West Ham United 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 5 April 2025, 3pm BST
It was a game of two halves as West Ham United and AFC Bournemouth drew 2-2 in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Hammers were an Evanilson goal down at half-time and looked devoid of inspiration until big German centre-forward Niclas Füllkrug was introduced nine minutes into the second period.
Making his first home appearance after returning from a three-month injury absence, Füllkrug’s impact was almost instant as he scored the equaliser with a trademark header from James Ward-Prowse’s corner, then saw captain Jarrod Bowen produce an equally impressive effort into the other corner of Kepa's net from Mohammed Kudus’s cross.
Just when it looked like Head Coach Graham Potter could celebrate a morale-boosting victory, however, Evanilson stole in to level eleven minutes from full-time.
As eventful as the second half was, the first had been almost totally forgettable from a West Ham perspective.
In fact, a home player twice went closer to scoring in his own net than any did in the Bournemouth net.
The Cherries could have led after just a minute. Dango Ouattara curled over a cross from the left and Evanlison headed down powerfully just past the far post.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka then tested his own goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, who saved at the base of his near post after Ouattara’s cross had deflected off the right-back.
West Ham then had their best period, dominating possession without seriously testing Kepa in the Bournemouth goal.
Other than Antoine Semenyo’s header which his own goalkeeper held comfortably, and Ollie Scarles’ volley across the face of goal, West Ham seldom threatened
As the half-hour mark came and went, Bournemouth took control and took the lead.
Areola blocked well when Tomáš Souček diverted Ouattara’s volleyed cross towards his own net, but the Frenchman will not look back on the next piece of goalmouth action fondly.
Adam Smith found Semenyo in space inside the penalty area. The Ghanaian turned and and shot low at the near post. Areola could only palm the ball into the six-yard box and Evanilson reacted ahead of Maximilian Kilman to smash into the net.
It could have got worse two minutes before the break, too, as Lewis Cook’s corner was headed against the face of the crossbar by Illya Zabarnyi.
Potter made half-time changes, bringing on Emerson for Scarles and moving Lucas Paquetá up front.
After eight minutes of not very much happening, he made two more, introducing Füllkrug and Carlos Soler for Souček and Edson Álvarez.
Seven minutes after his introduction, Füllkrug scored. Bowen and Paquetá combined to force a corner, Ward-Prowse delivered and the big German stole into space created by Kilman to power his header into the top left-hand corner.
Seven minutes later, West Ham went in front. Kudus got away from James Hill and crossed to the penalty spot, from where Bowen sent a header arrowing inside the far post.
But, just when it looked like the momentum was moving in the Irons’ direction, a quickly taken free-kick caught the hosts out, Dean Huijsen outjumped Kilman and headed square for Evanilson to volley home at the far post and Bournemouth were level.
The game got increasingly stretched late on, with both teams firing efforts wide of the target - Luis Guilherme and Bowen for West Ham, Semenyo and Huijsen for Bournemouth - and ultimately each were forced to settle for a point at referee Tim Robinson’s final whistle.
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo (Mavropanos 84), Kilman, Scarles (Emerson HT), Álvarez (Soler 54), Ward-Prowse, Souček (Füllkrug 54), Paquetá, Bowen ©, Kudus (Luis Guilherme 84)
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Coufal, Rodríguez, Ferguson
Goals: Füllkrug 61, Bowen 68
Booked: Ward-Prowse, Kudus
AFC Bournemouth: Kepa, Smith © (Hill 67), Huijsen, Zabarnyi (Senesi 78), Kerkez, Cook, Adams, Ouattara (Winterburn 77), Scott (Brooks 67), Semenyo, Evanilson (Jebbison 90)
Subs not used: Dennis (GK), Aruajo, Soler, Silcott-Duberry
Goals: Evanilson 38, 79
Booked: Cook, Smith
Referee: Tim Robinson
Attendance: 62,459
