Match Report

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Carabao Cup
West Ham United 1-0 AFC Bournemouth 

Wednesday, 28th August 2024
by Chris Wilkerson

A drab 1-0 win saw West Ham United squeeze past Bournemouth this evening at the London Stadium. A controversial Jarrod Bowen goal sees Julen Lopetegui's side through to the third round of the Carabao Cup, and rewarded with a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool.

In his first midweek game as Hammers boss, the new manager gave first starts to Wan-Bissaka, Summerville, Todibo and Fullkrug, whilst there were first starts of the season got Alvarez, Ward-Prowse and Fabianski.




With Bournemouth matching West Ham's seven changes, it was no surprise that the game never settled into consistent affair. If it felt like a group of strangers playing together on both teams, it was because it basically was by top-flight football standards.

It produced a poor game that, rather than causing gaps in either defence and individual magic, just never got going.

For 25 minutes, all that really caught the eye was one good driving run by Wan-Bissaka, the right back playing on the left in place of Emerson and showing more signs that his reputation as just a defender is unwarranted. It didn't lead anywhere, but then neither did this match.

The defence was relatively settled, Kilman again completely assured, but nothing seemed to be happening further forward.

Soucek again started in the advanced midfield role, with Alvarez and Ward-Prowse behind him. Noise around the latter's future was not quietened by a game in which he was not particularly bad, but showed his limitations again in this deeper role. It's the one he never excelled in under Moyes, and he was once more just a little too safe, a little too nice, when sharper forward passing was required.

He wasn't helped by an attack that rarely looked together. Fullkrug was very quiet in his first start, Bowen still looks short of some form, and Summerville threatened in brief moments but failed to make an impact.

It again brought us to the quandary of Tomas Soucek. Were you looking to empower a passing team, the Czech midfielder hasn't always got the skills to help. Is he the option these deeper midfielders need ahead of them? And the best to create for a faltering frontline?

The issue, of course, is that it's difficult to keep a player out of the side who has such a heavy hand in his team scoring. Until the team looks capable of scoring without him, it's a massive decision for a manager to drop him.

There was little incident, although Bournemouth may look back on a few loose clearances from Fabianski when defending corners as moments they could have turned into goals. One particular flap saw the Pole barely push the ball away, and only straight to a Cherries head. Luckily for him, the header back into the centre was then flicked wide.

West Ham showed signs of life as the half came to a close. First they created a good opportunity after Ward-Prowse carried into the Bournemouth half and rolled it left to an advancing Summerville. The winger took it on, 30 yards from goal, and then slid the ball in front of the underlapping Wan-Bissaka.

The full back squared to Bowen, who failed to make anything of it, the ball squeezing on to Fullkrug, who wasn't ready and couldn't control. A minute later, the German took a shot from 25 yards and saw it deflected wide.

After the first corner was headed off again, the second threatened the Bournemouth defence, first contact looping it into the air. Fullkrug reacted well, heading it down into the path of Soucek, who could only volley over in what was a difficult chance.

The first clear chance came another minute later. This time, Kilman drove forward with a good pass into Fullkrug's feet, and the big German was deft with his touch to flick it around the corner and into the path of Summerville. The Dutchman took it on and looked to fire across goal, but did so just as the ball bobbled up. His shot instead flew high and wide.

The half ended with a Bournemouth retort and a fantastic Fabianski save. After Hill got forward brilliantly from right back, his cross was just behind Dango Ouattara, but the Burkinab?? winger improvised a delightful flick that somehow diverted the ball at goal, and forced a save low to Fabianski's right that stretched the experienced goalkeeper.

With the two sides locked together at 0-0 going into the break, there was activity off both benches as the second half started. Mavropanos replaced Todibo, whilst Bournemouth threw on recent record signing Evanilson up front.




The second half started much better than the first, threatening to break out in an entertaining game of football. It took a couple minutes for Summerville to get things started, curling just wide after stepping in off the left flank. That seemed to shock Bournemouth to life, and started a 15-minute spell of domination from Iraola's team.

First Ouattara was denied with a nice shot at the near post as Fabianski got down well. From the goal kick, West Ham went short to Mavropanos, and the defender offered up his customary brain fart in possession, one he's always likely to show once a game, passing direct to an opponent. It was quickly fired forward to Evanilson alone on the edge of the West Ham box, but the forward shot wide.

The Brazilian striker was through a minute later after a simple pass over and around the Hammers defence, but he tried to be too cute when closed down by Fabianski in the box and dinked his effort wide of goal.

Next it was Tavernier, this time with a freekick from the right. With everyone piling in for the cross, the forward went for goal. Fabianski was beat, watching the ball float, curl and then graze the outside of the post and fizz away wide.

Tavernier should have scored five minutes later, but this time he found himself dallying at the crucial moment when in the box and in on goal.

Evanilson played him through with a beautifully weighted pass, and Tavernier was away with Mavropanos chasing. It looked a thankless task for the defender, but he was rewarded for his persistence as the forward hesitated in the penalty area and took a loose touch, giving the big Greek defender time to get in and block the shot that followed.

Fabianski was again weak on the corner, flapping it down right to an attacker, and was lucky his defence reacted quickly to block the chance.

That was enough for Lopetegui to turn to his bench on the hour-mark. On came Paqueta and Rodriguez, replacing Ward-Prowse and Alvarez.

It stemmed the flow of attacks on West Ham's goal, an improvement even if it wasn't enough to get the home side on the attack.

Before the manager went to the bench for the last time, Wan-Bissaka proved himself invaluable as he made a big tackle with Bournemouth behind the defence and rushing at goal. Playing on the wrong side, the full back was still man of the match.

On went Emerson and Kudus, with Summerville and Fullkrug coming off. With 15 minutes left to play, West Ham now had Bowen up front, with Kudus right and Emerson on the left wing.

Bowen looked sharper up front, maybe better in this rusty early part of the season without the lung-busting recovery runs required to cover the defensive side of the game out wide.

In the end, it was Bowen who broke the deadlock, although a large slice of luck and an even larger slice of ?EUR~no VAR in the League Cup' can take as much credit.

Possession in the Bournemouth was turned into threat as Paqueta dinked a ball over a midfielder and Bowen took it down and on into the box.

He was dispossessed, but the tackle sent the ball to Kudus to the right of the penalty spot. The substitute quickly struck at goal with his left, and as Neto dived to the corner, but he was left floundering as the Ghanaian's shot instead hit Bowen on the six-yard line and deflected past the goalkeeper.

A furious Iraola protested on the sidelines, and quite well he might as replays showed the ball smashing off the arm of Bowen, let alone the hint of offside in the goal.

But it was as all for nothing. With no VAR in the competition, there was nothing to be done, and the Hammers had the lead with the 90 nearly up.

Seven minutes were displayed on the board, but the visitors had nothing left.

West Ham's reward? A trip to Anfield for the third round. Thank god those teams in Europe got to make sure they were seeded.




Manager's Rating

Julen Lopetegui 6/10: Can't see what he's learned from Soucek sitting in that 10 again, whilst the team was very limited for 80% of the game.

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Player Ratings

Lukasz Fabianski
One good save aside, his work on corners made a poor performance.


Vladimir Coufal
A last-minute addition to the starting lineup, Coufal was fine without really making an impression.


Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Let a man down the side once, and that looked mostly because he couldn't tackle with his natural foot playing on the wrong side. A marauding full back who defends excellently.


Jean-Clair Todibo
Felt like he wanted to play at walking pace, subbed at half time.


Max Kilman
Another good performance. Looks like a leader, and looks a player who has been overlooked for England honours too long. Has all the defensive tools and looks composed on the ball.


Edson Alvarez
A promising enough start, his energy faded but he still looked eager to do the gritty work.


James Ward-Prowse
As with most of his performances in this role, it was fine but limited.


Tomas Soucek
Bit of a problem with Soucek in this role is that if he isn't scoring, he isn't really contributing well enough.


Niclas Fullkrug
One nice pass to Summerville aside, it was the performance of many a West Ham striker signed to replace Antonio. Isolated, lost and ineffective.


Jarrod Bowen
Not a great game but he did brighten up as a striker.


Crysencio Summerville
Offered the best moments of West Ham threat before his substitution. Quiet but trying.

Substitutes

Konstantinos Mavropanos
(Replaced Todibo, 46) Couple wobbly moments, but his front foot defending is very useful to get the team back attacking.


Lucas Paqueta
(Replaced Ward-Prowse, 60) Without being near his best, it was again clear that the team can barely function without him.


Guido Rodriguez
(Replaced Alvarez, 60) Quietly slipped in and protected the defence.


Mohammed Kudus
(Replaced Fullkrug, 74) Not spectacular or anything, but his drive and guile got the team moving again and earned the winner.


Emerson Palmieri
(Replaced Summerville, 74) Didn't really make an impact.

Match Facts

West Ham United: Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, Tomas Soucek, Niclas Fullkrug, Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville.

Goals: None.

Booked: None booked.           .

Sent Off: None sent off.     .

AFC Bournemouth: Neto, Smith, Huijsen, Senesi, Hill, Ouattara (Araujo 87), Scott (Cook 79), Christie, Tavernier (Kluivert 68), Sinisterra (Semenyo 68), Jebbison (Evanilson 46).

Subs not used: Travers, Kerkez, Dennis, Zabarnyi.

Goals: .

Booked: Scott, Evanilson.

Sent off: None.

Referee: Peter Bankes.

Attendance: 47,381.

Man of the Match: Aaron Wan-Bissaka.