West Ham United found themselves on the rosier side of happenings as they snatched victory right towards the end of extra-time to deliver a sucker punch to the Bournemouth team. A week ago, West Ham were denied a draw by Diego Costa and this time around it was Bournemouth who were at the receiving end of something similar, this time ironically from the Hammers. While the crowd would go home singing and the players would be bathed in bubbles, to be honest, the first ever Premier League game at the London Stadium was at an extremely drab affair lacking in real quality till Antonio’s goal salvaged the day for Slaven Bilic’s side.
PLAYER RATINGS
ADRIAN- 7/10
Did not have much to deal with but was alert and acrobatic when called upon. Made a couple of crucial saves.
BYRAM- 7/10
Showed lots of intensity and purpose and was up and down the right-hand side all game long. Will look to cement his spot in the team in the long run.
COLLINS- 6.5/10
Was under no real pressure throughout the game but dealt with King and Wilson fairly well.
REID- 7.5/10
Completely nullified Wilson and eased pressure off Collins. Put in a crucial block after throwing himself in front of a fierce shot in extra time.
MASUAKU- 7/10
Looked at home and has settled in quickly in the Premier League. Will be an able replacement for Creswell and was strong in tackle winning almost all of them and offered a lot in attack. Will be a delight to watch his partnership with Payet once he returns.
NORDVEIT- 6/10
Took time to find his feet but was aided by a fairly blunt Bournemouth attack. Was overrun a couple of times but put in some good tackles and interceptions. Will improve with more minutes.
KOUYATE- 6.5/10
Was played higher up the pitch initially and gave it his all. Although the end product was missing, his burst of pace facilitated quick movement of the ball from midfield to the attack. Will be key if he remains fit.
NOBLE- 6/10
Usual workmanlike performance but not as effective higher up the pitch. Bilic will have to fine tune his formation to get the best out of a couple of players.
ANTONIO- 7.5/10
He veered from frustrating to fabulous throughout the game. A familiarly inconsistent performance but got the all-important goal and was a menace on the wing all game long. Will have to work on his consistency but offers a lot on the pitch.
TORE- 7/10
Offers a different approach with nice dribbling ability and willingness to take his man on. Will grow into the team and provided a lovely assist after gaining a yard on his marker, to cap off a good performance.
VALENCIA- 5.5/10
Anonymous for most parts and shoulders dropped quite quickly. Much of the link up play happened after he was hauled off. Worrying signs for him in his quest for a regular spot.
SUBSTITUTES
CALLERI- 6.5/10
Came on late and linked up well with his new teammates. Looked impressive but missed a gilt-edged opportunity. Needs to put those away in crucial situations.
FLETCHER- 5.5/10
Little time to make an impact but his presence in the box helped Antonio in jumping to head the ball with divided attention from the defender.
OBIANG- 6/10
Sent on to plug away precious seconds and to shore up the defence in the face of a late assault by the Cherries. Got booked in the short time.
