West Ham missed the chance to significantly close the gap to safety after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by Bournemouth.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side are now two points behind Nottingham Forest, who host Liverpool on Sunday, and four behind Tottenham ahead of the north London derby with Arsenal, live on Your Site.
West Ham created an expected goals total of 2.82 from 20 shots, although only three were on target and they couldn't find a way past goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who made a crucial late save from former Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson's toe-poked effort.
Bournemouth, now unbeaten in seven league games, had four shots on target, yet their best moment came at the end of winger Rayan's driving run from inside his own half during the second period, which ended with his shot clipping the outside of the left post.
Crysencio Summerville was West Ham's brightest player. His speed and unpredictability caused Bournemouth problems throughout as his deflected shot late on landed on the roof of the net.
West Ham striker Taty Castellanos also went close in the second half, with his powerful overhead kick missing the target before Jarrod Bowen fired over deep into stoppage time from close range to compound a frustrating evening for the hosts.
West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo said:
"We started really, really well, the chances that we created, and we are starting almost every match really well, eventually scoring, which changes the dynamic, that was the intention.
"Overall, not only the beginning of the game, till the end of the game, we were close, we were really close, and that is the feeling of sadness that is with us, that we feel that it was almost there for us to take, and we didn't take it.
"But at the same time we performed well, we competed well, we were solid, we didn't allow too many situations but we were really close, so that's why we are sad.
"I'm proud because I really believe, and you know me for many years now, that everything starts from there [having spirit]. You have to put your body on the line, you have to keep a clean sheet, and that is always the purpose that we should implement in the team.
"It has to continue and it has to start after tomorrow, already thinking about the clean sheet again. We can always create, because we have talent up front."
Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola:
"It's a good point for us. I didn't like our performance in the first half. I think the second half was much better from our side, at least the game was more open, we had our moments, we tried to score, we hit the post.
"They also had their moments, but the game we wanted to play was more like the second half game than the one we played in the first half, which never looked threatening for them.
"I value this point because now this stadium is not an easy place to come because they are in a good run, like us, and they need results and you can feel it from the beginning.
"We knew they were going to start strong but still we couldn't equal their intensity at the beginning so it definitely hasn't been our best game of this run of games but away from home in this situation, considering everything, I think it's a good point for us."
West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen told Your Site:
"We played with energy and created some chances. It is a point, but we could have turned that into three points which would have been ideal.
"We take every point in this situation and take the positives from the performance.
"We need points but you also need performances to go with it, and we didn't lose the game. That's important. We've had games this season where we played ok and lost because of a loss of frustration.
"I think we had the chances to go and take three points. We need confidence but also results."
