Iraola and Lopetegui left unsatisfied as Bournemouth and West Ham settle for draw
West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui commended his team's resilience despite the disappointment of conceding a late equaliser in Monday's 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, a match that featured more shots than any other Premier League game this season.
Bournemouth, whose manager Andoni Iraola shared in the disappointment of the draw, recorded a club record of 29 attempts, while West Ham had 16. However, both teams managed only 12 shots on target, with all goals resulting from set-pieces.
Lucas Paqueta put West Ham ahead with a penalty three minutes from the end, but Enes Unal equalised with an outstanding free-kick, securing a point for his team.
"It is unfortunate. We believed we could win in a challenging stadium," Lopetegui remarked to Sky Sports.
"The match was very close. We performed better in the first half, while they were more dominant in the second half. We faced some difficulties but managed to score.
"Unal's goal was remarkable. After they equalised, they applied significant pressure. We demonstrated commendable composure in the closing moments and competed effectively."
Lopetegui, who has faced scrutiny following West Ham's inconsistent start to the season, expressed satisfaction with his players' attitude in a match where they were often outplayed.
"More important than the point is the attitude displayed by the players. It was commendable," he noted.
The draw leaves West Ham seven points above the relegation zone.
Bournemouth, currently in sixth place, have no such concerns, having accumulated 25 points at this stage of the season, a record for their Premier League history.
However, Iraola felt his team had dropped two points given the opportunities they created.
"I do not consider this a favorable result for us, even with the late goal," he stated.
"We were superior in the second half. The first half was unsatisfactory. We were striving for victory, but after the penalty, we had to settle for a point. I do not view this as a good point for us."
Our performance in the second half was notably superior. The first half did not meet my expectations. We were striving for victory, but the penalty changed the course of the match, compelling us to settle for a draw. I do not consider this result to be favorable for us.
In the first half, the pace of the game was sluggish. We lacked the courage to apply significant pressure on our opponents. Although we showed improvement in the second half, it ultimately fell short of securing a win.
SportsLigue