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Never before had Bournemouth fired as many shots on goal in a single Premier League game as the 29 they barraged West Ham with on Monday.
The fact only one ended up a goal said less about misplaced shooting boots and more about Lukasz Fabianski’s remarkable performance.
In the end he was beaten - Enes Unal’s blistering free-kick on 90 minutes cancelling out Lucas Paqueta’s penalty three minutes earlier for a 1-1 draw - but it had taken Bournemouth a real moment of quality to force their way past him.
Fabianski, though his distribution is by no means poor, is a goalkeeper of traditional tenets: a fine shot-stopper with a penchant for the acrobatic.
Those West Ham fans braved the December chill at the Vitality Stadium saw so first-hand, as the former Polish international kept the hosts at bay until Unal’s deadly dead-ball.
An Antoine Semenyo volley in the opening 10 minutes which clipped the post and went wide proved the stroke of luck Fabianski needed to inspire a vintage individual performance.
Shortly before the break on Monday, the former Arsenal and Swansea goalkeeper hurtled himself to the ground as the ball broke for Dango Ouattara at the back stick.
Somehow Fabianski fashioned his feet in order to thwart the winger’s shot. A stunning stop to keep the game goalless at the break; a sign of things to come after the interval.
In the second half, Fabianski stayed alert to scramble an Evanilson flicked header off the line from Ryan Christie’s inviting corner. Soon after, Christie thought he had finished off a sweeping Bournemouth counter, only for the goalkeeper to push his stern effort wide for a corner.
While a draw was a fair result, the Cherries had by far the game’s clearest-cut chances. Fabianski was equal to all but one of them.
Alphonse Areola, the former Paris Saint-Germain No1 and five-time France international, had usurped Fabianski as the first-choice Wes Ham goalkeeper in David Moyes’s final season in charge and remained so for the beginning of this season.
Since his own-goal in October’s 4-1 defeat at Tottenham, however, he has not played a minute, with Fabianski re-called and now firmly considered the No1 in Julen Lopetegui’s mind
“Lukasz was always ready, he works very hard,” the West Ham manager explained after the draw at the Vitality. “We are happy with him and with Alphonse. They have to keep this mentality to be competitive. He [Fabianski] did very well.”
Fabianski turns 40 in April and is the oldest player to play in the Premier League this season. He may be defying his age, but his manager does not believe he is defying expectations.
“I am not surprised,” Lopetegui said of his dependability in recent months. “I see him working every day. That is why he is playing.”
And Fabianski himself believes his diligence and hard graft explain his continued selection at the highest level as he nears his 40s.
“Whenever people ask me about my age, they usually start by saying ‘sorry’, but actually I’m going to give myself a tap on the back,” Fabianski explained after the match.
“I think it’s a credit to the way I’ve been consistent with my preparation over the years, how I’ve trained, and my mental approach to football in a demanding league.
“I’m just going to try to continue working like I always have done.”