Grim viewing for Pellegrini as West Ham flop at home
WEST HAM’S expensively assembled squad crashed to a second straight defeat after Bournemouth came from behind to win 2-1.
Manuel Pellegrini’s first taste of the London Stadium ended in frustration as goals from Callum Wilson and Steve Cook made it two wins from two for the Cherries.
The West Ham board may have splashed out on nine new players over the summer, but on this evidence it seems £100million does not guarantee positive results.
Jack Wilshere was anonymous, record signing Felipe Anderson not much better, and defender Fabian Balbuena was constantly exposed by Wilson in a torrid second-half.
Marko Arnautovic, last season’s player of the year, had fired the hosts into the lead with a first-half penalty, but after the break they played like strangers for the second week in a row.
Pellegrini had reacted to last weekend’s 4-0 thumping at Liverpool by omitting Republic of Ireland international Declan Rice, Michail Antonio and new signing Ryan Fredericks, none of whom were injured, from his squad.
West Ham looked the more threatening and the pressure told in the 33rd minute when Arnautovic stepped up ahead of regular penalty-taker Mark Noble and drilled his shot low past Begovic.
Then, on the hour mark, Wilson picked up the ball near the halfway line and begun to weave through West Ham.
The striker shrugged off various challenges before rolling in his fifth goal in five appearances against the Hammers.
Five minutes later Angelo Ogbonna fouled David Brooks in the cormer and Cook stole in to thump a downward header past Lukasz Fabianski.
Pellegrini needs to turn things around quickly.
WEST HAM (4-4-1-1): Fabianski 6.5; Zabaleta 5.5, Balbuena 5, Ogbonna 5, Masuaku 5.5; Snodgrass 6 (Perez 77), Noble 6 (Sanchez 77), Wilshere 6, Anderson 6; Arnautovic 6.5, Hernandez 6 (Yarmolenko 67, 6). Subs not used: Adrian, Cresswell, Obiang, Diop. Scorers: Arnautovic (pen). Bookings: Ogbonna, Noble, Wilshere.
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, Fraser 6.5; Wilson 8, King 6.5 (Cook 90). Subs not used: Boruc, Ibe, Mousset, Defoe, Wings. Scorers: Wilson, Cook. Bookings: Gosling, King. Referee: S Attwell 4.