West Ham United 2-1 Everton
Premier League Summer Series, Soldier Field, Chicago, Wednesday 30 July 2025, 5.30pm CDT (11.30pm BST)
West Ham United kept their chances of winning the 2025 Premier League Summer Series alive by coming from behind to beat Everton at Soldier Field in Chicago on Wednesday evening.
While the Irons did not exactly blow the Blues away in the Windy City, goals in either half from Lucas Paquetá and Player of the Match Niclas Füllkrug secured a welcome win for Head Coach Graham Potter, his squad and the thousands of Hammers who made their way to the iconic stadium on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Having lost narrowly to Manchester United in New Jersey on Saturday, this was a welcome success for the Londoners at the home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
West Ham started by far the brighter of the two teams under a threatening sky, but could not turn chances into goals.
The first opportunity came as early as the first minute when Michael Keane’s poor back pass played in Callum Marshall. The Northern Ireland international opted to shoot first time, but his left-foot effort was turned behind by Mark Travers.
Then, after Kaelan Casey had blocked a low effort from Gueye, and handball claims against the centre-back had been waved away by American referee Rosendo Mendoza, the Londoners went close again.
The lively Marshall was fouled by Keane, who was booked for blocking off the FA Youth Cup winner. Captain James Ward-Prowse stepped up and curled a powerful 30-yard free-kick inches past the left-hand post.
Then, on 17 minutes, an error cost the Irons. Casey was robbed of possession, allowing Harrison Armstrong to get away. He found Gueye inside the penalty area and the Everton captain fired a right-foot shot under Wes Foderingham’s right arm and into the net.
West Ham responded well. Dinos Mavropanos saw a header blocked, Paquetá fired over, then Andy Irving saw a powerful left-foot drive well saved by a diving Travers.
Casey then made partial amends for his earlier error by blocking a goalbound shot from Iliman Ndiaye, and moments later West Ham were level as Travers punched a Kilman diagonal into his own head and Paquetá reacted quickest to prod the ball into the unguarded net.
The Brazilian then fired a powerful free-kick wide as West Ham closed the first half in control, albeit their 70% possession was not reflected in the scoreline as the teams went in level at one-all.
With Sunday’s game against Bournemouth in mind, Potter made seven substitutions at half-time, replacing debutant Kyle Walker-Peters, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Kilman, Casey, Potts, Ward-Prowse and Marshall with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luis Guilherme, Jean-Clair Todibo, Nayef Aguerd, Guido Rodríguez, Jarrod Bowen and Niclas Füllkrug.
The half-time Dance Contest was won by a West Ham fan, and his team went on to match his achievement.
The Irons went close to going in front ten minutes into the second period when Bowen took advantage of more loose defending but saw his right-foot shot blocked by Keane. At the other end, Charly Alcaraz twice sliced off-target for the Toffees.
Then, on 64 minutes, Füllkrug showed exactly why he has scored 14 goals for Germany with an unstoppable rapier-like finish into the bottom right-hand corner from the left corner of the penalty area.
After Wan-Bissaka fired into the side netting and Bowen sliced wide, Everton attempted a late rally, but Alcaraz nodded wide, Jake O’Brien’s header was caught by Foderingham and finally Thierno Barry sliced past the post from six yards.
With that, although Lewis Orford was denied by Travers in the final minute, West Ham had a victory in Chicago to celebrate.
The fight for the Premier League Summer Series title will go to the final round of matches in Atlanta on Sunday, where Potter’s side will take on AFC Bournemouth at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 2pm EDT (7pm BST).
West Ham United: Foderingham, Walker-Peters (Wan-Bissaka HT), Casey (Todibo HT), Mavropanos (Scarles 86), Kilman (Aguerd HT), Diouf (Luis Guilherme HT), Potts (Rodríguez HT), Ward-Prowse © (Bowen HT), Irving (Souček 61), Paquetá (Orford 90), Marshall (Füllkrug HT)
Subs not used: Areola (GK), Golambeckis, Kanté, Fearon, Cornet
Goals: Paquetá 41, Füllkrug 64
Booked: Potts
Everton: Travers, Patterson (Garner HT), Keane, O’Brien, Mykolenko, Armstrong, Gueye © (Tarkowski 70), Iroegbunam (Alcaraz HT), Ndiaye (Chermiti 70), McNeil (Heath 80), Beto (Barry HT)
Subs not used: Pickford (GK), Tyler (GK), Onyango, Thomas, Clarke
Goal: Gueye 17
Booked: Keane, Garner
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
