Marko Arnautovic‘s two goal day looked set to lift David Moyes‘ West Ham United to another win, but a wild ending got wilder as Bournemouth came back to draw West Ham 3-3 at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday.
[ RECAP: Bournemouth 3-3 West Ham ]
Arnautovic scored twice to turn a 2-1 deficit into a brief lead, one that was put level when Nathan Ake‘s header was apparently handled on its way over the goal line by a borderline onside Callum Wilson.
Linesman Simon Long raised his flag, but referee Bobby Madley allowed the goal following a conversation. Arnautovic and the Irons were furious, and the Cherries gained a point.
Wilson called it a “touch of magic,” but the visitors clearly felt differently. From the BBC:
“It can’t be a goal for Bournemouth and it has to be a red card for Bournemouth, but that is football. I don’t know if I can he happy for the one point as the referee took three points from us. The mistake was the referee went to the linesman. He knows he made a mistake, but we all make mistakes. We have to believe, we are not in a brilliant position, but we have a lot of games to go and we can turn things around.”
Manager David Moyes was a little more restrained, but not much.
“I don’t know why he would not go with his linesman’s decision,” he said. “The offside could be close, the linesman gives it as an offside goal but the worst thing is the Bournemouth player puts it in with the top of his arm so it should be ruled out for that. For both decisions to be ruled out is disappointing.”
The offside was close, and even slow motion makes it difficult to tell whether the ball turned off Wilson’s arm, but either one of the perceived offenses is enough to enrage a West Ham supporter desperate for breathing room from the relegation zone.
