West Ham United 3-2 Fulham
Premier League, London Stadium, Tuesday 14 January 2025, 7.30pm GMT
Graham Potter scored a thrilling 3-2 win over Fulham in his first Premier League game as West Ham United Head Coach.
Carlos Soler, Tomáš Souček and Lucas Paquetá got the goals as the Hammers held off in-form Fulham at London Stadium on Tuesday evening, giving Potter a welcome victory on his first top-flight game in charge.
The three points were won because West Ham took their three chances when it mattered most.
In their opening 20 Premier League matches, West Ham had 292 goal attempts – good enough for eighth-best in the top-flight – but just 87 of them had been on target, and only 24 of them had found the back of the opposition’s net.
In Tuesday’s game, the Hammers had four goal attempts, three of which were on target, and three of which ended up in the back of Bernd Leno’s net.
West Ham’s first and third goals, scored by Soler and Paquetá respectively, both came as a direct result of Potter’s players pressing and forcing Fulham into defensive mistakes. The second, netted by stand-in captain Souček, was a superb team effort.
While the Irons were clinical, Fulham were the opposite, particularly before the Irons’ opening two-goal burst.
Harry Wilson hit the crossbar with a volley from Alex Iwobi’s cross inside six minutes, before blazing over from 22 yards. Wilson was then involved again, setting up Emile Smith Rowe, but Maximilian Kilman blocked the England international’s bouncing shot with his head.
Smith Rowe half-volleyed over, Raúl Jiménez fired off-target and Antonee Robinson drove forward before dragging wide, but then the momentum of the match turned.
First, Kilman headed in Soler’s left-wing free-kick, but was immediately and correctly flagged offside, denying the centre-back his first goal for the Club.
No matter, five minutes later the hosts were in front. Edson Álvarez pressed Andreas Pereira as he received Leno’s pass with his back to goal and the Brazilian’s misplaced square pass was met flush by Soler, who slammed a first-time right-foot shot into the unguarded net.
Two minutes later, it was two, in some style too. Lucas Paquetá challenged Joachim Andersen for Kilman’s long ball and it dropped to Kudus. He shaped to shoot, but instead found Soler on the left. The Spaniard’s cross was met by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose cut-back was converted at the near post by Souček.
Fulham were wobbled, but still created one more chance before the break as Raúl Jiménez headed Iwobi’s cross against the angle of far post and crossbar.
Within six minutes of the restart, the momentum had turned again as Mexico striker Jiménez’s run distracted Fabiański, allowing Iwobi’s left-wing cross to bounce past the goalkeeper and halve West Ham’s lead.
Just when the nerves started jangling inside London Stadium, Leno handed the Hammers their third goal when substitute Danny Ings pressed the goalkeeper and the ball broke to Paquetá, who converted with his left foot.
The nerves were jangling again with 12 minutes to play, however, as the home side’s two-goal advantage was halved once more in almost identical fashion as Iwobi’s inswinging cross eluded the leaping Wilson and Fabiański on its way in.
Fulham finished strongly as Jiménez had a deflected shot saved, Iwobi fired wide and finally, in added-time, substitute Adama Traoré launched over the bar from six yards when it appeared easier to score.
Paquetá headed a chance for a fourth over very late on, but it mattered not as the Irons held on for a win that takes Potter’s side above Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United into 12th in the table.
Next up is another home derby with Crystal Palace at London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
West Ham United: Fabiański, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson (Cresswell 81), Rodríguez (Scarles 81), Álvarez, Souček ©, Soler (Irving 72), Kudus (Ings 63), Paquetá
Subs not used: Foderingham (GK), Coufal, Casey, Orford, Luis Guilherme
Goals: Soler 31, Souček 33, Paquetá 67
Booked: Paquetá, Souček, Wan-Bissaka
Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson ©, Lukić, Pereira (Cairney 68), Wilson (King 85), Smith Rowe (Traoré 68), Iwobi (Muniz 85), Jiménez
Subs not used: Benda (GK), Sessegnon, Cuenca, Diop, Reed
Goals: Iwobi 51, 78
Booked: Castagne, Lukić
Referee: Craig Pawson
Attendance: 62,456
