Said Benrahma is still waiting to break his West Ham scoring duck but team-mate Jesse Lingard insists that elusive first goal will come.
The Algerian winger, signed for £30million from Brentford last year, has now had a Premier League-high 33 attempts at goal this season without finding the net once.
His big chance arrived late in the first half against Everton on Sunday, a free header at the far post which sailed over the crossbar.
Lingard, by contrast, has scored nine goals in 13 appearances since joining on loan from Manchester United.
“I don’t think he’s putting pressure on himself,” Lingard told the club website.
“He’s arriving in the right areas to score and it’s just about executing it, that’s all.
“For us as a team we’re together and trying to help each other to score and get into the right positions.
“Football is like that. It’s about how we deal with it during the game and how we adapt. I felt we adapted fairly well and dominated the game against Everton, but we just couldn’t create clear-cut chances and finish them.”
Manager David Moyes has been critical of Benrahma’s decision-making with the ball over the course of the campaign.
The 25-year-old hit 17 goals to fire Brentford to the Championship play-offs last term but is yet to make his mark in the top flight.
“I think it is difficult for many players who come to the Premier League, you often see big buys coming in, people who have spent big money on players and it takes them some time to settle,” Moyes said.
“The Premier League is very demanding, it is different from what is required of other leagues so this is a big step-up for Said, just as it was for Jarrod Bowen who has done very well for us.
“Said has had some really good performances for us but as you can see he has a lot to do, and there is a lot to learn and there is a lot to make sure he improves as he goes forward, and I’m sure he will.”
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s well-taken goal in the first half condemned West Ham to a 1-0 defeat with their Champions League hopes fading fast.
Everton remain in the hunt for the Europa League and Calvert-Lewin told the club website: “Every game is getting more important from now until the end of the season.
“We have to keep believing going into every game – and play to win every game, because we have to if we want to finish in Europe.”
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