Rice axed by Pellegrini but same old problems remain

WHERE to begin? This was a day West Ham got it all wrong and eventually got what they deserved against a Bournemouth team ready to exploit their weaknesses. Manager Manuel Pellegrini promised an entertaining and attacking brand of football at the London Stadium but, in all the excitement, they forgot how to protect a lead. West Ham fielded an outdated 4-4-2 formation with no holding midfielders and no legs in Mark Noble or Jack Wilshere, exposing the back four time and again. After scoring a penalty opener through Marko Arnautovic, they let Callum Wilson waltz through their defence to get Bournemouth back into the game. Fans likened Wilson to Lionel Messi for his run and solo strike but West Ham’s criminal defending allowed it to happen. The same went for Steve Cook’s winning header. Brazilian Felipe Anderson, the £36million club record summer signing from Lazio, looked uninterested on the left wing while Declan Rice, the Republic of Ireland international who is close to signing a new contract, was dropped from the squad completely after starting in last week’s 4-0 defeat at Liverpool. Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who produced several super saves, asked fans for patience. ‘It’s not great but we have to keep looking forward, keep working,’ said Fabianski, whose club spent close to £100m in the summer. Next up is Arsenal, as well as Chelsea and Manchester United before the end of September. Pellegrini is under pressure to have his ideas take shape.

WEST HAM (4-4-2): Fabianski 6; Zabaleta 5.5, Balbuena 5, Ogbonna 5, Masuaku 5; Snodgrass 5.5 (Perez 77), Noble 5.5 (Sanchez 77), Wilshere 5, Anderson 5; Arnautovic 6, Hernandez 6 (Yarmolenko 67, 6).

Subs not used: Adrian, Cresswell, Obiang, Diop

Scorer: Arnautovic 33. Booked: Ogbonna, Noble, Wilshere, Anderson, Zabaleta, Yarmolenko. Manager: Manuel Pellegrini 5.5.

BOURNEMOUTH (4-4-2): Begovic 6.5; Smith 6.5, Cook 7, Ake 6, Daniels 6.5; Brooks 7.5 (Francis 78), Gosling 6, Surman 6.5, Fraser 6.5; WILSON 8, King 6.5 (Cook 90). Subs not used: Boruc, Mousset, Ibe, Defoe, Wings. Scorers: Wilson 60, Cook 66. Booked: Gosling, King. Manager: Eddie Howe 7 Referee: Stuart Attwell 4 Attendance: 56,888