Enes Unal's stunning free-kick canceled out Lucas Paqueta's controversial VAR penalty to give Bournemouth a deserved 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Unal rose from almost 30 yards to slot the dead ball past a helpless Lukasz Fabianski and ease the sour taste in the hosts' mouths after falling behind in a controversial handball decision just minutes earlier.

"It is quite sensational, it is magnificent from Unal", was the assessment of Sky Sports' Alan Smith.

The Cherries had been knocking on West Ham's door since the first half - registering 17 shots in total - but appeared to be frustrated by their industrious visitors, who were then given a bit of luck to find the opener themselves.

After substitute Nicklas Fullkrug nodded a header towards Kepa Arrizabalaga, VAR Michael Salisbury spotted a possible handball against Tyler Adams from Aaron Wan-Bissaka's initial cross and after a lengthy review and Chris Kavanagh's visit to the monitor on the field, the referee indicated the place.

"I saw it on the big screen like most people and I thought it was rough, I know his hand is high but he's so close to the ball," Ryan Christie said. Sky Sports afterwards.

"Their striker loses a man anyway afterwards, so there can be an advantage that comes into play. We didn't get one in a similar situation against Ipswich."

Paqueta headed home to a chorus of cheers around the Vitality Stadium, before Unali's free-kick moved the Cherries two points clear of Man City in fifth.

Both sides had previously hit the woodwork in an even first period before Fabianski was alert to deny first Evanilson and then Christie with two acrobatic stops as the Cherries increased the pressure in the second, but the Hammers deserved their point after one of them. the most committed defensive performances of the season.

Iraola upset after personal intervention for the rule of handball

Bournemouth the head coach Andoni Iraola THE Sky Sports:

"I don't think it's a good result for us even if we scored at the end. We were better in the second half. I didn't like the first half. We were pushing to win and then the penalty happened. and we had to to take the point, I don't think it's a good point for us.

"The game went too slow in the first half for us. We weren't brave enough to put them under real pressure. We improved in the second half but it wasn't enough to win it."

On the West Ham penalty: "I am very disappointed. We had this meeting before the season and I argued personally because they don't want defenders to defend with their hands behind their backs.

I told them we will continue this because you are calling a penalty. They told me don't worry, it's a natural position, we won't call it. First, bam, I am very disappointed complained about this rule. They didn't want defenders to be unnaturally defensive.

Carra: 'Decent return' eases pressure on Hammers

Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football:

"Where West Ham were going into last Monday's game against Wolves, that's a good bounce back considering where they've been for a large part of the season. I know we saw them beat Newcastle, but they were quite lucky in that game.

"Then they had Arsenal and Leicester - and those were really bad for them.

"I said before the game, if they won tonight it would have felt like a big result, but I think to leave Bournemouth, it's not a bad result.

"They will be disappointed, they will go 1-0 up and maybe they think they see the game there, but they would have taken it before the game."

Lopetegui: We competed very well in a difficult stadium

West Ham coach Julen Lopetegui THE Sky Sports:

"I think it was unfortunate. We thought we were going to win in a difficult stadium. It was very close. In the first half we were better, in the second half they were a step ahead. They demand a lot at home.

"We struggled a bit, but we overcame that to score. It was an incredible goal from Unal. It's a point in the end. We were thinking about three points, but we competed very well."

History of the match in statistics...

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