West Ham Vs Bournemouth ends 0-0 as Hammers spurn chance to climb out of danger
In a soggy London Stadium, west ham vs bournemouth finished 0-0, leaving third-bottom West Ham unable to turn a dominant shot count into the win that would have put them level with Nottingham Forest. The draw closed West Ham's gap to safety to two points.
West Ham Vs Bournemouth: a wet, low-key contest until the finale
The match at the London Stadium, played in wet conditions with an attendance of 62, 437, produced few clear openings for long stretches. This was a meeting of two of the Premier League's form clubs — only Chelsea and Manchester United had earned more points than these sides over the previous five league games — but the game was devoid of clear-cut chances until both teams pushed late.
Early pressure and a flurry of openings
West Ham started quickly, registering four shots in the opening six minutes. Axel Disasi, a new loan signing, went close from a corner and had a header palmed away, then turned the rebound over the bar within 45 seconds of kick-off. Taty Castellanos supplied a cross for Crysencio Summerville early on, but Summerville could only prod the chance into visiting goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic's hands.
Summerville, set pieces and a Petrovic in form
Summerville, who had scored six goals in his previous seven games, again posed a threat from open play and tested Petrovic from distance in the first half; he was being watched by Netherlands assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy. West Ham finished with twice as many shots as Bournemouth (20-10) — their most in a Premier League game this season — but only three were on target and the hosts created little beyond set-piece situations.
Substitutions, late chances and narrow margins
Callum Wilson came off the bench with 18 minutes left to support West Ham's new Argentina striker up front and soon had a first-time flick superbly beaten away by Petrovic. Wilson finished with more touches in the opposition box than any other player (seven), and moments after coming on Petrovic clawed his effort from the near post. Taty Castellanos flashed an overhead kick narrowly wide and briefly threatened a spectacular bicycle-kick, while deep in six minutes of added time Jarrod Bowen stretched to meet a Summerville pass but blazed over from a few yards.
Key moments for Bournemouth and the fans
On a counter-attack in the second half new signing Rayan clipped the woodwork for Bournemouth, and the visitors' goalkeeper kept his side in the match with several crucial saves. The draw was the sixth straight draw between the two clubs. On the home terraces, Hammers fans unveiled a tifo tribute to former goalkeeper and coach Ludek Miklosko, who announced 14 months ago that he had withdrawn from cancer treatment; for West Ham, the clean sheet offered a significant positive.
Table effects and next fixtures
Victory would have taken West Ham level with Nottingham Forest; instead the draw left that possibility unfulfilled while reducing West Ham's gap to safety to two points. Bournemouth edged above Everton into eighth place and extended an unbeaten run to seven league games. From a low point in mid-January, West Ham have lost only one of their last six league matches. Nuno said, "We were really close, " and also urged the squad to "have to keep believing and improving. " Of the late Bowen chance Nuno added, "I was praying. "
A live commentary blog for the fixture was unavailable during coverage. A fragment in the match build-up is unclear in the provided context: "Bidding to become the first teenager to register" — unclear in the provided context.
Next on the immediate calendar: Nottingham Forest host Liverpool on Sunday, a result that will at least briefly determine whether West Ham's gap to safety remains two points or changes after that fixture.
