was punched awkwardly by Travers, only to rebound off his own head and fall perfectly for Lucas Paquetá, who simply tapped into an empty net.
Coming out of the tunnel, West Ham looked like a team with something to prove. Potter made several substitutions at halftime, and the change in tempo was immediately noticeable. The Hammers pressed higher, passed with more intent, and controlled the rhythm of the match. Their reward came in the 64th minute, courtesy of substitute Niclas Füllkrug. The German striker found space on the edge of the box and unleashed a precise low drive across Travers into the bottom corner. It was a calm, confident finish that showed his value coming off the bench — though Potter hinted he may be an option to start more often.
Everton had some fleeting chances late on, with Charly Alcaraz’s header being their best look at an equaliser, but their attacking threat fizzled out. The Toffees, still battling with defensive injuries and a lack of firepower up front, struggled to create meaningful moments beyond Gueye’s goal.
Post-match, Potter praised his team’s resilience, noting that coming from behind wasn’t something they managed last season — so this was a welcome sign of growth. Meanwhile, Everton manager David Moyes admitted his side needs reinforcements and better decision-making, especially after back-to-back defensive errors led to another frustrating loss.
All in all, it was a confidence-boosting win for West Ham, and while it’s still pre-season, the signs are there that Potter’s influence is starting to take hold.
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