Enes Unal’s stunning free-kick earns Bournemouth point against West Ham
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Bournemouth simply do not know when they are beaten. The substitute Enes Unal powered an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner, seconds after West Ham snatched an unlikely lead courtesy of a contentious penalty. Another Bournemouth substitute, Tyler Adams, was penalised for handling Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross from the right and Lucas Paquetá converted the subsequent spot-kick, awarded following a VAR review.
Lopetegui insisted the uplift from a welcome victory at home to Wolves had been forgotten as West Ham targeted back-to-back league wins for the first time this season. The West Ham manager made two changes, one enforced with Emerson suspended, so Wan-Bissaka shifted to left-back and Vladimir Coufal came into the starting lineup at right-back. Lucas Paquetá, who has struggled for form, was a surprise inclusion in place of Crysencio Summerville.
West Ham’s players wore black armbands in tribute to their former academy goalkeeper Oscar Fairs who died aged 15 and on nine minutes the away support sang the name of their No 9 Michail Antonio, who miraculously survived a car crash earlier this month. They visited Antonio, who is expected to be sidelined for at least a year, in hospital in London over the weekend. It was a fine touch from the Bournemouth head coach, Andoni Iraola, despite being engrossed in a lively match, to join in the applause that rippled around the stadium.
From the moment Ryan Christie clipped Mohammed Kudus inside 13 seconds, this was a frenetic occasion. Milos Kerkez won Bournemouth an early corner at the end of one his trademark marauding runs from full-back. Bournemouth had the first chance of note, Antoine Semenyo sending a bouncing ball against a post on 12 minutes. The move stemmed from a Kepa Arrizabalaga ball downfield. Semenyo beat Wan-Bissaka to the header, Evanilson got the better of Konstantinos Mavropanos and then Justin Kluivert headed the loose ball into the path of Semenyo, who got over the ball to shave the post with a right-foot shot. That chance seemed to jolt West Ham. Just before the interval Lukasz Fabianski repelled a tame Dango Ouattara shot at the back post.
