West Ham United remain just outside the Premier League’s bottom three after a pulsating game that saw Marko Arnautovic score twice.
Marko Arnautovic
West Ham fans have been heaping praise upon Marko Arnautovic after the forward’s latest brilliant display that so nearly guided David Moyes’ men to a victory away at Bournemouth.
With the Irons and the Cherries either side of the drop zone in the Premier League, the two teams would have known how vital their clash at the Vitality Stadium on Boxing Day would be.
It was the Hammers who struck the first blow with James Collins breaking the deadlock inside seven minutes – but Eddie Howe’s men had turned the game right around by the hour-mark, with Dan Gosling equalising during the first-half before Nathan Ake put the home side in front.
Arnautovic seemed to come to West Ham’s rescue once again however – in a sentence that few would have imagined reading after the first few months of the season – as he scored twice in the final 10 minutes of normal time to put West Ham back in front.
David Moyes
But then a controversial stoppage-time equaliser denied the away side the three points and ensured that they remain just one point clear of the relegation zone heading into next Tuesday’s clash with another relegation rival, West Brom.
Unsurprisingly, there was a huge amount of praise for Arnautovic on Twitter after the game, with many Irons fans suggesting that he is now absolutely vital to their chances of keeping themselves away from trouble.
Here is the best of the reaction…
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