Bournemouth and West Ham United served up a rollercoaster of a Premier League encounter at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, with the hosts coming from behind to draw 2-2 in dramatic fashion.
Callum Wilson haunted his former club by opening and doubling West Ham’s lead in the first half, but Bournemouth produced a strong second-half response. Marcus Tavernier coolly converted a penalty before substitute Enes Ãœnal struck a late equaliser, denying the Hammers a first away win under Nuno EspÃrito Santo.
West Ham made the ideal start. In the 11th minute, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola launched a long ball that found Wilson, who controlled it on his chest and unleashed a right-footed shot from distance that flew past Djordje Petrovic. The early goal was a reminder of Wilson’s poaching instincts, and it set the tone for much of the first half.
His second came shortly before half-time in equally unselfish fashion. A well worked sequence saw a free kick floated in by Freddie Potts, which was helped on by Jarrod Bowen and directed to Jean‑Clair Todibo, whose assist laid the ball on a platter for Wilson to swivel and volley into the net.
With that strike, Wilson underlined his emotional return to the Vitality Stadium and increased West Ham’s control.
But Bournemouth, despite trailing by two, refused to buckle. They came out after the break with a renewed urgency, pressing higher and dominating possession.
Their persistence paid off in the 69th minute when Max Kilman, in attempting to dispossess Evanilson, handled the ball in the box. Tavernier stepped up and calmly dispatched the resulting penalty past Areola.
The momentum was firmly with the Cherries, and they smelled blood. Substitutions proved decisive: just minutes after coming on, Enes Ünal turned the game on its head. In the 81st minute, Marcos Senesi threaded a precise pass through West Ham’s defence, and Ünal swivelled and unleashed a composed finish into the net.
The stadium erupted as Bournemouth salvaged a point in dramatic late fashion.
Yet, it was not just Bournemouth’s fightback that made headlines-it was also the performance of Areola. The West Ham goalkeeper made several outstanding saves in the second half, keeping his side in the game and preventing a Bournemouth winner even as the hosts laid siege on his goal.
For Bournemouth, the result feels bittersweet. They dominated with 28 shots compared to West Ham’s five, yet they ultimately could not convert their superiority into a win.
West Ham, on the other hand, will take solace in coming away with a point that lifts them out of the relegation zone-if only temporarily. Their early dominance, orchestrated around Wilson’s instincts, showed promise.