James Tarkowski has pointed the finger squarely at his Everton teammates for their self-inflicted loss against West Ham United, emphasizing the urgent need for improvement in their goal-scoring efforts.
In a dramatic turnaround at Goodison Park, West Ham secured a 3-1 win, capitalizing on two stoppage-time goals. Despite this, Everton’s regret was palpable, as they failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities throughout the match.
In a strategic move, Sean Dyche benched Dominic Calvert-Lewin for Beto, who missed a golden chance to put Everton in the lead. Beto’s frustration continued as his penalty was saved by Alphonse Areola just before the break. However, Beto managed to redeem himself by heading in a goal, giving Everton the lead early in the second half. Despite this and further chances for Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure, and Ben Godfrey, Everton couldn’t secure their lead.
Kurt Zouma, a former Everton player, then equalized for West Ham, setting the stage for Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez to seal the win in the final moments.
Dyche has called for Everton players to own up to their responsibilities and make the most of their chances. Tarkowski, sharing Dyche’s sentiments, expressed his frustration over the team’s failure to convert their opportunities into goals.
“We should have been comfortably ahead before they managed to score,” Tarkowski lamented. “The penalty miss was critical, but we had several more chances that we should have converted.”
He further reflected on the team’s recurring issue, stating, “We have a game plan that creates problems for our opponents and generates scoring opportunities, which, as you all are aware, has been a theme this season. We fail to secure our leads and ultimately suffer the consequences.”
Tarkowski concluded with a stark warning: “We only have ourselves to blame. Failing to score when we have the chance means we’re always at risk of being punished. We generate enough opportunities; we just need to start winning games.”