West Ham vs Everton: David Moyes must be concerned by Vitalii Mykolenko weak spot
West Ham and Everton are battling away at different ends of the Premier League table, and Vitalii Mykolenko has a massive role to play this weekend.
Despite a difficult few weeks at the London Stadium, Jarrod Bowen remains one of the most dangerous forwards in the division, boasting eight goals and eight assists in 33 league matches.
With Kyle Walker-Peters and Aaron Wan-Bissaka both capable of marauding down the Hammers’ right flank, the Toffees’ No.16 is bound to have a lot of work on his hands on Saturday, 25 April.
Mykolenko has historically had a hard time when West Ham and Everton go head-to-head, and with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side battling relegation, they will be pushing harder than ever at home.
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VISIT THE EVERTON MATCH HUBVitalii Mykolenko could be targeted by Nuno Espirito Santo
Despite only ranking seventh at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for fouls committed per 90 this season [FotMob], Mykolenko seems to struggle against tricky wingers, picking up five yellow cards so far.
One of those came in the reverse fixture back in September, getting into an altercation with former Hammer Lucas Paqueta, having been wound up in the left-back position.
It will likely take Michael Keane and James Tarkowski to keep hold of Taty Castellanos through the middle, and with Iliman Ndiaye mostly focused on attacking, Mykolenko could be totally isolated in this game.
| Vitalii Mykolenko vs West Ham | 1-1, September 2025 | 1-1, March 2025 | 0-0, November 2024 |
| Minutes played | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Touches | 69 | 76 | 74 |
| Chances created | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Accurate crosses | 0% (0/4) | 50% (3/6) | 0% (0/4) |
| Dispossessed | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ground duels won | 67% (2/3) | 50% (2/4) | 25% (1/4) |
| Fouls committed | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Crysencio Summerville may also have a field day on the opposite flank, as he has done during most of the 2025-26 campaign, but the main focus should be on Everton’s left-back situation.
Stuart Attwell could play huge role in West Ham vs Everton
Mykolenko is a master of winning fouls when the pressure is on, which could be crucial when trying to mark Bowen out of the game in the final third.
With Stuart Attwell in charge of the game at the London Stadium, however, the Hammers will be hoping that their record with him is nothing but a coincidence.
The Irons have lost 14 of their 25 games, while Attwell has been the man in the middle. On the other hand, the Toffees have won three straight games with the official in charge, while also being unbeaten in five.
It is bound to be an extremely tight game in East London, and Attwell’s decisions in the centre circle could be the difference between West Ham edging towards safety or Everton moving towards European football.
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