AFC Bournemouth 1-1 West Ham: Enes Unal scores stunning late free kick to rescue a point for Cherries – after Lucas Paqueta’s controversial penalty looked to have won the game minutes earlier

For so long, this game on the south coast looked destined to end with two sides huffing and puffing and taking a share of the spoils away from a cold, dreary night.

And then, all hell broke loose.

Lucas Paqueta’s penalty three minutes from time — after VAR had decided Tyler Adams had handballed Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross — looked to have sealed it for West Ham, only for Enes Unal to curl in a stunning free-kick in stoppage time and snatch a point for Bournemouth.

What a breathless finish to a ridiculous game at the Vitality Stadium, where a near 40-year-old Lukasz Fabianski defied his age by pulling off a string of saves and Kepa Arrizabalaga denied Niclas Fullkrug from point-blank range, both sides will come away content enough.

A point that takes Andoni Iraola’s side into sixth and the European places. For West Ham it was the first time this season they had followed up a win without a defeat to keep Julen Lopetegui in a job for Christmas.

Because in what is meant to be the season of goodwill, the Premier League is deep into sacking season as owners of sides towards the bottom get twitchy. Steve Cooper at Leicester, gone. Gary O’Neil at Wolves, gone. Russell Martin at Southampton, gone.

West Ham have, for now, held their nerve. Victory against Wolves eased the immediate pressure on Julen Lopetegui and the feeling among club chiefs last week was that although performances needed to improve, there was no desire to make an immediate change.

Neither side, though, started like teams coming into it with victories under their belts. It was scrappy, it was sloppy. Misplaced passes and ricochets between crowds of bodies littered much of the early exchanges.

What else should you expect at a stadium that had seen just 16 goals all season?

Both sides hit the woodwork. Antoine Semenyo won a high ball, then collected a return pass from Evanilson only to drill his shot across goal and off the upright.

Jarrod Bowen returned the favour after good work from Mohammed Kudus to play in the Hammers skipper. Bowen held the ball up well and, with no one running past him in support, curled his effort from range on to the crossbar.

As is so often the case with West Ham, when they do something good, it’s Bowen at the heart of it. He showed quick feet to kill a fizzing ball with his back to goal, get it out of his feet, turn and unload a quick shot at Kepa.

But the first half had a familiar feel for Hammers fans as their side edged a contest of little quality, but seemed incapable of taking advantage of their periods of pressure.

So it was unsurprising that, on the stroke of half-time, Bournemouth nearly took the lead. 

Semenyo’s deflected shot dropped to the feet of an unmarked Dango Ouattara at the back post but he could only find the legs of a sprawling Fabianski.

Whatever Iraola said at the break inspired his troops to come out with impetus. Justin Kluivert, Semenyo and Ryan Christie all forced saves from Fabianski.

Bournemouth in full flow, when they move the ball quickly upfield, are a joy to watch. Evanilson found Kluivert through the middle, who slung out wide to Ouattara, who played it back across goal to Semenyo and only the scrambling shape of Max Kilman denied the hosts an opener.

Evanilson drew another save from Fabianski with a flicked header at a corner and Kluivert rattled one over the bar as the back-and-forth between the two sides continued with no one able to make the breakthrough.

Fullkrug should have won it late on but could only put his header straight at the keeper.

And then all hell broke loose. VAR awarded a penalty, Paqueta scored it, then Unal equalised with a stunning free-kick. Football, bloody hell.