Javier Hernandez steps in to fill gap left by Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini at West Ham

With the impeccable timing for which he was once so renowned, Javier Hernandez moved centre-stage just as West Ham absorbed the implications of the losses of fellow forwards Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini.

West Ham shelled out £16 million to acquire the ‘Little Pea’ from Bayer Leverkusen last summer but too often he has been a bit-part player, usually found on the subsitutes’ bench when not struggling to make an impression on the wide open spaces of the London Stadium.

But maybe, just maybe, not any more. Stepping off the bench to provide West Ham’s almost instant reposte to Ryan Fraser’s well-taken strike for Bournemouth, Hernandez provided a glimpse of the poaching skills that made the Mexican such a prized asset among Europe’s elite.

There had even been speculation over a move to Besiktas but that was being firmly quelled as West Ham manager David Moyes, who clearly sees a key role for the 29-year-old over the months ahead.

“Chicarito has come on today and made a difference. He can do that,” said Moyes. “You can’t question the clubs he’s played for, Man United, Real Madrid and Leverkusen. You don’t get to play for them if you are not a good player, and Chicharito is a really good player.

“We need him. If we can get him the right service, he gets that little bit more of confidence that sort of goal he got today might be typical.”

A reinvigorated Hernandez is even more crucial to West Ham following the news on Sunday that Carroll will be out for three months after scans confirmed a hairline fracture of his foot, while Lanzini could be out for up to a month after sustaining a hamstring injury against Bournemouth.

A point apiece was about right on Saturday and means West Ham and Bournemouth both continue to pull away from the Premier League’s lower reaches.

“To build unbeaten runs in this division is so difficult so if you can do it, you can transform your position,” said Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe, who marked his 100th Premier League match as a manager with the type of display he has built his reputation on.

“We’ve had that good flow about us in recent weeks where we have attacked with freedom and haven’t had too much caution in our play. But we still have a lot of work to do.”