On 12 August one of the matches of the 1st round of the English football championship took place. Bournemouth (England) and West Ham (London) met.
English Championship, 1st round
Bournemouth (England) - West Ham (London) - 1:1 (0:0)
Goals: Solanke (82) - Bowen (51)
Warnings: Bowen (39), Michail Antonio (49), Emerson Palmieri (87), Mepham (90+6), Paqueta (90+4).
Bournemouth and West Ham met in a thrilling Premier League encounter at the Vitality Stadium. With both teams looking to pick up points to consolidate their position in the standings, the match promised high intensity and drama. At half-time the score remained tied at 0-0, but the second half gave football fans all the most interesting things. In the 39th minute, a yellow card received a player "West Ham" J. Bowen for careless behaviour. The referee had nothing to do but to warn him. Just ten minutes into the second half, M. Antonio joined his teammate in receiving a yellow card. Soon, in the 51st minute, it was West Ham who were successful with a J. Bowen goal. The Bournemouth defence was caught off guard and Bowen took advantage of the moment to put his team ahead. Bournemouth responded with a number of substitutions in the 60th, 68th and 75th minutes. J. Anthony, M. Senesi, R. Christie, M. Aarons and D. Brooks were introduced into the game, bringing fresh energy and vigour in an attempt to turn the tide of the match.
The substitutions breathed new life into the Bournemouth attack. In the 79th minute, West Ham decided to make their first substitution, taking M. Antonio off the bench and bringing on D. Innos. Antonio and D. Ings. The purpose of the substitution was to maintain the score advantage and provide a spark in the attacking third. However, Bournemouth player D. Solanke had the last word. In the 82nd minute D. Solanke levelled the score and delighted the spectators. The tense game continued until the final whistle, when West Ham made two more substitutions in the 86th and 90th minutes. P. Fornals and L. Paqueta left the field, making way for T. Kerr and M. Cornet respectively. However, moments before the substitution, the latter received a yellow card, and in the final minutes of the match Bournemouth player K. Mepham was also suspended, which further increased the tension and drama on the pitch. After a tense 90 minutes of play the score remained 1:1. Both teams fought hard for the win, but in the end they had to settle for a draw. The draw means that both Bournemouth and West Ham have added one point each, which makes their fight for a secure place in the Premier League even more intriguing.
In the next round of fixtures the following matches await the rivals: Liverpool vs Bournemouth, West Ham vs Chelsea.
| Bournemouth | West Ham | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Kicks to the goal | 3 |
| 14 | Kicks | 16 |
| 3 | Blocked shots | 4 |
| 5 | Penalty kicks | 12 |
| 9 | Penalty kicks | 4 |
| 9 | Offences | 14 |
| 10 | Corners | 4 |
| 0 | Offsides | 2 |
| 63% | Ball possession | 37% |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 4 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 1 | Keeper saves | 4 |
| 514 | Total assists | 299 |
| 419 | Accurate assists | 207 |
| 82% | Accuracy of passes | 69% |