When it comes to the back end of May and West Ham United are reflecting on the season that was, there is every chance that this soggy Saturday will go down as a missed opportunity that proved crucial in their survival plight.
Victory here would have raised the possibility of Nuno Espírito Santo’s side ending the weekend out of the relegation zone for the first time since early December. In keeping with those of recent weeks, much of the performance was befitting of another three points. But, thanks to a couple of smart Djordje Petrovic saves and some profligacy in front of goal, they had to make do with a draw – an expected goals (xG) total of 2.87 from 20 shots yielding a blank in the only column that matters.
Of encouragement for the home fans is that their side’s resurgence continues. From a position of hopelessness in mid-January, West Ham have now lost just one of their last six league games, and the gap to safety is now only two points, at least until Nottingham Forest play on Sunday. That is something to take heart from despite largely overwhelming a Bournemouth side whose unbeaten run extends to seven league games.
Just a few weeks ago, amid an injury crisis and prior to the signing of some much-needed winter reinforcements, Andoni Iraola had explained how it was vital that his team start quickly while the few legs he had at his disposal were fresh.
It is a different landscape now, with new faces in the team and a bench boosted by a number of returning key players, none more so than Marcus Tavernier. Nonetheless, the Bournemouth manager would have been shocked by the tardiness of his team after kick-off as he watched on from the stands while serving a touchline suspension.
In the opening six minutes alone, West Ham had four shots. They should have scored at least one of them, but that was to become a recurring theme as the afternoon wore on. Axel Disasi had head in hands when Petrovic palmed away his header and the centre-back then turned the rebound over the bar from a couple of yards out.
A fabulous flowing move swiftly followed, culminating in Taty Castellanos delivering a peach of a cross for Crysencio Summerville, but the in-form winger could only prod into Petrovic’s hands.
As the visitors began to gain something of a foothold in the game, so life seeped out of it for considerable time, with any sense of urgency dissolving in the early evening drizzle. A neat Summerville spin and long-range shot apart, the remainder of the first half passed without incident.
The former Leeds player has waited considerable time for his West Ham career to catch light, but played like a man coursing with confidence after an extraordinary run of six goals in seven appearances put him second among the hosts’ goalscorers this season, despite all of those coming since the turn of the year. There were flicks, tricks and a desire to take on his opposite man at any opportunity, but little in the way of cutting edge.
From nothing came one moment of Bournemouth spark. Bidding to become the first teenager ever to register a goal involvement in each of his first four Premier League outings, the hitherto quiet Rayan picked the ball up deep inside his own half, nonchalantly flicked it over an errant slide tackle and set off for glory. When he reached the edge of the West Ham 18-yard box he let fire, curling against the outside of a post with Mads Hermansen watching on.
That moment of individual majesty aside, it was the hosts who threatened ever more as the match wore on. A Castellanos bicycle kick threatened the spectacular and a flick from the substitute Callum Wilson was excellently beaten away by Petrovic. Summerville then saw a powerful shot deflected on to the roof of the net before he failed to get the ball out from under his feet when presented with a prime opportunity a few yards out as the clock ticked down.
Deep in injury time, Jarrod Bowen was unleashed in the Bournemouth box, but could not hit the target. It rather summed up the home side’s afternoon.
