Bournemouth 2-0 West Ham: Callum Wilson & Joshua King on target in Cherries win
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Callum Wilson now has 11 league and cup goals for Bournemouth this season - plus one for England
Callum Wilson's stunning strike helped Bournemouth register a deserved victory over in-form West Ham at Vitality Stadium.
The England striker, recalled to the starting line-up after two weeks out with a hamstring injury, lashed home Ryan Fraser's deflected cross on the half-volley, eight minutes after the break.
Joshua King sealed only the Cherries' second win in 10 league and cup games in second-half stoppage time, firing David Brooks' low cross past the helpless Lukasz Fabianski.
Nathan Ake thought he had opened the scoring when he nodded home Fraser's teasing delivery midway through the first half, but Wilson was ruled to be in an offside position when the cross came in.
The Hammers struggled to break down Bournemouth's resolute defence, although they did go close to an equaliser when Andy Carroll somehow blazed over from point-blank range not long after the restart.
Eddie Howe's team move level on points with 11th-placed Everton, while West Ham drop a place to 10th.
Wilson comes up trumps for Cherries
Bournemouth had collected only seven points from their previous 12 league games going into Saturday's fixture - the worst form in the division - but they produced a clinical display for their first league victory since a 2-0 triumph over Brighton just before Christmas.
Wilson was instrumental in helping Howe's charges come from behind to beat West Ham at the London Stadium in August, and the 26-year-old set the Cherries on their way to three valuable points and their first double of the season.
The striker, who has been linked with Chelsea in the January transfer window, connected superbly with Fraser's left-wing centre to thump home his sixth goal in as many Cherries appearances against the Hammers.
The former Coventry man almost doubled his personal tally with 20 minutes remaining, but his low effort from the edge of the box struck the foot of Fabianski's post.
Strike partner King eventually put the result beyond doubt in the dying stages, his smart finish from David Brooks' square pass sparking jubilant scenes in the home dugout.
Wilson's return to form and fitness comes at a crucial time for Bournemouth, who host Chelsea next before tough away games against Cardiff and Liverpool in February.
Result would be different if Carroll scored - Pellegrini
Hammers struggle without Arnautovic
Prior to this game, only Premier League leaders Liverpool and a resurgent Manchester United had collected more points than West Ham since the beginning of December.
Manuel Pellegrini's team were without talismanic forward Marko Arnautovic, who was left out of the visitors' squad after being the subject of a potential £35m move to China.
The Hammers had more than 60 per cent possession but struggled to fashion clear-cut openings without the Austria international, registering only a single shot on target over the course of the 90 minutes.
Samir Nasri almost opened his account for the club in the first half, prodding inches wide of Artur Boruc's right-hand post, moments after Felipe Anderson saw his shot blocked.
But Carroll wasted the visitors' best opportunity, firing over the crossbar from a yard out as Bournemouth - with Boruc, preferred to Asmir Begovic in goal, making his first Premier League appearance since May 2017 - held on to register their first ever clean sheet against the Hammers in 13 attempts, dating back to 1929.
Carroll has not scored in the league since April 2018, but Pellegrini will be desperate for the ex-Newcastle man to rediscover his scoring touch - particularly if Arnautovic ends up leaving.
Man of the match - Steve Cook (Bournemouth)
Stand-in skipper Cook produced a captain's performance for Bournemouth, making eight clearances overall - more than any other player on the pitch
Bournemouth end winless run - the stats
Bournemouth have recorded four Premier League wins against West Ham, more than against any other side.
West Ham failed to score for the first time in their 13 meetings with Bournemouth in all competitions.
Bournemouth ended a run of four Premier League games without a win (D1 L3), keeping only their second clean sheet in their last 13 league games.
The Hammers have failed to score in consecutive away Premier League games for the first time since November 2017.
Callum Wilson has scored six Premier League goals against West Ham in six appearances, more than he has against any other side in the competition.
Wilson is only the second player to hit double figures in a single Premier League season for the Cherries (10 goals), following Joshua King's haul of 16 in 2016-17.
King has scored four goals and provided an assist for one in his three home Premier League appearances against West Ham - including a hat-trick and a missed penalty against them in March 2017.
'It was very close' - what they said
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe:
Bournemouth players got their reward - Howe
"I'm very pleased. It's a real reward for the players' mindsets during this difficult run we've had. It's been incredibly hard but they've not let their heads drop and they've trained well.
"I was so keen for everyone to feel that winning feeling again off the back of everyone sticking together. Performance-wise, today maybe wasn't as good as some of the games we lost recently, but we defended very well after Callum's great strike.
"Callum is very much a team player. He's a vital part of what we do here and he knew how important the game was for us as a group. He delivered a very good display."
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini:
"Of course we are disappointed about the result. It was a very close game in the first 45 minutes, and in the second half we had a clear opportunity to score the first goal.
"We didn't and then they scored a beautiful goal, but one which had a lot of luck too because the rebound came in exactly the position for their player to shoot.
"Andy [Carroll] had a very clear chance, but he has had a long time without playing and it is not easy for a player to recover immediately.
"He is working hard and I'm sure that he will improve game-by-game."
What's next?
West Ham travel to AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, 26 January (19:45 GMT) before a trip to Wolves in the Premier League three days later (19:45 GMT).
Bournemouth, out of the Cup, are next in action on Wednesday, 30 January when they host Chelsea in the Premier League (19:45 GMT).