West Ham Salvages Draw as Phillips Commits Debut Mistake
West Ham United managed to salvage a draw against Bournemouth at London Stadium, thanks to James Ward-Prowse’s second-half penalty. The match got off to a disastrous start for West Ham’s new signing, Kalvin Phillips, as he made a debut mistake by passing the ball directly to Dominic Solanke, who put Bournemouth in front within three minutes. However, West Ham was given a lifeline in the 61st minute when Lloyd Kelly fouled Mohammed Kudus in the penalty area, and Ward-Prowse made no mistake from the spot.
Struggles for Phillips
Kalvin Phillips, who joined West Ham on loan from Manchester City, has struggled for game time since his move in July 2022. In this match, he made only his third Premier League start in the past two seasons and had a nightmare debut with his mistake leading to Bournemouth’s goal. However, Phillips did improve as the game went on and was substituted in the 68th minute to a warm reception from the fans.
West Ham’s Lackluster Performance
West Ham had a poor first half and were booed off the pitch at halftime. They failed to create many clear-cut chances, with Jarrod Bowen coming closest with a glancing header that tested Bournemouth goalkeeper Pedro Neto. However, their equalizer came in the second half after a VAR review overturned the referee’s decision and awarded West Ham a penalty. Despite the leveller, the hosts couldn’t create any further opportunities and were even booed off by some supporters at full-time.
Missed Opportunities for Bournemouth
Bournemouth will be disappointed not to have left London with all three points. They created numerous chances in the first half but failed to capitalize on them. West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola made two brilliant saves to deny Antoine Semenyo and Marcus Tavernier, while Marcos Senesi volleyed over the bar. Even after West Ham’s equalizer, Bournemouth had the better chances, but they couldn’t find the back of the net.
Conclusion
Both West Ham and Bournemouth will have mixed feelings about the result. West Ham will be relieved to have salvaged a draw after a lackluster performance, but they will need to improve if they want to climb up the Premier League table. Bournemouth, on the other hand, will be disappointed not to have taken all three points after creating several opportunities. They will need to be more clinical in front of goal if they want to end their winless streak in the Premier League. Overall, it was an eventful match with plenty of drama and missed chances, leaving both teams with room for improvement.