James Ward-Prowse scored a penalty for the second match in a row, cancelling out Dominic Solanke’s 13th Premier League goal of the season, as West Ham United drew 1-1 with AFC Bournemouth to go six matches unbeaten.
Solanke struck after just two minutes and 22 seconds to move one goal behind the joint-leaders Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah in the race for the Castrol Golden Boot.
But Ward-Prowse levelled with a 61st-minute penalty that was won by Mohammed Kudus on his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.
How the match unfolded
Kalvin Phillips’ debut for West Ham started in the worst way possible as Ryan Christie forced a mistake from the midfielder inside his own box with only his second touch for his new club, allowing Solanke to finish past Alphonse Areola with ease.
It was the earliest Premier League goal West Ham have conceded at home since September 2010, when Michael Essien gave Chelsea the lead after 97 seconds at West Ham’s former stadium Upton Park.
Illya Zabarnyi came close to doubling Bournemouth’s lead 15 minutes later when he got on the end of Alex Scott’s cross, but his header was straight at Areola.
The visitors then had another great chance to score a second, this time through Antoine Semenyo, whose strike from close range was well saved.
Those missed opportunities proved costly. Jarrod Bowen missed an opportunity at the other end moments later as he headed straight at Neto from Ward-Prowse’s cross, and West Ham won a penalty just after the hour-mark when Lloyd Kelly brought down Kudus.
The spot-kick was awarded following a VAR review, and Ward-Prowse sent his spot-kick down the middle of the goal.
That sparked Bournemouth back into life as Christie shot narrowly wide of a post.
But the chances then dried up as West Ham and Bournemouth shared the points again, having done so on the opening weekend of the season.
West Ham remain sixth, now with 36 points, seven points behind Aston Villa, while Bournemouth stay 12th on 26 points.
See: West Ham report | Bournemouth report
Next five Premier League fixtures
Key facts
Since the start of November, Solanke has bagged nine goals in the Premier League, more than any other player in that time.
Only Joshua King in 2016/17 (16) and Callum Wilson in 2018/19 (14) have scored more in a single top-flight campaign for Bournemouth than Solanke has managed this season (13).
Only five players have score more Premier League goals from dead-balls (direct FK or pen) than James Ward-Prowse (32 - 17 Direct FK, 15 Pens) - Shearer 63, Lampard 52, Gerrard 39, Henry 34, Kane 34.
West Ham extended their Premier League unbeaten run to six games (three wins followed by three draws), their longest run without defeat since September 2021 (7).
