West Ham United

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League draw between West Ham and Bournemouth.

Here are some of your comments:

West Ham fans

Robert: There's progress under Potter but the style of play has been similar under three coaches which suggest perhaps we have the wrong mix of players. We certainly need more pace and creativity in the team. Niclas Fullkrug's run of games now should help us score more goals.

Stephen: Graham Potter got his starting XI wrong. In the second half with the introduction of Fullkrug, the game changed in our favour as it gave Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen more opportunities. Probably a fair result but still a frustrating team to watch.

Mik: It's disturbing that we need an entire half before we can get into a game. It's nothing new as it happened under David Moyes and Julen Lopetegui as well, but Graham Potter has to get his side on it from the start. Bournemouth were quicker and better from the start. This must change.

Bournemouth fans

Stu: Lacking the energy and drive we had at the start of the season. Too many misplaced passes and missing that sparkle. A draw away isn't all that bad but a month or so ago we'd be winning games like this. I think European football is a step too far this season but plenty to build on for 2025-26.

Andrew: Fell asleep for a spell in the second half which gave West Ham the impetus. Fortunately we squared things, which set up a fun final 10 minutes where tactics and formula football went out the window for both sides.

Matthew: Fine margins. Clearly the better side on the day, but only one stat counts. It will either click for the Cherries soon, or we look to regroup and strengthen for 2025-26.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer believes West Ham are a 'better team' when Niclas Fullkrug is in the side.

Speaking on Match of the Day, Shearer said: "He made the difference [against Bournemouth]. When they brought him on, within six minutes he'd showed everyone what he's about.

"You have to get balls into the box and that's exactly what happened. It's a wonderful header - the timing of the jump and the power behind it. Then West Ham were a better team with him.

"They looked a little light up top in the first half, but in the second half they posed a different threat. Jarrod Bowen and Fullkrug had a good understanding of each other, one was going long and one was going short.

"The problem that they have is that he's only had one 90 minutes, three starts and the three goals. But when he came on, it was a completely different game.

"They've got to somehow keep him fit because they're a better team with him up there, and he makes other players better as well."

Catch up on MOTD on BBC iPlayer

West Ham are planning a major summer overhaul of their squad, with up to 10 senior players set to leave the London Stadium. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Gary Lineker presents highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 2-1 Brighton

• Aston Villa 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham manager Graham Potter has been talking to BBC Match of the Day about the free-kick decision that led to Bournemouth's second goal: "I haven't seen it back, to be honest, so I have nothing to comment on. But obviously we are disappointed with how we defended the goal. But, how soft the free-kick was, I'm not sure.

"The substitutes helped us I think and, apart from the first five or 10 minutes of the second half, I thought the team were fully committed. It was a tough match, absolutely.

"In the first half, I think there was a period where we dropped a little bit. Apart from that, it was OK without being great. But it was a tough Premier League game and a hard-earned point."

On striker Niclas Fullkrug scoring: "He changes the dynamics of our play and gives us a focal point. We are able to play more long balls and go for second balls, a much simpler way of attacking and it gets us up the pitch a bit more.

"I'm delighted for him. He is battling back from a significant injury. He is not ready to start, but he is happy to help from the bench.

"We scored two very good goals, clinical. I'm pleased for Jarrod [Bowen] because he is also working hard. Sometimes you just need that goal to set you off.

"Psychologically, we have to go through barriers together. There are little things we need to keep doing. We've got games to go and we need to stick together, keep fighting and keep going forward."

Image source, Getty Images

Niclas Fullkrug has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day about the performance: "I'm very happy to score in front of our crowd, to celebrate in front of our crowd, and it was an important goal - but I'm very disappointed we didn't win because we had lots of chances to score. We conceded a very easy goal. It was not a free-kick, but it can happen.

"But then it's still a free-kick near the halfway line and it's very difficult to concede from there, but then we lose two duels. It's not nice to concede like that.

"This could have been a good three points because we had a strong mindset and came back. It could have been good for the confidence, so I'm disappointed we didn't win the game.

"I still have three starts for West Ham United but I have had a difficult season. I'm still in the process, I'm still trying to adapt. I need minutes. It's not perfect, but I was out for 12 weeks. I think I feel very good, especially in the duels. I feel very strong right now. We did very intense rehab work."

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Though West Ham have improved since Graham Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui, their attacking unit has come under scrutiny as they headed into Saturday's meeting with Bournemouth searching for a first win in four games.

The Hammers had failed to score in four of Potter's 10 games in charge and it looked like they were drawing another blank after 45 minutes against the Cherries.

Potter's side had failed to get a single effort on target in an underwhelming first half and the closest they came to creating a chance was when full-back Ollie Scarles played a ball across the goal that did not have any takers in a West Ham shirt.

Potter removed Scarles in favour of Emerson at the break but with little in the way of improvement, he made two more substitutions nine minutes later that helped the game spring into life.

Niclas Fullkrug, who replaced Tomas Soucek, was instrumental in the 2-2 draw as he headed home West Ham's first only seven minutes after his introduction.

It was his first goal at London Stadium since his transfer from Borussia Dortmund last year and would be a huge fillip for the German, whose stint in England has been hampered by injuries.

Jarrod Bowen ending his goal drought on home soil will also come as a welcome sight for the Hammers, who have little to play for this season but will try to delay Liverpool's title celebrations when they visit Anfield on 13 April.

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham are unbeaten in their past eight Premier League games against Bournemouth (W3 D5), with each of the past four meetings ending on level terms.

The Hammers are one of three sides yet to win a Premier League game in which they have trailed in this season, along with Southampton and Ipswich.

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham United goalscorer Jarrod Bowen has been talking to Premier League Productions about the draw: "It is really frustrating. It is a point but it feels like a loss.

"I'm focused on trying to score and trying to help the team.

"It has been a really difficult and disappointing season. Every week I focus on what I can do and I try not to listen to the noise."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on West Ham's performance

What did you make of Bournemouth's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Everton v Arsenal (12:30)

• Crystal Palace v Brighton

• Ipswich v Wolves

• West Ham v Bournemouth

• Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest (17:30)

All kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Bournemouth are out of the FA Cup and have picked up only one point from their past five league games. They have had a good season, and beaten all the teams in the top five apart from Liverpool, but it is in danger of fizzling out.

That would be a shame, and not just for their players. Cherries boss Andoni Iraola could do with a strong finish to the campaign to ensure his reputation continues to grow.

It finished 1-1 when these two sides met at Vitality Stadium before Christmas and I am pretty sure the BBC readers will go for a draw this time too.

West Ham have struggled at home of late, losing three of their past four there, with their only win coming against Leicester.

Bournemouth's form doesn't suggest they will take the points either, but I am not sitting on the fence like I expect you lot will.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham are unbeaten in their past seven Premier League games against Bournemouth, with each of the past three finishing 1-1.

Bournemouth have never kept a clean sheet in their seven Premier League away games against West Ham, but have avoided defeat in all four games in which they've found the net themselves (W2 D2).

The Cherries have picked up 23 away Premier League points in 2024-25, their most in a top-flight campaign, while their 30 goals are also their most on the road.

Holly Bacon
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham boss Graham Potter has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Bournemouth at London Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Potter said Jean-Clair Todibo trained on Thursday and "felt a lot better". Mohammed Kudus was in light training and both have a chance of being involved at the weekend. Emerson "felt something" towards the end of Tuesday's defeat at Wolves but it is "nothing too serious" and he should be available.

• On Todibo, he added: "He just felt worse and worse as the day went on [Tuesday]. We thought he could help us off the bench but he started to feel worse so, in the end, he couldn't come on. We'd have liked him to have started but he couldn't. It's just off the back of Ramandan as well so we have to take all those things into consideration. He was just too poorly to play."

• Potter was also asked about the remainder of the season: "You want to finish as high as you can but, at the same time, finish the season off in a good way so you've got positivity, progress and also information in terms of what we need to do in the summer and how we can improve things."

• He added: "I don't think you can dismiss the league table. At the same time, we know - from an ambition perspective - where we are now is not where we want to be. We have to acknowledge that, but in the meantime we have to do our best in every single game."

• On Evan Ferguson, he said: "I think a goal helps - he had a goal for his international team. You have to remember where Evan has come from - his situation and context. He has been out for a long time with injuries. He's a young player building up minutes and time. I felt it was the right thing to give Fullkrug some time at half-time to affect us in a different way."

• The West Ham boss said they have to keep working: "We went from maybe not being competitive in games to being pretty much competitive in all the games. Nearly is not enough - so we have to carry on working with every aspect we can."

• Potter was also asked whether he is thinking ahead to next season. He said all he is thinking about is the weekend and if you think too far ahead in football it is a mistake.

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

• Not a West Ham fan? Find and follow your team on BBC Sport here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked you to tell us one thing that no-one is talking about at West Ham

Here are some of your comments:

Fraser: A lot of West Ham fans who were showering abuse on David Moyes this time last year owe him a big apology. We've gone backwards since turning our back on West Ham's best manager of the Premier League era. However, Potter has what it takes to rebuild the team. He deserves the support and patience that Moyes didn't get for much of his last two years.

Simon: Is Graham Potter really the tactical genius we were led to believe at Brighton? Put simply, no. Another defensive manager whose answer to stop shipping goals is just to have everyone behind the ball all the time. We wait till we are losing, then the second half is better, but the damage is done. I think he'll relegate us if he stays.

Joe: Should West Ham sell players like Paqueta and Kudus to give Potter the funds to build the team he wants? You can tell he isn't confident with the whole squad but needs some serious money to make a team able to compete at the level we want to be

Nicolas: The club splashed the cash last summer and brought in a lot of players, but we may need to do the same again. We have players whose contracts are running out and we also have some players who want to move away, not to mention our loan players who look likely to return to their parent clubs after this campaign. We may need another mini rebuild this summer.

Dave: We've consistently failed to address the major issue of having no pace in the centre of midfield. It's been going on for years. It's what makes us so easy to play through, as it means we have to defend deep and have to counter-attack via our full-backs. Our central midfielders are all good individually - but collectively not so much.

• Not a Hammers fan? Find and follow your team here

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham fans are not on their own among the Premier League in wishing this season would come to an end.

What was supposed to be a fresh start and a transition out of the David Moyes era has turned into a tortuous campaign, with Julen Lopetegui's arrival failing to have the desired effort and Graham Potter's not being accompanied by the new manager 'bounce' many had hoped for.

Instead, the Hammers are stuck, in a little group of four – that includes Tottenham and Manchester United – in the bottom half of the table, wondering if they can catch Crystal Palace above them, or avoid being caught by Wolves behind. A return to Europe is as far off a target as a relegation battle in terms of reality.

Even the remaining opposition, likely title winners Liverpool and basement boys Southampton are still to be played this month does not really offer a chance to reset as drawing definitive conclusions from either match is going to be futile given the extremes of their respective situations.

As we all know, Potter likes to build. The remaining weeks will be spent working out which players he wants for next season, those he does not and the best way to reset and go again next season.

It might not be an exciting or rewarding final eight games. But the unseen work going on should ensure the Hammers are in a better place by August.

It is now 10 Premier League games in charge of West Ham for Graham Potter and there have been only two wins despite some signs of his playing style beginning to emerge in east London.

With little to play for but pride in the remainder of the season, we want to know what is flying under the radar at the London Stadium - and it certainly is not the atmosphere.

You know your club best so tell us, what is the thing that no-one is talking about at West Ham but really should be?

Let us know here

Highlights and analysis from nine midweek Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Arsenal 2-1 Fulham

• Nottingham Forest 1-0 Man Utd

• Liverpool 1-0 Everton

• Newcastle 2-1 Brentford

Another day, another Dimitri Payet free-kick stunner.

After we put up his FA Cup strike at Manchester United last week, today is nine years since he scored arguably the best free-kick in Premier League history.

The Frenchman stepped up and sent his 20 yard free-kick arcing past Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and into the top right corner.

Despite Payet's touch of class, the Hammers had to settle for a 2-2 draw against the Eagles in one of the final games at Upton Park.