Bournemouth completed a remarkable turnaround to come back and equalize 2-2 with West Ham United at the Vitality Stadium. Enes Unal’s late equalizer capped off a wild comeback that produced the exhilarating finale. The tournament opening match was defined by tactical adaptations and brilliant individual efforts by both teams. Yet the home side showed fantastic resilience, bouncing back from their injury crisis.
West Ham were forced into two changes from their thrilling 3-2 win against Burnley last time out. Shaping up as a back five for this match. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s defensive changes were expensive, and they were unable to hold onto their advantage. On the score sheet first for the visitors was Callum Wilson. Bournemouth stormed back, converting a penalty kick to pull within one, and leveled the game with just over three minutes left.
Key Moments in the Match
Bournemouth started the game without Antoine Semenyo who is out with injury. Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth’s manager, took a radical approach with his starting XI. Yet he introduced four new faces after their loss to Aston Villa before the international break. Those changes were all made to re-energize the squad and boy did they come out with a ton of energy.
West Ham went on to dominate the match after Wilson opened the scoring early on. Nonetheless, his early exit from the pitch due to an injury left West Ham exposed and without an attacking outlet. Though outplayed for much of the match, Bournemouth took their chances with aplomb as the game moved on. Marcus Tavernier converted a penalty to draw one back for the home side.
“I think even in the first half we conceded two goals, but we were not worse than West Ham,” – Andoni Iraola
The introduction of Unal proved pivotal. He’ll be a bench player to start, making his long-awaited return after two devastating knee injuries. In less than a minute of stepping onto the pitch, he scored an equalizer, showcasing his latest remarkable finishing ability and indomitable spirit.
A Game of Missed Opportunities
Despite Bournemouth’s resurgence in the second half, Alphonse Areola’s heroics in goal kept West Ham in contention. The West Ham goalkeeper was forced into a number of breathtaking saves and ultimately, he was named Player of the Match. His performance was as important for West Ham, as they tried to hold onto their one-goal lead.
Iraola was encouraged that his side made plenty of chances to secure a vital win. They had no choice but to accept a draw.
“But in the second half we’ve been miles better than West Ham and we had so many chances that for us it’s a bad point,” – Andoni Iraola
The game truly began to showcase Bournemouth’s annoyance with the situation. They felt they should have made more money from the match, particularly in light of their overall play in the second half. At the same time, West Ham would have to consider that a draw was a dropped opportunity, especially following their first win of the season only days earlier.
Managerial Perspectives
Nuno Espirito Santo looked back at the game, admitting the good and bad his side faced. He expressed pride in his players’ effort despite conceding late in the game.
“Today was a good chance. You can look, OK, it slipped away from our hands. But I’m positive because the effort of the players was there,” – Nuno Espirito Santo
On and off the pitch Santo was clear that their recent win at the London Stadium was a historic achievement. Yet, he admitted that it’s high time they turned their fortunes around in away games. The inability to close out the game against Bournemouth will weigh on his mind as he considers adjustments moving forward.
“We managed to achieve a barrier at the London Stadium, we achieved a win. Now let’s try to improve our away form,” – Nuno Espirito Santo
Iraola was very happy with the way his players responded, and how they adjusted after giving up two early goals. To focus on the overall, he highlighted that his side was trailing 2-0. Yet until that point they’d been the better side than West Ham for the majority of the contest.
“Everyone is so happy and so pleased when these things happen,” – Andoni Iraola
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