West Ham United notched their first Premier League win under new manager Graham Potter, defeating Fulham 3-2 at the London Stadium. The victory extends the Hammers’ strong home record against Fulham, with just one defeat in their last 13 league meetings on home soil.
Match Highlights
- Fulham Start Brightly: Fulham showcased their impressive away form early on, with Harry Wilson striking the crossbar within six minutes. However, they struggled to maintain momentum against a disciplined West Ham defense.
- West Ham’s Breakthrough:
- At 27 minutes, Carlos Soler capitalized on an error from Andreas Pereira, intercepting a blind pass and beating Bernd Leno to open the scoring.
- Two minutes later, Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s precise cross set up Tomáš Souček to double the lead, leaving Fulham reeling.
- Fulham’s Response:
- Alex Iwobi’s cross unexpectedly found its way into the net early in the second half, halving the deficit and reigniting hopes of a comeback.
- West Ham’s Resilience:
- Danny Ings, fresh off the bench, forced Leno into a mistake, allowing Lucas Paquetá to slot home his fifth goal of the season.
- Fulham fought back again with another Iwobi cross that deceived everyone, cutting the score to 3-2.
- Late Drama: Adama Traoré missed a golden opportunity to level the match, firing wide from close range, ensuring West Ham held on for the win.
Key Stats and Impact
- West Ham’s Efficiency: Scored with their first two shots on target and capitalized on Fulham’s defensive lapses.
- Fulham’s Missteps: Defensive errors proved costly, ending their nine-match unbeaten streak and marking their first loss in a league London derby in almost a year.
- European Race: The result tightens the mid-table battle, with Fulham now just four points ahead of West Ham and slipping off the European qualification pace.
Graham Potter’s first win offers West Ham a promising platform to build on, while Marco Silva will be left ruing missed opportunities and defensive mistakes that ended Fulham’s impressive run.
