West Ham 0-0 Bournemouth: Hammers miss chance to put pressure on Forest | OneFootball

West Ham missed the chance to go level on points with Nottingham Forest one place above the bottom three in their goalless draw with in-form Bournemouth at the London Stadium.

Both goalkeepers were standout performers to keep out their opponents, most notably when away goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic made a crucial save to keep out substitute Callum Wilson deep into the second half.

Andoni Iraola’s men, now unbeaten in seven, largely dictated the tempo and looked most dangerous with Rayan leading the charge, but were short of finding the clinical edge to go within two points of Europa League qualification.

As it happened

New Hammers centre-back Axel Disasi almost found the net inside the first minute, flicking a header towards goal from a corner but Djordje Petrovic reacted well to palm it off the line.

Taty Castellanos kept up the hosts’ fine start, backheeling to Tomas Soucek and getting the return pass before he curled in a cross into Crysencio Summerville at the back post, but the Dutchman could only stab it right at Petrovic.

Bournemouth would respond through Brazilian youngster Rayan, with the winger’s low shot bouncing across the turf and comfortably into the arms of Mads Hermansen.

But chances for either team were few and far between as the quality of football on show declined by some margin, despite the best efforts of a lively Summerville on the left wing.

The visitors controlled much of the ball but West Ham held firm and were compact in their shape off the ball, offering very little space in behind right up to the half time whistle.

Petrovic was forced to beat away an in-swinging corner that seemed as though it was heading in, only for the whistle to signal he had been fouled – the closest West Ham came to a goal until Mateus Fernandes fired wide on the hour.

Rayan burst into a dazzling run from inside his own half after a Hammers free kick was dealt with, ghosting past three home players and rifling a powerful shot against the outside of the post.

It was easily his side’s best moment of the contest, and it had taken them 63 minutes.

Not long after substitute David Brookes go close with an effort inside the penalty area blocked, an ambitious overhead kick from Castellanos flew just wide after Bowen clipped in a neat cross from the right.

Callum Wilson was then denied a goal off the bench as Petrovic managed to save the striker’s glanced touch sending Malick Diouf’s cross towards goal from six yards out.

Hermansen was on form along with his counterpart, and produced a big stop to keep out the low drive of Alex Scott with his left boot from the edge of the penalty area as time ticked away.

The hosts went very close of a winner in the 94th minute, with no surprises seeing Summerville breaking away with pace following a Bournemouth free kick, but Bowen lifted the shot over the crossbar with Adrien Truffert closing in fast.

It was a mixed reaction from the home fans as the full time whistle blew, with some applause mixed together with boos after the Hammers refused to capitalize on a Cherries side that didn’t reach the heights of their past matches.

The result puts Nuno Espirito Santo’s team two points adrift of Forest before their match tomorrow.

West Ham analysis: Nuno’s latest attempt to fix Hammers’ striker problem

Long have West Ham tried and failed to make the best use of a lone striker, particularly one that sticks around long term. Niclas Füllkrug is the most recent example, a proven goalscorer and German international managing just a single goal in 17 Premier League appearances.

While they were more prolific than Füllkrug, it felt as though both Gianluca Scamacca and Sebastian Haller might’ve had more to offer before their departure in seasons past.

Their struggle to get the most out of their all-out forwards has cost them this season, and looking back at tonight’s match the same may or may not apply come May.

Hammers boss Nuno Espírito Santo made the call to bring on Callum Wilson to play alongside Taty Castellanos in the second half, with each player offering qualities that complement the other’s game.

The Argentine has shown he can score, but also take up smart positions in wider areas of the pitch and beat his opponent with fast feet, whereas Wilson – more of a natural poacher – gets himself into space not far from goal with the aim of finding the net.

And he almost did, getting on the end of Malick Diouf’s early cross and forcing a great reaction save from Djordje Petrovic.

Whether the two-striker approach sticks for West Ham is yet to be seen, but promoting play between Wilson and Castellanos if they aren’t being fed the ball as often as they should be when playing alone is a concrete option for Nuno going forward.

Bournemouth analysis: subpar attacking display no cause for concern yet

While a goalless draw for Bournemouth might cause some frustration among Cherries fans, who had seen their team win four of the last five games before tonight, they would be hasty to express much concern at this stage.

Andoni Iraola is still nursing several first-team players back to full fitness, and had to wait until the second half to bring on David Brookes, Ryan Christie, and James Tavernier, and Bournemouth only got better with them on the pitch, in particular Tavernier.

Looking back on their form earlier in the season, going 11 games without a victory between November and early January, four wins in their last seven is quite the upturn – regardless of how frustrating tonight’s visit to the London Stadium was.

Rayan continued to threaten on the attack, having notched two goals and one assist in his first three starts – making either action in each of them. Talk about an impact signing, never mind the fact the Brazilian is still only 19 years old.

A frustrating night for Bournemouth, sure, but it’s nothing to worry too much about as the season nears its business end.