West Ham 2-0 Bournemouth: Kurt Zouma scores controversial goal as Hammers beat Cherries
West Ham #WestHam
Kurt Zouma’s goal for West Ham came in his 200th Premier League appearance
West Ham moved up seven places to 10th in the Premier League table as Kurt Zouma’s controversial goal helped them beat Bournemouth.
Zouma glanced in a close-range header just before half-time, but the Cherries were furious as the ball appeared to hit the hands of Hammers defender Thilo Kehrer earlier in the move.
However, after a check by the video assistant referee the goal was allowed to stand as they deemed the handball accidental and said it had not directly led to a goal.
Nevertheless, Bournemouth caretaker boss Gary O’Neil was upset with the decision and was booked after talking to referee David Coote as the teams left the field at half-time.
The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 91st minute when Bournemouth’s Jordan Zemura was judged to have handled the ball when sliding in trying to block a cross, with Said Benrahma converting from the spot to secure victory.
It was a tough evening for the Cherries, now without a win in three matches, as they lost striker Dominic Solanke and goalkeeper Neto to injury after only 45 minutes.
To make things worse for the visitors, they thought they should have had a penalty themselves when the score was 1-0 after the ball hit Ben Johnson’s arm, but their appeals were rejected.
‘It’s a handball, that’s a fact’
The game’s first controversial moment came in the 45th minute when West Ham had a corner from the right and Kehrer went for a header but, with his eyes closed and his hands tight in front of him, the ball hit his hands.
Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham did not get much distance on a clearing header, and when West Ham’s Tomas Soucek headed it towards goal the ball glanced off the heads of firstly Flynn Downes and then Zouma before going into the net, with the goal given after a VAR check.
As he remonstrated with the officials at half-time, O’Neil, a former West Ham player who has been in caretaker charge of Bournemouth since the end of August, insisted: “It’s a handball, that’s a fact.”
Bournemouth caretaker manager Gary O’Neil was booked after remonstrating with the officials at half time
The Hammers had been the better side when the game was goalless with Benrahma firing a free-kick into the side netting, Aaron Cresswell heading over Soucek’s cross and Cresswell seeing Neto push over a shot.
Bournemouth’s best chance when it was 0-0 saw Solanke collect the ball inside his own half and run at the home defence before shooting at Lukasz Fabianski.
But Solanke went over on his ankle as he shot and had to be substituted after 45 minutes.
O’Neil then had to change his goalkeeper as Neto, who had been struggling with a hamstring problem in the first half, was forced off, with Mark Travers coming on at the start of the second half.
It was Travers’ first appearance since the 9-0 thrashing by Liverpool at Anfield on 27 August in what turned out to be former manager Scott Parker’s last match in charge of the Cherries.
Travers made a good save when he parried a shot from Declan Rice as West Ham pushed for a second goal.
Without Solanke, Bournemouth, now 14th in the Premier League, saw Jaidon Anthony head at Fabianski with a rare chance, before Benrahma’s late penalty secured West Ham’s place in the top half.
Player of the match
BenrahmaSaïd Benrahma
West Ham United
Squad number22Player nameBenrahma
Squad number41Player nameRice
Squad number7Player nameScamacca
Squad number1Player nameFabianski
Squad number12Player nameDownes
Squad number28Player nameSoucek
Squad number3Player nameCresswell
Squad number4Player nameZouma
Squad number24Player nameKehrer
Squad number20Player nameBowen
Squad number5Player nameCoufal
Squad number2Player nameJohnson
Squad number8Player nameFornals
Squad number9Player nameAntonio
AFC Bournemouth
Squad number10Player nameChristie
Squad number2Player nameFredericks
Squad number1Player nameTravers
Squad number29Player nameBilling
Squad number15Player nameA Smith
Squad number13Player nameNeto
Squad number21Player nameMoore
Squad number25Player nameSenesi
Squad number4Player nameL Cook
Squad number16Player nameTavernier
Squad number6Player nameMepham
Squad number32Player nameAnthony
Squad number9Player nameSolanke
Squad number8Player nameLerma
Squad number33Player nameZemura
Line-ups West Ham
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Fabianski
2Johnson4Zouma24Kehrer3Cresswell
28Soucek41Rice
20Bowen12Downes22Benrahma
7Scamacca
Substitutes
Bournemouth
Formation 4-2-3-1
13Murara Neto
2Fredericks6Mepham25Senesi15A Smith
8Lerma4L Cook
10Christie29Billing16Tavernier
9Solanke
Substitutes
Live Text
Match ends, West Ham United 2, Bournemouth 0.
90’+5′
Second Half ends, West Ham United 2, Bournemouth 0.
90’+5′
Foul by Pablo Fornals (West Ham United).
90’+5′
Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90’+2′
Goal! West Ham United 2, Bournemouth 0. Saïd Benrahma (West Ham United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
89′
VAR Decision: Penalty West Ham United.
89′
Penalty conceded by Jordan Zemura (Bournemouth) with a hand ball in the penalty area.
89′
Foul by Michail Antonio (West Ham United).
89′
Jefferson Lerma (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
88′
Substitution, West Ham United. Pablo Fornals replaces Flynn Downes.
88′
Substitution, West Ham United. Vladimír Coufal replaces Jarrod Bowen.
85′
Attempt saved. Jaidon Anthony (Bournemouth) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Philip Billing with a headed pass.
79′
Foul by Thilo Kehrer (West Ham United).
79′
Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.
77′
Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
77′
Foul by Jefferson Lerma (Bournemouth).
74′
Substitution, West Ham United. Michail Antonio replaces Gianluca Scamacca.
73′
Attempt missed. Jefferson Lerma (Bournemouth) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Kieffer Moore with a headed pass following a set piece situation.
72′
Foul by Gianluca Scamacca (West Ham United).
72′
Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.
