BOURNEMOUTH AND LEICESTER City’s difficult starts to the Premier League season continued as they played out an uninspiring 0-0 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
The Cherries dominated for large swathes of the game and will be disappointed not to have claimed all three points after carving out a number of excellent opportunities.
The best of them fell to Jermain Defoe in just the second minute as he crashed a shot against the crossbar, while Marc Pugh thought his side should have had a penalty when Danny Simpson blocked his goal-bound effort with his arm from the rebound.
Leicester offered little going forward, but could have snatched just their second league win of the campaign through Shinji Okazaki in the second half – the Japan international firing wide with only Asmir Begovic to beat.
An uncharacteristically quiet Jamie Vardy thrashed wide late on for Leicester, which was a fitting end to a game desperately lacking in quality.
Barrington Coombs
Barrington Coombs
Peter Crouch returned to haunt his former club by coming off the bench to net a late winner as Stoke City saw off Southampton.
Maya Yoshida’s stunning 75th-minute volley had looked set to snatch a share of the spoils for Southampton, but, having replaced Saido Berahino – who missed a penalty in the first half, Crouch was on hand to tuck in from point-blank range with five minutes remaining.
In an attritional encounter at the Bet365 Stadium, Mame Biram Diouf’s maiden goal of the season put Stoke ahead late in the first half, before Virgil van Dijk – starting for the first time this season – gifted Mark Hughes’ side the opportunity to double their lead when he fouled Berahino.
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Van Dijk’s blushes were spared by Fraser Forster though, as he kept out Berahino’s tame effort from the spot.
The former West Brom forward has now missed three top-flight penalties since his last league goal, but his replacement Crouch made no such mistake when he flicked home following Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s persistence.
Southampton rallied in search of another equaliser, with Kurt Zouma clearing Charlie Austin’s effort off the line, but Stoke held firm to bring a four-match winless run to a halt.
EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
Richarlison proved to be Watford’s hero once again as his late header rescued a 2-2 draw against West Brom at The Hawthorns.
After scoring a dramatic winner away at Swansea City last weekend in the Premier League, the Brazilian popped up with an injury-time equaliser to complete an impressive comeback after Watford had trailed 2-0 in the first half.
The goal – conceded in the fifth minute of added-on time – denied West Brom a maiden win in September after they had scored twice in the space of three first-half minutes.
Salomon Rondon’s first goal of the league season was quickly followed by a header from Jonny Evans, meaning the hosts had scored twice in a Premier League game for the first time in the campaign.
Yet Watford fought back impressively to preserve their unbeaten record on the road, Abdoulaye Doucoure halving the deficit with a left-footed drive before Richarlison nodded in Jose Holebas’ free-kick right at the death.
PA Wire / PA Images
PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images
Diafra Sakho came off the bench to fire West Ham to a last-gasp 1-0 home win over Swansea and save Slaven Bilic from a fresh wave of scrutiny.
Senegal striker Sakho bundled in a killer 90th-minute cross from fellow substitute Arthur Masuaku to secure a vital second victory of a difficult Premier League campaign to date.
The Hammers had looked short on attacking ideas throughout a frustrating afternoon and the second-half substitution of Javier Hernandez was greeted with boos by the home fans, but they were soon in raptures as Bilic’s gamble paid dividends.
Under pressure after taking just one win from six league outings, the Hammers boss partnered Hernandez and Andy Carroll in attack in an attempt to outgun a goal-shy Swansea.
But it was the Swans who settled the quickest into their new 4-4-2 as Paul Clement’s move to a diamond midfield resulted in a several tidy passing moves in a subdued first half.
The second half continued in a similar trend until Sakho’s timely intervention, ruining what would have been the visitors’ first away clean sheet against West Ham.
With both sets of forwards failing to fire, Swansea left-back Martin Olsson almost surprised Hart when his clever right-footed attempt curled narrowly around the left upright.
But, after Carroll struck the crossbar from one fine Masuaku delivery, the left-back repeated the trick in flashing a low ball across the face for Sakho to gleefully tuck away.
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Leicester hold Bournemouth while Sakho produces a late winner for the Hammers
BOURNEMOUTH AND LEICESTER City’s difficult starts to the Premier League season continued as they played out an uninspiring 0-0 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
The Cherries dominated for large swathes of the game and will be disappointed not to have claimed all three points after carving out a number of excellent opportunities.
The best of them fell to Jermain Defoe in just the second minute as he crashed a shot against the crossbar, while Marc Pugh thought his side should have had a penalty when Danny Simpson blocked his goal-bound effort with his arm from the rebound.
Leicester offered little going forward, but could have snatched just their second league win of the campaign through Shinji Okazaki in the second half – the Japan international firing wide with only Asmir Begovic to beat.
An uncharacteristically quiet Jamie Vardy thrashed wide late on for Leicester, which was a fitting end to a game desperately lacking in quality.
Peter Crouch returned to haunt his former club by coming off the bench to net a late winner as Stoke City saw off Southampton.
Maya Yoshida’s stunning 75th-minute volley had looked set to snatch a share of the spoils for Southampton, but, having replaced Saido Berahino – who missed a penalty in the first half, Crouch was on hand to tuck in from point-blank range with five minutes remaining.
In an attritional encounter at the Bet365 Stadium, Mame Biram Diouf’s maiden goal of the season put Stoke ahead late in the first half, before Virgil van Dijk – starting for the first time this season – gifted Mark Hughes’ side the opportunity to double their lead when he fouled Berahino.
Van Dijk’s blushes were spared by Fraser Forster though, as he kept out Berahino’s tame effort from the spot.
The former West Brom forward has now missed three top-flight penalties since his last league goal, but his replacement Crouch made no such mistake when he flicked home following Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s persistence.
Southampton rallied in search of another equaliser, with Kurt Zouma clearing Charlie Austin’s effort off the line, but Stoke held firm to bring a four-match winless run to a halt.
Richarlison proved to be Watford’s hero once again as his late header rescued a 2-2 draw against West Brom at The Hawthorns.
After scoring a dramatic winner away at Swansea City last weekend in the Premier League, the Brazilian popped up with an injury-time equaliser to complete an impressive comeback after Watford had trailed 2-0 in the first half.
The goal – conceded in the fifth minute of added-on time – denied West Brom a maiden win in September after they had scored twice in the space of three first-half minutes.
Salomon Rondon’s first goal of the league season was quickly followed by a header from Jonny Evans, meaning the hosts had scored twice in a Premier League game for the first time in the campaign.
Yet Watford fought back impressively to preserve their unbeaten record on the road, Abdoulaye Doucoure halving the deficit with a left-footed drive before Richarlison nodded in Jose Holebas’ free-kick right at the death.
Diafra Sakho came off the bench to fire West Ham to a last-gasp 1-0 home win over Swansea and save Slaven Bilic from a fresh wave of scrutiny.
Senegal striker Sakho bundled in a killer 90th-minute cross from fellow substitute Arthur Masuaku to secure a vital second victory of a difficult Premier League campaign to date.
The Hammers had looked short on attacking ideas throughout a frustrating afternoon and the second-half substitution of Javier Hernandez was greeted with boos by the home fans, but they were soon in raptures as Bilic’s gamble paid dividends.
Under pressure after taking just one win from six league outings, the Hammers boss partnered Hernandez and Andy Carroll in attack in an attempt to outgun a goal-shy Swansea.
But it was the Swans who settled the quickest into their new 4-4-2 as Paul Clement’s move to a diamond midfield resulted in a several tidy passing moves in a subdued first half.
The second half continued in a similar trend until Sakho’s timely intervention, ruining what would have been the visitors’ first away clean sheet against West Ham.
With both sets of forwards failing to fire, Swansea left-back Martin Olsson almost surprised Hart when his clever right-footed attempt curled narrowly around the left upright.
But, after Carroll struck the crossbar from one fine Masuaku delivery, the left-back repeated the trick in flashing a low ball across the face for Sakho to gleefully tuck away.
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