West Ham midfielder Rice on victory at Everton: We defended for our lives! | OneFootball

West Ham midfielder Declan Rice was delighted with victory at Everton on Sunday.

Angelo Ogbonna's near-post header with 16 minutes remaining proved the Irons' winner.

“It was a really tough game today," Rice told Sky Sports. “I thought it was an excellent performance though.

“If you compare it to the one against Brentford [a 2-1 defeat] before the international break, we weren't quite at it [that day], but today, from the start, we dominated the ball and passed it around lovely.

“In the first half, again we were getting frustrated because we didn't put a chance in the back of the net, but then the big man [Ogbonna] heads one in and you're defending for your life!

“You're breaking up the pitch and you're winning tackles, the final whistle goes, and it's a really good moment."

Rice smiled: “I think we just love away days!

“Our fans love coming away to watch us and as players we like travelling around and playing away at stadiums like this.

“We knew today was going to be really tough. If we'd have lost today, we'd have been on eleven points and in the bottom half of the table.

“It's good for our mentality that if we want to keep pushing and being a better team, trying to improve this Football Club, we need to be up and around the top teams, so today was so important."