West Ham United took a big step towards Premier League survival with a 2-1 win at home to Everton on Saturday, with substitute Callum Wilson’s 92nd-minute winner keeping the Hammers out of the relegation zone.

Everton managed the only shot on target in a drab first half, a tame effort from Thierno Barry after 35 minutes, in a quiet London Stadium where many fans were seemingly keeping one eye on relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur’s score.

But the game sparked into life when Jordan Pickford’s save from Taty Castellanos led to a brief VAR check of the Everton goalkeeper’s follow-through and also the corner from which Tomas Soucek headed the opening goal in the 51st minute.

The Hammers dug deepas Everton pinned them increasingly further back into their own half, with Soucek denying Barry with a superb goal-line block before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall fired home an equaliser in the 88th minute.

West Ham were not done, though, and Wilson popped up in added time, sweeping home from close range to give the hosts a precious victory.

West Ham remain 17th with 36 points from 34 games, two points above 18th-placed Spurs, who won at already-relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers, and three points behind Nottingham Forest in 16th.

Everton are 11th on 47 points, three behind Brighton & Hove Albion in sixth, though a run of four points from five games has seen their push for a European place lose momentum.

WEST HAM SNATCH WINNER AT THE DEATH

Everton – whose boss David Moyes returned to West Ham for his 750th Premier League game as a manager – were marginally the better team in the opening stages but created few real chances.

West Ham improved throughout the first half, with Crysencio Summerville their biggest threat, and began brightly after the restart, taking a deserved lead when Soucek rose highest to convert Jarrod Bowen’s corner.

The hosts tried to hold on to their one-goal lead and defended deep, inviting relentless pressure from Everton.

Barry had a brilliant chance to equalise with a close-range header but Soucek nodded his goal-bound effort on to the bar and clear.

Everton felt they should have had a late penalty when Mateus Fernandes handled the ball while grappling with Barry, which VAR deemed was an accident, minutes before Dewsbury-Hall pounced on a loose ball in the box to break West Ham’s hearts.

But eight minutes of added time gave the Hammers hope and Wilson needed only one chance to keep West Ham’s fate in their own hands.