In a game lacking in quality, Michail Antonio stepped up to seal West Ham’s first league win in their new home, his late header enough to see off 10-man AFC Bournemouth.
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Sunderland, and their new manager David Moyes, are also looking for their first point after a 2-1 loss to northeast rivals Middlesbrough in the other game Sunday.
He was the key man once again on Sunday as he headed home a late victor for the Hammers against Bournemouth in their first game at the London Stadium.
“I was just in awe of the occasion today and luckily I got to play further forward and got my goal”, Antonio told Sky Sports.
After 112 years playing at the Boleyn Ground the Hammers moved into the London Stadium – known to everyone in the whole world as the Olympic Stadium – this summer. Right now we’ve got the first three points in the Premier League and hopefully we can keep going and push on. Andy Carroll could be out between four-to-six weeks with a knee injury, another injury blow for a player who, at last, had been able to string together a decent pre-season and looked sharp.
West Ham’s new home is the 55th ground to host Premier League action and the third largest with a capacity that can rise to 60,000 later this season.
West Ham exploited their numerical advantage with five minutes to play when Gokhan Tore lifted an inviting cross to the back post and Antonio flew in to head home from close range.
West Ham was handed a lifeline with just under 15 minutes remaining as Arter, who earlier fell foul of new directives to enforce bookings for dissent, received his marching orders after he pulled back Cheikhou Kouyate.
“The worst situation is when you have a player and say he is the one to build around and then you can’t count on him”.
Arter’s first yellow was for dissent – as officials crack down on players arguing decisions – and Howe was not best pleased with his player.
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Hammers defender, Sam Byram, hacked off the line from Steve Cook, while Adam Smith tested Adrian from distance as Bournemouth finally emerged from their defensive shell and offered the first viable attempts of the second period. But I will talk with the directors on Monday morning about getting one, and if we do it will be a good one, but if not we will survive anyway.
