Bowen hits controversial winner as west ham overcome Bournemouth

West Ham United advanced to the third round of the Carabao Cup with a dramatic late victory over Bournemouth in a thrilling encounter between the two Premier League teams.

The decisive moment came in the 88th minute. With the match seemingly destined for a penalty shootout, Mohammed Kudus took a shot that took a deflection off Jarrod Bowen before slipping past Bournemouth’s goalkeeper, Neto. The Bournemouth coaching staff argued that the ball had made contact with Bowen’s arm, but since VAR was not available for this match, the goal was upheld, causing considerable frustration among the Bournemouth players and staff.

Bournemouth’s dissatisfaction with officiating was compounded by their recent experience with VAR. Just a few days earlier, they had been on the receiving end of a controversial VAR decision when Dango Ouattara’s potential late winner was ruled out in their 1-1 draw against Newcastle.

At the London Stadium, Bournemouth were left to ponder how they had been eliminated from the cup competition despite creating the better chances. Marcus Tavernier was particularly unfortunate, hitting the post with a well-placed free-kick and also forcing a notable save from West Ham’s Lukasz Fabianski. Fabianski’s reflexes were on display again when he managed to stop a clever flick from Ouattara, who tried to score from a challenging angle.

West Ham had a sluggish start, struggling to make an impact in the first half-hour. It took them 41 minutes to register their first shot on target. Niclas Fullkrug, making his debut for West Ham following his £27 million move from Borussia Dortmund, headed a ball weakly at Neto. Fullkrug also played a role in setting up Crysencio Summerville, but the Dutch forward, who was last season’s Championship Player of the Year with Leeds, failed to capitalize on the opportunity, firing off target.

As the game approached its final minutes, Bowen had a chance that was pushed wide by Neto. However, shortly after, Neto was finally beaten as West Ham secured the contentious win.

The match highlighted the fine margins and the significant impact of refereeing decisions in crucial games. For West Ham, the result represents a hard-fought progression to the next round, while Bournemouth will be left reflecting on what might have been, both in this cup tie and in their recent league encounters.