Hammers give up lead as Cherries find sweet spot
The early season alarm bells are ringing louder for West Ham United after Bournemouth came from behind to win 2-1 at London Stadium in the Premier League.
Thrashed 4-0 at Liverpool last weekend, Manuel Pellegrini's side meekly crumbled to a second successive defeat by giving up two soft goals in the space of six second-half minutes.
Callum Wilson cancelled out Marko Arnautovic's first-half penalty with a fine solo effort on the hour and the Cherries' stirring fightback was complete when Steve Cook headed home from a set-piece.
Eddie Howe's side, a 2-0 winner over Cardiff City seven days ago, has now won four straight Premier League matches for the first time in its history, having signed off from last season with back-to-back victories.
After a subdued start, Javier Hernandez finally tested Asmir Begovic at his near post in the 25th minute, before Lukasz Fabianski came to West Ham's rescue with a superb reactionary save from Wilson's shot on the turn.
David Brooks brilliantly freed Wilson on that occasion and Felipe Anderson soon proved his own eye for a pass, finding the feet of Hernandez who was brought down in the box by Nathan Ake's trailing leg.
Arnautovic stepped up to the spot and the Austria forward made no mistake, firing into the bottom-left corner to put his side ahead in the 33rd minute.
The visitors should have had a spot-kick for themselves soon after the restart, but those frustrations disappeared when Wilson took it upon himself to net the equaliser by breezing beyond five static defenders and coolly converting at the end of a splendid individual effort.
So easily unpicked for that goal, the Hammers' sleepy defence was exposed again six minutes later as Cook wrestled past Angelo Ogbonna to nod home Ryan Fraser's free-kick and complete the comeback, ensuring Pellegrini has significant problems to solve at the start of his tenure.
West Ham will make the short trip to Emirates Stadium for a date with Arsenal next weekend, and Pellegrini will be hoping to cool the heat he's probably feeling already, while Bournemouth returns home to meet Everton.
