VAR calls help West Ham beat Bournemouth 2-0 in EPL

Oct 24, 2022, 10:45 pm

LONDON -- — West Ham was helped by two VAR calls for its goals in beating Bournemouth 2-0 in the English Premier League on Monday.

Kurt Zouma's 45th-minute header came moments after a corner swung in from the right struck fellow West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer on the arm as he jumped to meet the ball inside the six-yard box.

The video review judged the handball was accidental.

Then, as the match entered second-half stoppage time, a cross by substitute Vladimir Coufal hit the arm of Bournemouth defender Jordan Zemura as he tried to block the ball.

VAR suggested the on-field referee look again at the incident on the pitchside monitor and a penalty was awarded. It was dispatched by Saïd Benrahma.

Bournemouth manager Gary O'Neil remonstrated with the referee at halftime and received a yellow card, and also spoke to the match officials after the game.

“It's a blatant handball,” he said about the first goal. “His (Kehrer's) hands are in by his stomach and they move towards the ball.”

O'Neil complained the decisions against his team this season were “getting a bit ridiculous.”

“Since I’ve been here, there’s been 10 serious VAR checks and none have gone our way,” he said.

West Ham climbed to 10th place, one point and four spots above Bournemouth.

It was a second straight loss for Bournemouth, which lost two key players — striker Dominic Solanke and goalkeeper Neto — to injuries during the game.

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