5 classic Boxing Day Premier League fixtures of the decade

3. Bournemouth 3-3 West Ham – 2017

Callum Wilson scored a controversial Boxing Day equaliser for Bournemouth against West Ham in 2017

Not all Boxing Day classics have come in games involving the Premier League’s biggest clubs; case in point, this six-goal thriller between Bournemouth and West Ham from 2017. Coming into the game both teams were struggling – sitting in 17th and 18th place respectively – but the South Coast ended up treated to a controversial thriller.

David Moyes’ Hammers took an early lead through James Collins, who headed home from a corner with just 3 minutes gone on the clock. It took until just before half an hour gone for Bournemouth to equalise, when Dan Gosling smashed the ball home following a goalmouth scramble, and early in the second half, Eddie Howe’s side took the lead when Nathan Ake stabbed the ball into the net from close range.

With the clock ticking away, it appeared that the Cherries were on course for all three points – only for Marko Arnautovic to capitalise on a horrendous error from keeper Asmir Begovic, who slipped on the wet turf, to slide in an equaliser with 81 minutes gone.

The Hammers then appeared to have won the match when Arnautovic scrambled a rebound into the net following a Begovic save, but controversy then raised its head when Bournemouth somehow produced an equaliser in the 3rd minute of stoppage time.

Striker Callum Wilson diverted an Ake header into the net, but appeared to have used his hand to do so, while also in an offside position. The assistant referee flagged to disallow the goal – only for ref Bobby Madley to overrule him, angering both Moyes and Hammers’ fans, who all felt that they’d been cheated out of a valuable win.