Bournemouth management were left "bemused" by West Ham's meltdown at the end of yesterday's 2-2 draw.

It's emerged Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini claimed assistant boss Jason Tindall was influencing referee Stuart Attwell.

An animated Pellegrini was involved in an altercation with Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe.

Tindall appeared to act as peacemaker, ushering the sexagenarian Chilean away from 41-year-old Howe near the dugouts of the Vitality Stadium.

Howe later denied that the exchange was heated: "No, not heated, we were just discussing a few VAR calls. Everyone's got their own different opinions to decisions, so there was no problem."

Moments later Pellegrini, whose side are now third in the Premier League, offered his side in an uncharacteristic outburst.

"No, I never talked about the VAR decision," he said. "I talk about the assistant coach of him, the complete game with the referee trying to pressurise in every decision. That's all what I complain, not about the VAR.

"Its his assistant. I think they don't need it because they are a good team that play offensive football. I think Eddie has done very good work here – his assistant doesn't need to do those kind of things because I don't think it's fair for the referee."

A source close to Bournemouth's management told the Daily Mail: "Eddie and Jason are bemused as to why the West Ham management were getting their knickers in a twist and not happy about it.

"They seemed to have a problem with Jason being on the touchline but everyone knows Eddie and Jason come as a team. They are always on the touchline together and did nothing different than in any other game.

"But they felt hard done by on VAR and weren't afraid to make that known. For some reason Pellegrini had an issue with it. Why? Probably because, deep down, he knows they were right and West Ham were lucky to come away with a draw."