- Adrian pleased with clean sheet on return to Hammers duty against Everton
- West Ham United edged goalless Premier League draw at London Stadium
- Spaniard had little to do due to superb defensive display in front of him
Adrian was pleased to keep a clean sheet on his return to the West Ham United starting XI, but felt the Hammers could easily have turned a goalless draw into a win against Everton.
The Spaniard’s goal was expertly protected by a five-man defence and disciplined midfield at London Stadium, with James Collins, Arthur Masuaku and Havard Nordtveit particularly outstanding in keeping the in-form Blues at bay.
Such was West Ham’s outstanding resilience that Everton did not muster a single shot on target, meaning Romelu Lukaku was rendered without a goal for the first time in ten career appearances for the Blues against the Hammers.
That said, the home side failed to make the most of their own chances, which included eight corners, four shots on target and a host of other promising positions from both set pieces and open play.
“We could have got more from the game,” admitted Adrian, who returned to the starting XI for the first time in 23 Premier League matches dating back to November. “We played very well in defence and had chances from set pieces. The game was a bit open in the second half, but at the end of the day it’s a point and a clean sheet for us.
“Everton are on a good run and are fighting for Europe, so we had to give our best to stop them. It was a tactical game and we want to win every game, but at the end of the day we got a draw and a point."
“After a very long time not playing, I had been working hard to help my teammates, and today was good for me and for my teammates because we kept a clean sheet. Now, we have to keep going like this until the end of the season.”
It was a tactical game and we want to win every game, but at the end of the day we got a draw and a point
Adrian
West Ham’s draw means they now sit on 38 points with four matches left to play, starting at Stoke City next week.
Such is the logjam in mid-table that the 13th-place Hammers are just two points from Southampton in ninth, and just seven ahead of Swansea City in the final relegation place.
“It’s very close,” the goalkeeper observed. “The table is not very different between tenth position and 14th or 15th, but we have to think just game by game.
“We have another away game next week, so we have to keep going and fighting until the end.”