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West Ham 1-2 Bournemouth: Manuel Pellegrini urges fans to 'trust' Hammers after loss

By Michael EmonsBBC Sport
Bournemouth
Callum Wilson also scored in Bournemouth's 2-0 win over Cardiff in their first Premier Legaue match of the season

West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini urged fans to "trust" the team after the Hammers threw away a lead and lost at home to Bournemouth - their second loss in two games this season.

A fine individual goal from Callum Wilson and a Steve Cook header six minutes later gave Bournemouth the win after Marko Arnautovic's penalty had put the hosts ahead in the first half.

Pellegrini, who won the Premier League title with Manchester City in 2013-14, replaced former boss David Moyes in the summer after he was not given a contract extension having only finished 13th.

West Ham fans repeatedly protested during last season and, although there were no protests on Saturday, a large number of the 56,888 crowd at London Stadium did leave early.

"The fans must also trust again this season," said Pellegrini. "The stadium was empty with 10 minutes to go, we can still score in that time. They need to believe but if you don't have results it is more difficult for them.

"The squad, everyone, must forget about last season, trust what we are doing and look to the future.

"I feel the squad is without trust, many have to adapt to the Premier League. We knew we had a difficult start with our fixtures but at home we must win."

Hammers need fans' support - Manuel Pellegrini

The Hammers, beaten 4-0 at Liverpool last Sunday, took the lead when Arnautovic converted a penalty after Javier Hernandez had been clipped by Nathan Ake.

But Wilson equalised as he ran with the ball from near the halfway line and slotted past Lukasz Fabianski, before defender Cook secured a fine away win from Ryan Fraser's free-kick.

It means West Ham have failed to earn a point from Pellegrini's first two games in charge, while Eddie Howe's Bournemouth have two wins from two matches.

Early West Ham optimism vanishes

During the summer Pellegrini signed nine new players, spending almost £100m in the transfer market, but his side have now played two, lost two, only scored once and have conceded six times to sit bottom of the table.

Their Chilean manager named an attacking line-up, with Javier Hernandez, Felipe Anderson, Arnautovic and Robert Snodgrass all in the side, but, just like last season, the Hammers' defensive frailties again showed.

When it was goalless, a poor West Ham offside trap failed and that enabled Wilson to shoot at goal, but he was only denied by excellent reflexes by Fabianski, who got down quickly to save it.

The hosts actually took the lead a minute later with Arnautovic's well-taken penalty after Ake had slid in on Hernandez and caught his standing foot.

Marko Arnautovic
Marko Arnautovic has been directly involved in eight of West Ham's last 12 Premier League goals (five goals, three assists)

However, West Ham were given another scare just before half-time when David Brooks again avoided the offside trap, but wasted the chance, glancing a free header wide.

Brooks, a summer signing from Sheffield United, nearly equalised at the start of the second half but was only denied by another one-handed save by Fabianski.

However, Wilson's fine individual goal and Cook's header left West Ham fans frustrated. It could still get worse for the Hammers as they have a tough run of fixtures, including matches against Arsenal, Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham in five of their next seven games.

"The team was too nervous," added Pellegrini. "We won the first half 1-0, from the bench it looked like the players wanted to finish and didn't continue playing, especially late in the first half. In the second half we conceded two easy goals, four defenders against one for the first goal."

Wilson brilliance helps Bournemouth win

There looked to be little danger when Wilson picked up the ball in the 60th minute, as he was the only Bournemouth man in the West Ham half.

But, with the home defence backing off, Wilson was able to run at them, avoid a half-hearted challenge from Fabian Balbuena, skip past a sliding tackle from Pablo Zabaleta and calmly slot past Fabianski.

That is two goals in two games for Wilson as he also scored in Bournemouth's 2-0 win over Cardiff in the opening weekend of the season.

His team went ahead six minutes later when Cook was too strong for his marker Angelo Ogbonna, who had needlessly given away a free-kick on the side of the penalty area with a clumsy foul on Fraser.

West Ham brought on Carlos Sanchez and Lucas Perez late on, with both summer signings making their debuts as the Hammers pushed for an equaliser.

But the hosts did not manage to create much after that moment, apart from a Jack Wilshere shot that was comfortably saved by Asmir Begovic, who also produced a fine save in the first half to deny Hernandez when it was goalless.

Bournemouth were even able to leave out club record signing Jefferson Lerma, the Colombia midfielder who they signed for £25m from Levante, and did not need to bring on Jermain Defoe against the club where he started his career.

For the Cherries, they now have six points from two matches and it is a complete contrast to last season, when they lost their opening four league matches.

Man of the match - Callum Wilson

Callum Wilson
Callum Wilson's best Premier League return was the eight goals he managed in 2017-18, and he already has two goals in this campaign

Resilient Bournemouth fight back again - the stats

  • The side scoring first has only won two of the seven Premier League meetings between Bournemouth and West Ham, with the Cherries winning 4-3 in August 2015, and the Hammers 1-0 in August 2016.
  • Bournemouth have gained 19 points from losing positions in the Premier League in 2018; seven more than any other side.
  • Bournemouth have won four consecutive top-flight games for the first time in their history.
  • Bournemouth have won successive Premier League games in London for the first time since their first two visits to the capital in August-December 2015.
  • Steve Cook both scored and assisted in a six-minute period - the first time he has been directly involved in two goals in a single league match.
  • Callum Wilson has scored five goals in his five league games against West Ham; against no other side has he scored more in English league football.
  • Wilson has scored in three successive league games for the first time since April 2015, when the Cherries were in the Championship.

'An excellent performance' - what they said

'Impressive' Bournemouth comeback pleases Howe

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe told BBC Sport:

"It was an excellent win and an excellent performance, especially the second half. At 1-0 down, there's a lot of work to do so credit to the players.

"Every team is reliant on their creative players and all those for us functioned well in the second half. How we haven't scored more we will have a look back, but it is a good sign.

On Wilson's goal: "We really needed it, a really good goal. He is outnumbered and showed his pace and it was a really good finish. Hopefully this is the start he needs to believe he can have a good season - we know he is capable."

What next?

An away trip to Arsenal is next for West Ham, on Saturday, 25 August (15:00 BST), while Bournemouth will be playing at home to Everton at the same time.

Line-ups

West Ham

Formation 4-4-2

  • 1Fabianski
  • 5ZabaletaBooked at 90mins
  • 4Balbuena
  • 21OgbonnaBooked at 65mins
  • 26Masuaku
  • 11SnodgrassSubstituted forC Sánchezat 77'minutes
  • 16NobleBooked at 40minsSubstituted forPérezat 77'minutes
  • 19WilshereBooked at 77mins
  • 8Felipe AndersonBooked at 89mins
  • 7Arnautovic
  • 17HernándezSubstituted forYarmolenkoat 67'minutesBooked at 90mins

Substitutes

  • 3Cresswell
  • 13Adrián
  • 14Obiang
  • 15C Sánchez
  • 20Yarmolenko
  • 23Diop
  • 27Pérez

Bournemouth

Formation 4-4-2

  • 27Begovic
  • 15A Smith
  • 3S Cook
  • 5Aké
  • 11Daniels
  • 20BrooksSubstituted forFrancisat 78'minutes
  • 6Surman
  • 4GoslingBooked at 18mins
  • 24Fraser
  • 13Wilson
  • 17KingBooked at 59minsSubstituted forL Cookat 90'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Boruc
  • 2Francis
  • 9Mousset
  • 10Ibe
  • 16L Cook
  • 18Defoe
  • 26Mings
Referee:
Stuart Attwell
Attendance:
56,888

Match Stats

Home TeamWest HamAway TeamBournemouth
Possession
Home61%
Away39%
Shots
Home11
Away12
Shots on Target
Home5
Away5
Corners
Home6
Away4
Fouls
Home14
Away10

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, West Ham United 1, Bournemouth 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, West Ham United 1, Bournemouth 2.

  3. Booking

    Andriy Yarmolenko (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Andriy Yarmolenko (West Ham United).

  5. Post update

    Andrew Surman (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  6. Booking

    Pablo Zabaleta (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Pablo Zabaleta (West Ham United).

  8. Post update

    Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  9. Substitution

    Substitution, Bournemouth. Lewis Cook replaces Joshua King because of an injury.

  10. Booking

    Felipe Anderson (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Felipe Anderson (West Ham United).

  12. Post update

    Joshua King (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  13. Post update

    Attempt saved. Jack Wilshere (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lucas Pérez.

  14. Post update

    Attempt missed. Marko Arnautovic (West Ham United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Andriy Yarmolenko.

  15. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Carlos Sánchez (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jack Wilshere.

  16. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Bournemouth. Simon Francis replaces David Brooks.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, West Ham United. Lucas Pérez replaces Mark Noble.

  19. Substitution

    Substitution, West Ham United. Carlos Sánchez replaces Robert Snodgrass.

  20. Booking

    Jack Wilshere (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

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