West Ham United came from behind to seal a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Harry Arter gave the Cherries the lead in the first half, but a curling effort from Dimitri Payet and two goals from Enner Valencia sealed a comeback win for the visitors.
Bournemouth's new signing Benik Afobe squandered two chances on his debut as Eddie Howe's side missed the opportunity to move above Chelsea in the Premier League table.
West Ham remain in the hunt for a European spot as they reside just one point behind fifth-placed Manchester United.
Discover how the game unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute coverage below.
6.46pmEvening all! The fixtures just keep on coming! After a weekend of FA Cup action, we are back to the bread and butter of English football with a total of 10 Premier League games being played over the next two days. Right here, we will be focusing on the clash between Bournemouth and West Ham United on the South Coast.
6.52pmWho would have thought three months ago that Bournemouth would have pulled themselves out of the relegation zone and made themselves look like they will realistically avoid dropping back into the Championship. They suffered four league defeats in a row across October and November, but December was a good month for them. They managed to see off Chelsea, Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion. The team now reside 16th in the table, four points above the drop zone.
6.57pmAs for West Ham, well they too are doing well in the top flight as they are unbeaten in their last seven games, winning their last two - one being against Southampton and the other being an impressive 2-0 win over Liverpool. Slaven Bilic's side are now just four points off a Champions League spot. Considering the good form of both sides, we could be in for an entertaining game this evening. Right, let's bring you the starting lineups for both sides...
6.59pmBOURNEMOUTH XI: Boruc; Francis, Cook, Smith, Daniels; Surman; Arter, Gosling, Stanislas, Ritchie; Afobe
Subs: Federici, Distin, O'Kane, Pugh, Grabban, Murray, Iturbe
Subs: Federici, Distin, O'Kane, Pugh, Grabban, Murray, Iturbe
7.00pmWEST HAM XI: Adrian; Ogbonna, Tomkins, Collins, Cresswell; Obiang, Noble, Antonio; Payet, Valencia, Carroll
Subs: Randolph, Jenkinson, Reid, Oxford, Song, Cullen, Jelavic
Subs: Randolph, Jenkinson, Reid, Oxford, Song, Cullen, Jelavic
7.01pmThe big news for Bournemouth is that new signing Benik Afobe will make his debut following his club-record £12m move from Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend. The Cherries' other new acquisitions, Juan Iturbe and Lewis Grabban, have received clearance to play, but have to settle for spots on the bench.
7.07pmArtur Boruc will take his place in goal, with Simon Francis, who returns to the lineup after serving a one-match suspension at the weekend, Steve Cook, Charlie Daniels and Adam Smith making up the back four. Andre Surman will sit in the middle of the park, while Harry Arter, Dan Gosling, Junior Stanislas and Matt Ritchie will be positioned behind striker Afobe.
7.08pm
He'll be wearing this tonight... @Afobe_ makes his #BPL debut for @afcbournemouth against West Ham #BOUWHU pic.twitter.com/SsrOana4Tv
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 12, 20167.10pmAs for West Ham, Slaven Bilic has been forced to make two changes from the team that beat Liverpool as Cheikhou Kouyate and Manuel Lanzini have been replaced by Pedro Obiang and Dimitri Payet, who is a welcome inclusion following his spell with injury. Andy Carroll, who has scored in his last two league fixtures, will lead the line for the Hammers.
7.13pmAngelo Ogbonna, James Tomkins, James Collins and Aaron Cresswell will sit in the defensive line protecting goalkeeper Adrian, while Obiang, Michail Antonio and captain Mark Noble will sit in midfield. Payet and Enner Valencia will provide attacking threat alongside Carroll.
7.14pm
ARRIVAL: Both sets of players arrive at @afcbournemouth #WHUFC #COYI #BOUWHU pic.twitter.com/axeBbDgPRp
— West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) January 12, 20167.16pmNow, we cannot discuss Bournemouth without mentioning their three new arrivals. The Cherries have been quick in this window by sealing the signatures of Juan Iturbe on loan from Roma, Lewis Grabban from Norwich City and Benik Afobe, who is the club's record transfer signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Reports have claimed that the Cherries parted with around £12m for the striker's services. That's a large chunk for a promoted side, but then again, they do have the backing of rich Russian owner Maxim Demin.
7.18pmThis is the first time in Afobe's career that he has a realistic chance of playing Premier League football. The 22-year-old spent a total of 14 years as an Arsenal player after joining the club's academy in 2001, but he did not make a single appearance in the top flight wearing a Gunners shirt.
7.20pmAfobe was sent on loan to six different lower league clubs but eventually moved from Arsenal permanently to Wolves in January last year. In total, the striker scored 23 goals for the Championship outfit and he has spoken of his desire to find the back of the net for the Cherries with the hope of keeping the club in the Premier League.
On Monday, he told reporters: "Since I was about six I've always dreamed about playing in the Premier League. The manager here has given me the opportunity so I'm looking forward to repaying them by doing well for the team, and scoring as many goals as I can.
"This team play the way I like to play, I play the way this team like to play, so hopefully I can join my new teammates as soon as possible and work hard, keep improving as a player. I'd like to think I can score a few goals and help this team stay up.
"[Howe] spoke to me and told me about the philosophy of the club, how he wants to play, what he thinks I can improve on, and the stuff I do that's really good. I liked what I heard and hopefully I can repay him."
7.22pmOn Monday night, Bournemouth confirmed the return of Grabban from Norwich. The striker left the Cherries in the summer of 2014 and reportedly wanted to return to the South-Coast club last summer, but the Canaries rejected three bids from Bournemouth. Grabban fell out with the management at Carrow Road and was subsequently suspended, but it appears as though he got his wish in the end as he is a Bournemouth player once again.
7.23pmBournemouth fans will feel that they deserve a bit of luck following their injury crisis, which resulted in Tyrone Mings, Max Gradel, Callum Wilson and Tommy Elphick suffering long-term injuries. It really hampered their campaign for a while and at one point they looked certain to be relegated, but Eddie Howe managed to guide the team to a six-game unbeaten run between November 21 and Boxing Day.
7.25pmHaving a small stadium helps too as the crowd can create an intimidating atmosphere for their opponents. It's important for Bournemouth not to get carried away, though, as one more bad run could plunge them back into the bottom three, but they have some welcome fixtures coming up. After they play West Ham, they have Norwich City at home and then face Sunderland away. By the end of January they could be in a healthy position with four months left to go.
© Getty Images
7.27pmRight, let's turn our attention to Bournemouth's opponents West Ham. As mentioned, they are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games and head into tonight's match on the back of three wins on the trot following Saturday's 1-0 victory over Wolves in the third round of the FA Cup. They are definitely on a good streak, but it's worth noting that five of those seven league games have ended in draws, three of which were goalless, but they have the added incentive of getting a result this evening as they are just four points off a Champions League spot.
7.30pmAs it's January, the main talking points are transfer related, but there have been no new arrivals at Upton Park as yet. The club have been linked to numerous players, including Charlie Austin and Simone Zaza, but Bilic recently stated that West Ham will not be active in this window.
Last week, he told talkSPORT: "We have a good squad, a big squad, and [it's] 99% [certain] we will leave it like this and make our signings in the summer.
"If something exceptional comes along, whether that's a long-term deal for one great player, or a loan deal for a back-up player for six months, we will do it, but we won't buy just because it's the transfer window."
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7.32pmWell, what about outgoings? Andy Carroll's long-term future at the club seems uncertain at this current time. The striker has suffered with injury problems once again this season, but has returned to full fitness in the last few weeks. Carroll began his career at Newcastle and it is his boyhood club who have been rumoured to be interested in taking him back, while the Magpies' North-East rivals Sunderland are also reported to be keen. However, Bilic has rubbished suggestions that the club could sell.
"We never said we were willing to sell Andy, not me, not the chairman," Bilic told reporters last week. "He's a very popular player. We do not want to sell him. I think he likes it here, he's very important in the dressing room.
"I know he is happy here. Two goals in two games, the rumours start. The only way to stop the rumours is to play badly."
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7.34pmWith West Ham just four points off a Champions League spot, the team need to put pressure on those around them, and that's exactly what skipper Mark Noble has in mind.
Earlier this week, he told the club's official website: "We have played a lot of football in the last couple of weeks, a lot of hard games - Southampton, Liverpool, well-earned wins.
"Wolves was a possible banana skin for us at home, but we have come through it with a clean sheet and a victory.
"We want to keep on putting three points on the board, keep that feeling of winning games. We have won three in a row and the [five consecutive] draws before that have given us the platform to go on and do that."
7.37pmLet's go back five months when the season began and when Bournemouth travelled to Upton Park to take on West Ham. It was a thrilling match, with the Cherries coming out as 4-3 winners, which is their only competitive win over the Hammers in six attempts. Wilson scored three of Bournemouth's goals that day, but he is not in contention this time as he continues to nurse an injury. Interestingly for West Ham (but not in a good way!) is that Carroll has not scored in three successive appearances in the Premier League.
7.40pmPREDICTION: Right, as we edge closer to kickoff, it's time for a prediction. Bournemouth are on a high because of their recent run and they've got the home support behind them under the lights at the Vitality Stadium tonight. They also have the boost of three new signings, but the Hammers have enough quality to get an away win this evening. It should be a close contest, but it is unlikely that we will see as high a scoring contest as we did in August. Both teams should find the back of the net, but West Ham might just edge it 2-1.
7.42pmRight, the teams are making their way out onto the pitch. Kickoff is only a few minutes away!
1 minKICKOFF! West Ham get us underway kicking right to left...
1 minCHANCE! Oh my, what a start for West Ham! They come close to taking the lead inside the first minute as Valencia chases down a poor back pass from Francis to Boruc. It's played far too short, forcing the goalkeeper to come off his line. The attempt rebounds off the keeper and into Noble's path. The skipper goes for a long-range shot but it goes over the bar.
3 minThe home side don't seem to have recovered from that brief scare as they knock the ball around trying to find a way through. They have given the ball away cheaply while in possession and Adrian is yet to be tested.
5 minNoble wins possession on the right flank and the ball ends up at Valencia's feet. The forward tries to swing in a cross, but it's blocked by Daniels and goes out for a throw.
6 minBournemouth's defence look a little shaky in these early stages. West Ham try the long-ball approach searching for Carroll, who flicks on. The home side manage to clear, but Francis and Cook are struggling to cope with the striker's threat in the air.
8 minBournemouth play out the back from Daniels and play eventually switches to Francis, who launches it forward towards Afobe, but West Ham's defenders read it well and clear.
9 minPayet sends a lovely through ball for Valencia, who spots the run of the ball, but the Ecuadorian is too eager and is rightfully flagged offside.
10 minCHANCE! It's another long ball which Carroll latches on to after Cook hesitated in the air. Carroll drives to the byline and then swings the ball into the area, looking for Antonio, but Cook manages to get the ball over the bar.
11 minOh dear, it doesn't look like great news for Carroll. He's gone to ground in the penalty area with what appears to be a muscle problem. He's managed to make his way to the side of the pitch, but it's unclear whether he will continue.
13 minAs feared, that's the end of Carroll's evening. He's trudged back down the tunnel. West Ham will be hoping it's nowhere near as serious as his previous injuries.
14 minIt's a lovely reverse pass from Stanislas, who threads the ball into the box, it manages to drop to Ritchie, but West Ham are compact in the area and the Cherries cannot find a way through.
15 minWEST HAM SUB: As expected, Jelavic comes onto the pitch, replacing the injured Carroll.
16 minArter drives to the byline after the ball was laid off to him by Stanislas, but Tomkins is tracking his opponent. The defender puts Arter under pressure and the ball bobbles out behind the line for a goal kick.
17 minGOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 1-0 WEST HAM (ARTER)
17 minDear oh dear, Adrian - what a cheap goal to give away! Bournemouth don't care though, as Harry Arter gets his first Premier League goal. The midfielder picks the ball up from Surman and gives himself a yard of space before unleashing a 25-yard shot. Adrian should really stop it, though, as the ball bounces just in front of the keeper and despite him getting a hand on it, the ball hits the back of the net.
20 minCHANCE! Afobe comes so close to opening his account for Bournemouth! The home side play a corner short and the ball is eventually whipped in from the right. The new boy rises higher than Ogbonna, but his close-range header goes over the crossbar. He'll feel he should have done better.
21 minSAVE! It's all Bournemouth right now! Daniels finds space on the left side of the box after it's squared to him by Afobe. He drives a powerful shot at goal, but Adrian does well to get a hand to it and push it clear.
23 minAfter a shaky start, it's Bournemouth who are now piling on the pressure and they have definitely rattled West Ham! The visitors look a bit nervous in possession. They need to compose themselves if they want to get themselves back in this game.
25 minThe Hammers are trying to take the sting out of the game by keeping hold of the ball. At the moment, they're just stringing some passes together in their own half. They will need to rethink their approach now that they cannot go direct due to the absence of Carroll.
27 minPayet tries to make things happen for West Ham by sending a pass in behind Cook for Jelavic, but the substitute doesn't read the move and fails to chase it.
28 minCresswell sums up West Ham's last 10 minutes or so by trying to hoof the ball up top, but instead sends it out for a Bournemouth throw.
29 minAfobe does well to put pressure on Ogbonna by forcing the West Ham defender to send the ball out for a Bournemouth throw. They take it quick as Smith and Ritchie combine down the right-hand side before the ball comes into the box. It's blocked by Noble and Adrian collects.
31 minStanislas cuts inside and unleashes a shot, but it's instantly blocked and West Ham regain possession. Noble plays the ball over the top for Jelavic, but the striker is offside.
32 minStanislas links up well with Arter for a lovely one-two before Stanislas breaks into the left side of the penalty area. Tomkins does well, though, as his strength wins out and he gets the ball.
33 minCHANCE! Afobe should have two goals already! The new Bournemouth striker has squandered another chance. He latches onto the ball after a perfectly-weighted through pass from Stanislas. All Afobe has to do is get around the keeper, but it's a poor first touch and the ball bobbles away from him.
35 minFootball is an unpredictable game and you wonder whether Bournemouth will rue their missed chances by the end of the contest. That's one thing you cannot afford to do in the Premier League.
37 minSAVE! Aside from the first minute, Boruc hasn't had much to do, but he gets called upon this time. Payet sends a decent through ball to Jelavic, who sends a cross-turned-shot from the right side of the penalty box. Boruc gets a strong left hand on it to send it out for a corner.
38 minAs the ball is whipped in from the right corner, Tomkins tries to hook a volleyed flick into the net, but his attempt is sent over the crossbar.
40 minOh dear, Afobe has hit the deck! The Cherries new boy is receiving medical treatment after stretching for Gosling's pass while being muscled out of the way by Ogbonna. It looks as though the forward is going to be okay.
42 minBournemouth continue to search for their second as Cook lifts the ball over the top for Ritchie, but the wind plays a part and it drifts too far ahead for Ritchie to latch on to in the box.
45 minSAVE! Boruc is involved again as he tips the ball over the bar after stopping a shot from Payet from the centre of the box. The move started when Surman was sloppy in possession and allowed the ball to be nicked off him in the middle pf the park. He'll definitely be thanking his goalkeeper!
45+2 minHALF-TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 1-0 WEST HAM
8.33pmBournemouth enter the half-time break the happier of the two sides as they have a 1-0 lead of West Ham thanks to Harry Arter's 25-yard strike. Adrian will feel that he should have made a simple save, but he can't change it now!
8.34pmFrom when the goal was scored, the Cherries took control and could realistically be heading into the break with a three-goal advantage. New boy Benik Afobe had two great chances that he should really have taken. Eddie Howe will be hoping that they don't end up ruing them by the end of the 90 minutes. We'll return for the second half shortly!
45 minRESTART! Bournemouth get the second half underway! Can they add to their lead or will West Ham come from behind to cause an upset?
46 minWest Ham have started how they did at the beginning of the game - on the frontfoot. The visitors get an early corner, which is sent in by Payet. Jelavic tries to get the flick-on, but it doesn't come off and the set piece comes to nothing.
48 minCHANCE! Antonio manages to get past three Bournemouth shirts before he fires a shot, but it goes through Arter and Valencia's legs and trickles wide.
49 minBOURNEMOUTH SUB: It's not great news for the home fans as Ritchie trudges off with a knock. The good news is that fans get to see new loan signing Iturbe for the first time.
51 minOh dear, not another injury for Bournemouth?! Arter goes to ground clutching his face after getting hit by Obiang's flailing arm. He should be okay, though.
53 minCHANCE! What a perfect through ball for Valencia, but it's a poor first touch from the forward and Francis intervenes to prevent the shot.
54 minAt the other end, Bournemouth go on the break and Gosling goes for a shot on the left side of the area, but Collins deflects and West Ham regain possession. The visitors try to respond immediately, but Boruc does well to claim the ball.
57 minWest Ham have had most of the ball and are trying to find a way through. At the moment, Bournemouth seem happy to camp in their own half and then go on the counter attack.
60 minCHANCE! Noble makes a challenge on the edge of the area and manages to clear, but only to a Bournemouth player. The ball ends up in Stanislas's possession. He delivers a cross into the area, but it's cleared by Collins. The ball is met by Arter, who goes for a second goal, but his shot bounces wide of the far post.
61 minCHANCE! It's West Ham's turn! Valencia unleashes a shot from 20 yards out, but he misses the target and the ball flies into the stands.
61 minWEST HAM SUB: Tomkins makes way for Jenkinson.
64 minIturbe tries to show his skill by keeping the ball alive by winning it back in West Ham's half. He tries to play a one-two with Daniels, but his teammate doesn't read it and West Ham regain possession.
65 minCHANCE! Arter has a decent opportunity to get on the scoresheet again as he goes for a long-range shot, but Adrian makes the save.
67 minGOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 1-1 WEST HAM (PAYET)
67 minWow, what a goal from Payet! The West Ham star marks his first start since recovering from injury with a goal! The visitors are awarded a free kick following a foul from Smith. Payet stands over the ball and takes aim from 25 yards out. He curls the ball over the wall and the it hits the underside of the crossbar before hitting the net.
72 minThe visitors are on the up now as they earn two corners. The first is cleared by Afobe, while the second falls to Antonio, who flicks the ball on, but Jelavic is unable to meet it.
73 minBOURNEOUTH SUB: New boy Afobe is substituted and replaced by January signing Grabban.
74 minGOAL! BOURNEOUTH 1-2 WEST HAM (VALENCIA)
74 minWest Ham have come from behind to lead at the vitality Stadium! Valencia picks the ball up in the penalty are before smashing the ball into the ceiling of the net with his first touch. What a comeback!
78 minWEST HAM SUB: Goalscorer Payet makes way for Song.
80 minBOURNEMOUTH SUB: Howe makes his final change as Arter is replaced by Murray.
81 minPenalty?! No... Stanislas unleashes a shot from the edge of the box and calls for a penalty as he believes that Ogbonna has handled the ball, but the defender did not know too much about it.
84 minGOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 1-3 WEST HAM (VALENCIA)
84 minMy oh my, what a goal from Valencia! The Ecuadorian has his second and this time it's from a free kick. He hammers a thumping shot towards the goal and it dips before nestling into the near post.
86 minOFF THE POST! (..but not in a good way for West Ham!) Ogbonna slices a clearance onto the near post of his own goal after Murray put him under pressure. The home side get a corner, but it's cleared by Adrian.
90 minIt's been a disappointing end for Bournemouth and it's summed up by Daniels allowing the ball to run out of play. The Cherries have four additional minutes to see the game out.
90+2 minThe home side try a late attack as Daniels crosses the ball in from the left. Collins heads clear, and the defender is called on again as he clears a corner.
90+4 minFULL-TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 1-3 WEST HAM
9.40pmSo, Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia steered a comeback 3-1 win for West Ham United after conceding to Harry Arter in the first half. Bournemouth looked comfortable, but they rued the chances missed by debutant Benik Afobe and it wasn't to be as the Hammers keep themselves in the hunt for a European spot. Thank you for joining us, and until next time, goodbye!
