Enes Unal's incredible 90th-minute free-kick earned AFC Bournemouth a point as they salvaged a 1-1 draw against West Ham United at Vitality Stadium on Monday.

Bournemouth looked set for a frustrating defeat when Lucas Paqueta’s 87th-minute penalty put the Hammers ahead, the Brazilian converting coolly from the spot when Tyler Adams was ruled to have handled Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross following a VAR review.

A string of excellent saves from Lukasz Fabianski had earlier kept Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth at bay, but West Ham's resistance was broken in remarkable fashion late on.

With stoppage time looming, substitute Unal picked out the top-left corner with a tremendous dead-ball effort from 25 yards out, sparing Bournemouth's blushes.

The Cherries move up to sixth in the Premier League table with 25 points, three points off the top four. West Ham, meanwhile, stay 14th with 19 points, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

How the match unfolded

Both sides struck the woodwork in a lively start, Bournemouth doing so in the 13th minute when Antoine Semenyo clipped the base of the post with his driven attempt.

Three minutes later, a rapid West Ham break resulted in Jarrod Bowen curling a shot towards the top-left corner, only for the ball to bounce off the crossbar.

The chances continued to flow at both ends, but neither side could establish a half-time lead. Tomas Soucek skewed wide for the visitors, before Fabianski denied Dango Ouattara with a miraculous save.

Fabianski continued to impress after the break, clawing Evanilson's header away and blocking Ryan Christie's rasping strike, before West Ham scored against the run of play.

Wan-Bissaka's cross struck Adams' outstretched arm, and following an on-field VAR review, Chris Kavanagh awarded the penalty, with Paqueta slotting home from 12 yards.

There was more drama to come, though, as Unal gave Fabianski no chance with his superb free-kick, extending Bournemouth's unbeaten run to four matches.

Bournemouth dig deep

Pressing high and looking to attack directly wherever possible, Iraola's Bournemouth side have earned plenty of plaudits for their ability to master the chaos this campaign.

Following three straight Premier League wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town, the Cherries entered Monday's match knowing a victory would take them level in the standings with champions Manchester City.

Bournemouth enjoyed plenty of dangerous moments, particularly when they made a rampant start to the second half as Fabianski's acrobatic stops denied Evanilson and Christie.

Meanwhile, Semenyo's early effort that struck the left-hand post was the 12th time Bournemouth have hit the woodwork in the Premier League this season – the most of any team.

The Cherries looked set to be left with a sour taste when Paqueta hit them with an 87th-minute sucker punch, but a moment of star quality from Unal got them out of jail.

The striker, on as an 80th-minute substitute for Evanilson, left the previously unbeatable Fabianski stunned with his brilliant knuckleball attempt.

With such quality in reserve, Iraola's men have every opportunity to do something special this season. They go to Old Trafford to face Manchester United next Sunday, looking to climb even closer to the top of the tree before Christmas.

Paqueta a positive for Lopetegui

Julen Lopetegui's early months in the West Ham dugout have been anything but serene, but last week's 2-1 victory over Wolves eased the pressure on the head coach after a five-match winless run.

He was hoping to build some positive momentum on Monday, and though Unal's late intervention denied the Hammers two points, there were plenty of positives for his team to take.

The first half of Monday's match featured a total of 18 shots, with both teams attempting nine apiece. Only two Premier League matches this season have contained more first-half efforts without a goal; Everton versus Brentford (19) in November and West Ham against Wolves last week (21).

Another major positive will be the contribution made by Paqueta, who was left out of Lopetegui's starting lineup for West Ham's last two matches and caused some concern among fans with a social media post earlier on Monday, in which he said: "I'm not from here. I will return home".

However, Paqueta looked committed to the cause on the south coast and if not for a moment of magic from Unal, he would have been the match-winner. With Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton up next, Lopetegui will be desperate for more from his Brazilian playmaker.

Club reports

AFC Bournemouth report | West Ham report

What the managers said

Andoni Iraola: "I don't think it is a good result for us even if we scored the goal at the end. We were better in the second half. I didn't like the first half. We were pushing to win and then the penalty happened and we had to take the point. I don't think it is a good point for us.

"The game went very slow in the first half for us. We were not being brave enough to put them under real pressure. We improved in the second half but it wasn't enough to win it."

Julen Lopetegui: "We were thinking to win in a difficult stadium and it was very close.  We were better in the first half and they were one step ahead in the second half. 

"They demand a lot at home. We suffered a lot in the second half and were able to overcome this scoring a penalty. But it is a pity that it is now all about Unal."

Match officials

Referee: Chris Kavanagh. Assistants: Lee Betts, Richard West. Fourth official: Matt Donohue. VAR: Michael Salisbury. Assistant VAR: Mat Wilkes.