Keith Hackett hits out at Andoni Iraola for what he said after Bournemouth draw vs West Ham
Keith Hackett has explained why Max Kilman avoided a straight red card after he gave away a penalty in West Ham’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday.
Callum Wilson’s magnificent brace sent West Ham into a 2-0 lead before controversy ensued.
Bournemouth were awarded a penalty after Kilman used his arm to block Evanilson’s run, and Andoni Iraola was furious that the English defender wasn’t sent off by referee Tom Bramall.
Marcus Tavernier scored the spot-kick before substitute Enes Unal once again scored a late equaliser against the Hammers to make it 2-2.
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett exclusively told West Ham Zone that the decision not to send off Kilman was correct.
Max Kilman not sent off due to Aaron Wan-Bissaka cover
Despite conceding a late equaliser, Nuno Espirito Santo will undoubtedly be pleased to come away from the match with a point.
The result sees West Ham move up to 17th in the table, and they are unbeaten in their last three matches.
The result could have been far worse if Kilman was sent off, or if it weren’t for Alphonse Areola’s heroics in goal towards the end of the game.
Hackett backs Bramall’s decision not to send off Kilman, and he explained why Iraola has no right to be incensed by the decision.
The former Premier League referee said: “The Bournemouth manager wanted a red card to be shown for the deliberate handball. He should take a look at the law for the Denial of an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity.
“The reason it is not a red card is because there is a covering defender; it was not a DOGSO offence.”
Aaron Wan-Bissaka was covering Evanilson’s potential shot, and it’s a clear sign that the decision was correct after all.
Iraola was incredibly frustrated by Bramall’s call, and West Ham were made to pay for Kilman’s lapse in concentration.
Max Kilman must be dropped after another poor performance
Kilman is in talks to sign a new contract, yet his performances must improve drastically under Nuno.
Since joining the Hammers in 2024, Kilman has faced no competition for his role at the heart of the defence, and as a result, complacency has crept into his game.
West Ham are embroiled in a relegation battle, and they can’t allow themselves to blow a two-goal lead in a careless way again.
| Stat | Max Kilman |
| Pass accuracy | 88.3% |
| Long ball accuracy | 33.9% |
| Aerial duels won | 55.4% |
| Ground duels won | 60.7% |
There is nothing to warrant the 28-year-old starting other than the extortionate £40million fee that the Hammers paid for him, and it’s time that alternatives were used in his place.
It’s clear that if West Ham are to avoid relegation, they’ll need everyone to be completely switched on for each game, and Kilman was once again guilty of making another costly mistake against the Cherries. shown multiple times that he can’t do that.
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