Enes Unal’s stunning free-kick canceled out Lucas Paqueta’s controversial VAR penalty, giving Bournemouth a deserved 1-1 draw with West Ham.
Unal advanced from around 30 yards out to slot the dead ball past a helpless Lukasz Fabianski, relieving the bitter taste in the home side’s mouths after they defaulted to a controversial handball decision just minutes earlier.
“Very exciting, great from Unal,” was his assessment Sky Sports Alan Smith.
The Cherries knocked on West Ham’s door from the break – registering 17 shots in total – but appeared frustrated by their hard-working visitors, who then had a piece of good fortune to find the opening goal themselves.
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Lucas Paqueta scored a penalty to put West Ham ahead after a long VAR check following a handball from Tyler Adams.
After substitute Niklas Volkrug nodded directly to Kepa Arrizabalaga, VAR Michael Salisbury noted a possible handball against Tyler Adams from an initial cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and after a lengthy review and a visit to the on-field marker by Chris Kavanagh, the referee pointed to the spot.
Paqueta stepped up to score to a chorus of boos around the Vitality Stadium, before Unal’s free-kick put the Cherries within two points of Man City in fifth place.
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Enis Unal equalized for Bournemouth with a brilliant free kick.
Both sides had earlier hit the woodwork in an evenly contested first period with Fabianski on the alert to deny first Evanilson and then Ryan Christie with two acrobatic stops, but the Hammers deserved their point after one of their most committed defensive displays of the season.
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