West Ham’s Premier League bow at London’s former Olympic Stadium ended with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon courtesy of Michail Antonio’s 85th-minute header.
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Antonio scuffed wide at the end of a rare incisive West Ham attack and it was 39 minutes before Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc was finally called into action to keep out an Enner Valencia strike at his near post.
The relentless pressure from the home side eventually told in the 84th minute when the risky Michail Antonio, back in his favoured wing position, came in round the back to head home a cross from the left from the impressive Gokhan Tore.
Slaven Bilic introduced Ashley Fletcher as he opted to use an extra forward and the gamble paid off as Tore produced the ideal cross from the left flank for Antonio to head home from five yards.
Bilic’s team had already played two matches at the London Stadium, beating Slovenia’s NK Domzale in the Europa League and losing to Italian champions Juventus in a friendly. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.theeagleonline.com.ng as the source.
Bilic also revealed he expects striker Andy Carroll to be back in four weeks after a knee injury, while Dimitri Payet, who missed the game with a thigh injury, could be back this week.
“The first booking for H [Harry Arter] is the disappointing one, with the second one you are never going to be stopping people going in for tackles, but we have all been told about the new rules on dissent and the referees are clamping down on that”. King had a late chance to snatch a point for Bournemouth with a smooth chest-and-volley, but Adrián denied him again.
Sunderland have not won a league game in August in six years and having lost 2-1 at Manchester City on the season’s opening day, they are still awaiting a first win under new manager David Moyes. It was an wonderful game and a great feeling.
“Lanzini and Payet should be back on Thursday and if not Thursday then Sunday”, he said.
“With Andre Ayew, it’s a long term injury”. Are we going to be very active?
“It’s just one of those things, I’m always going to try and get to the back stick”.
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe felt the dismissal was pivotal and was irritated that the midfielder’s first booking was for dissent.
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“I thought we had the best opportunities in the game and weren’t clinical enough”.
