WEST Ham United defeated Bournemouth 2-0 in their final Premier League Summer Series match, wrapping up their US pre-season tour with two wins in three games. Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen scored the decisive goals, both assisted by new signing El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Diouf, who joined West Ham on July 15, delivered pinpoint passes that led to both goals. Bowen praised the Senegalese left-back, saying, “Both goals are down to him, the quality that he’s got, you can see that. He has only been here a few weeks but you would think he has been here years.”
Fullkrug opened the scoring in the 24th minute after receiving a pass from Bowen, who had been set up by Diouf. The German striker fired home from close range. Bowen then doubled the lead in the 67th minute, finishing a Diouf assist with a composed right-footed shot into the far corner.
Despite Bournemouth’s early pressure, hitting the woodwork multiple times, West Ham held firm. Bowen highlighted the team’s resilience, stating, “What I liked was the character about the group. We didn’t have the best start we wanted but we stuck in there. We were together. We were a team.”
West Ham had previously lost 2-1 to Manchester United but rebounded with a 2-1 win over Everton. Bowen reflected on the tour, saying, “The positives are that we’ve had three really good, competitive games against Premier League opposition.” - AFP
