West Ham secured a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth in Atlanta, with goals from Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen, confirming their second-place finish in the Premier League Summer Series.
Fullkrug, who netted the winning goal against Everton on Wednesday, opened the scoring with a close-range strike after Bowen demonstrated excellent poise to set him up following a cross from El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Diouf again played a crucial role by providing a precise cross for West Ham’s second goal, allowing Bowen to finish low into the far corner past Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
Bournemouth made a strong start, aiming to recover from a recent 4-1 defeat to Manchester United, but squandered an early opportunity when Evanilson hit the inside of the post from close range.
Fullkrug’s opener capitalized on that missed chance, and Bournemouth hit the woodwork again shortly after when Illia Zabarnyi’s free header struck the bar.
West Ham’s second goal sealed their win, leaving them with six points from three matches—just behind Manchester United on goal difference as Ruben Amorim’s team prepares to take on Everton in the next tournament match.
Bowen Praises Team Spirit
Jarrod Bowen commended West Ham’s camaraderie in bouncing back from an initial struggle and expressed his delight at scoring after earlier missing a chance with his right foot. “If another one comes to my right foot, I can’t finish it like that,” he commented on the first missed opportunity, praising Malick’s assist. “We have played three strong games against Premier League teams, and it was encouraging to see our character as a team.”
Iraola Sees Room for Improvement
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola voiced disappointment over his team’s inability to convert chances but felt positive about their overall performance. “We did many things well, but we need to find the net,” he stated. He believes there are valuable takeaways for improvement and emphasized the importance of every player being in optimal form for the upcoming season. “This tournament has been a fantastic experience with three high-quality matches.”
Premier League Summer Series Results and Schedule
Saturday July 26 – MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Everton 0-3 Bournemouth
Sunday July 27 – MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Manchester United 2-1 West Ham
Wednesday July 30 – Soldier Field, Chicago
West Ham 2-1 Everton
Thursday July 31 – Soldier Field, Chicago
Manchester United 4-1 Bournemouth
Sunday August 3 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Bournemouth 0-2 West Ham
Manchester United vs Everton – 10pm kickoff, live on Sky Sports
