Fulham 1-1 West Ham United
Premier League, Craven Cottage, Saturday 14 September 2024, 3pm BST
Danny Ings showed all the quality, experience and composure that had seen him score 71 Premier League goals to net a dramatic late leveller and secure a 1-1 draw at Fulham on Saturday.
The Hammers looked on course for a third defeat in four top-flight matches to start the 2024/25 season at Craven Cottage before Ings climbed off the bench and sent the Claret and Blue Army wild with a superb touch and finish in the fifth and final minute of added time.
In shades of the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League final, Vladimír Coufal’s quickly-taken throw found Jarrod Bowen who, rather than win a penalty, cut the ball back for Ings, who took a touch and fired a low shot past Bernd Leno at the near post.
The goal snatched a point West Ham did not look like snatching for long periods of the 94 minutes prior to Ings’ intervention. West Ham had defeated Fulham more consistently than any other opponent in the Premier League era, but the visitors did not look like securing a 17th win on their 29th meeting in the competition.
Indeed, at half-time, West Ham were fortunate to head back to their dressing rooms, situated in the Archibald Leitch-designed Pavilion that was built in 1905, some 87 years prior to the Premier League’s launch, just a single goal down.
While the Hammers had failed to muster a shot on target, with Tomáš Souček and Mohammed Kudus slicing high and wide and Michail Antonio seeing a speculative strike blocked, Fulham carried a threat every time they attacked and should have been further ahead at the interval.
Looking slick in their 4-3-3 formation, the Whites’ Andreas Pereira and Raúl Jiménez tested Alphonse Areola in the early stages. The hosts were then left frustrated when referee Tim Robinson waved away strong penalty appeals for Maximilian Kilman’s challenge on Adama Traoré.
Alex Iwobi then went close twice and Traoré headed a clear chance wide before Fulham’s frustration turned to elation on 24 minutes. Antonee Robinson intercepted, Saša Lukić passed, Pereira lofted the ball over the top, Emile Smith Rowe collected and crossed, and Jiménez beat Kilman to finish past Areola at the near post.
Pereira sent one free-kick over and saw another blocked before Traoré ended a lively opening period by seeing his shot blocked by the busy Kilman.
Unsurprisingly, Lopetegui changed his gameplan and his personnel at the break, bringing on Lucas Paquetá and Crysencio Summerville. Within minutes, Summerville had won a free-kick which Dinos Mavropanos headed on target, albeit straight at Leno.
Lopetegui then lost Emerson to injury, with Coufal replacing the Italian, and the Czech was soon involved in a move which climaxed with Kudus crossing and Leno making a superb save to deny Bowen.
West Ham had belatedly found some rhythm and Paquetá sent a dipping shot narrowly over the crossbar soon after, before Spain international Carlos Soler was introduced for his Claret and Blue debut.
However, the visitors could not maintain that rhythm and were fortunate when Smith Rowe hit teammate Jiménez with a fierce goal-bound strike 20 minutes from time, then again when Traoré headed Tom Cairney’s cross too high ten minutes later, and when Reiss Nelson’s low shot was held by Areola.
Time was running out and, after Kudus had fired over, Lopetegui introduced Ings with his fifth and final change, and the 32-year-old scored Premier League goal number 72 to grab a welcome point to follow the three won at Crystal Palace in August.
The Irons continue their early-season tour of the capital when Chelsea visit London Stadium on Saturday 21 September at 12.30pm BST.
Fulham: Leno ©, Tete, Bassey, Andersen, Robinson, Lukić (Berge 67), Pereira (Reed 87), Adama, Smith Rowe (Cairney 73), Iwobi (Nelson 66), Jiménez (Muniz 73)
Subs not used: Benda (GK), Wilson, Castagne, Diop
Goal: Jiménez 24
Booked: Silva, Lukić
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson (Coufal 57), Rodríguez (Soler 70), Álvarez (Ings 82), Souček (Paquetá HT), Bowen ©, Kudus, Antonio (Summerville HT)
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Cresswell, Todibo, Irving
Goal: Ings 90+5
Booked: Rodríguez, Álvarez, Soler
Referee: Tim Robinson
Attendance: 26,528
