AFC Bournemouth 0-2 West Ham United
Premier League Summer Series, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, Sunday 3 August 2025, 2pm EDT (7pm BST)
Clinical finishing from Niclas Füllkrug and Jarrod Bowen ensured West Ham United completed their 2025 Premier League Summer Series with a 2-0 win over AFC Bournemouth in the United States.
The star forwards converted either side of half-time at the incredible Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, as Graham Potter’s squad ended the tournament with back-to-back victories following a midweek win over Everton in Chicago.
Bournemouth created nearly three times as many goal attempts as West Ham, 14 to five, but a combination of wasteful finishing, good goalkeeping and last-ditch defending meant it was the Londoners who took the three points.
Maximilian Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and El Hadji Malick Diouf denied Evanilson, Adam Scott and David Brooks inside the opening six minutes as Bournemouth started fast.
On eight minutes, Evanilson inexplicably fired Marcus Tavernier’s left-wing cross against the inside of the post when it looked simpler to score, and the ball curved behind Alphonse Areola and out for a goal kick.
Hamed Traorè and Tavernier had shots blocked and the latter fired the former’s cross into the side netting, all inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour.
Then, miraculously, West Ham went in front on 24 minutes. After an improved period of play, Diouf’s dangerous cross was initially mishit by Bowen, but he steadied himself and rolled square for Füllkrug to convert from seven yards.
Four minutes later, Bournemouth hit the woodwork for a second time as Illia Zabarnyi’s powerful header cannoned down off the underside of the bar. Evanilson got to the bouncing ball first, but Areola clawed away the Brazilian’s follow-up header.
The half ended with Lucas Paquetá dragging a shot wide, and West Ham went in for their half-time oranges – or maybe it was Georgian peaches – one goal to the good.
After Bowen had sliced a presentable opportunity wide, Bournemouth hit the frame of the West Ham goal again. Aaron Wan-Bissaka poked the ball away from a Cherry and Areola opted not to pick it up, instead thumping an attempted clearance into Evanilson and the ball cannoned off the outside of the post.
Within minutes, West Ham punished their opponents again. Player of the Match Diouf was the creator again, as his whipped left-wing cross was met by Bowen, whose right-foot shot bounced back past substitute goalkeeper Đorđe Petrović.
The chances dried up – as did the weather after a pre-match storm drenched Atlanta – as both coaches emptied their substitutes’ benches, and ultimately West Ham held out for a victory that guarantees second-place in the Premier League Summer Series table.
Should Everton beat Manchester United by three clear goals in the second of Sunday’s Summer Series games in Atlanta, the Londoners will take the trophy home.
AFC Bournemouth: Neto (Petrović HT), A.Smith © (Araujo 69), Senesi (Hill 69), Zabarnyi (Mepham 83), Truffert (Soler 83), Tavernier (Semenyo HT), Adams (Winterburn 84), Scott (Faivre 84), Brooks (Rees-Dottin 84), Traoré (Ouattara 69), Evanilson (Kroupi 69)
Subs not used: Paulsen (GK), Dennis (GK), Adu-Adjei, William
Booked: Araujo
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka (Walker-Peters 70), Todibo (Mavropanos 70), Kilman, Aguerd, Diouf (Scarles 90+1), Potts (Rodríguez 70), Ward-Prowse (Orford 84), Paquetá (Irving 85), Bowen © (Marshall 90+1), Füllkrug (Souček 70)
Subs not used: Foderingham (GK), Casey, Golambeckis, Álvarez, Fearon, Luis Guilherme, Cornet
Goals: Füllkrug 24, Bowen 68
Booked: Potts, Mavropanos
Referee: Victor Rivas
