West Ham investigate after police make three arrests
This time last season few might have predicted these two clubs meeting again in the Premier League. But if it happens next year, those in attendance will have learned one vital lesson about any future encounter: do not hurry to be there early. This was a match that began with all the pressing urgency of Brexit negotiations, its first half an hour giving little indication of the fizzbang entertainment that was to follow.
Just as it seemed the crowd would sink into torpor, on 31 minutes Bournemouth’s Junior Stanislas barrelled through on the left of the Watford area. He could have been stopped a couple of times, but he stumbled on and crossed. Callum Wilson then stepped in front of Sebastian Prödl to nod the ball under the hapless Heurelho Gomes. While Gomes berated himself for his mistake, the goal was a vivid demonstration of what a loss Wilson was to Bournemouth when he was injured early last season.
“That’s for someone else to decide,” said manager Eddie Howe when asked if he thought the striker should be considered for England duty. “He was close last season before the injury. But from my perspective I think it’s better if he just builds on this good form.”
Snapping out of their first-half lethargy, Watford began the second full of zip. Troy Deeney attempted a René Higuita-style flying back-heel but his scorpion was off-target. The home captain, however, found his range moments later. The busy Nordin Amrabat cut an invitation of a pass back from the byline which Deeney steered past Artur Boruc for his 99th goal for Watford. How it cheered Walter Mazzarri on his 55th birthday.
Bournemouth charged back, Jack Wilshere hitting the post. Deeney then almost repeated his scoring combination with Amrabat, his header this time scooped away by Boruc.
Howe sent on Josh King for Jordan Ibe and within moments, the Norwegian picked up the ball on the halfway line, cut inside two Watford defenders and, ignoring Wilshere in space alongside him, hit a speculative shot from the edge of the area. It spooned off Younès Kaboul’s hip to wrong-foot Gomes and give the visitors the lead.
But anything Howe could do, Mazzarri could, too. With almost his first touch of the ball after coming on, Isaac Success nodded José Holebas’s deep cross past Boruc. It was the Nigerian international’s first goal since his £12.5million move from Granada, Watford’s sister club in Spain. As the game opened up, the action spinning from end to end, Adam Smith’s cross drifted across the area to find Wilshere unattended and alone. His shot, however, hit the same post he had wobbled earlier. Moments later, he was replaced by Dan Gosling. It means Wilshere still has not completed a game since Sept 13, 2014. In the final press for a winner Stanislas hit the bar from a free-kick and Success drilled a fierce long-range shot into Boruc’s hands. In the end it was a fair result, leaving the points shared, justice done and the crowd, after their initial snooze, breathless. It does not matter how much popcorn is sold or how loud the pre-match music is played, the only thing that will bring West Ham’s ill-fitting new home to life is some magic on the pitch – and it duly arrived from the boots of Dimitri Payet.
The Hammers have largely failed to sell the new ‘matchday’ experience at the London Stadium to their fans, but the old Upton Park regulars will find it hard to stay away if there is the promise of some Payet brilliance.
With West Ham losing and the atmosphere once again threatening to turn decidedly ugly, Payet scored an early contender for goal of the season with a run and shot that will be written into the history books of the club’s second home. His wonder goal, which manager Slaven Bilic claimed was worthy of Lionel Messi, was not enough to help the Hammers on their way to all three points, but did at least stop a run of four successive league defeats.
“It was a brilliant individual goal that brought us back into the game,” said Bilic. “I don’t see many players scoring this kind of goal. You have free-kicks, screamers, scissor-kicks, but this goal reminded me of Messi’s goals. It was a brilliant moment of magic.
“But we can’t rely on him doing that every week. He did that because he has that quality, it’s one of the reasons why he is one of the best players in Europe. But we can’t rely on him doing that – we need quality from other players.”
The visitors took the lead six minutes after the break. A ball over the top sent Jordan Rhodes away, but Adrián was out quickly to deflect the striker’s shot out for a corner. From the set-piece, Viktor Fischer found Cristhian Stuani and Mark Noble was unable to prevent his header from crossing the line.
West Ham needed a piece of divine West Ham have launched an investigation as three supporters were arrested after violent scenes following their draw with Middlesbrough. Two men were arrested on suspicion of affray and a third on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. “This behaviour has no place in football and West Ham United, with cooperation from all London Stadium stakeholders... will continue to operate a zero tolerance policy on such incidents,” said a club spokesman.
intervention and it came courtesy of Payet in the 57th minute, who singlehandedly dragged his side level and brought the London Stadium to life.
There was no obvious danger when Payet picked the ball up on the left, but he wriggled his way around Antonio Barragan and beat five Boro players before squeezing the ball home.