Midfielder Edson Álvarez believes there were plenty of positives to pick out from West Ham United’s 1-1 draw away at Fulham, as the team look to kickstart a good run of form with the season now in full swing.
The Mexico international featured for 82 minutes of the entertaining Premier League encounter at Craven Cottage, with his replacement Danny Ings popping up with the crucial equaliser in the final moments of five minutes of added time.
Álvarez’s compatriot Raúl Jiménez had earlier given the Cottagers the lead, and while the Hammers’ No19 admitted the hosts put up a tough test on their home ground, he thought his side deservedly earned a share of the spoils that should stand them in good stead going forward.
“I wouldn’t say it feels like a win, even though we scored so late, but I think the goal and the result were good rewards for the team’s effort,” the 26-year-old said.
“We know that every game is very challenging, especially away from home, and it was against Fulham. But you’ve got to keep believing right until the end, because you can score at any point from the first minute until the last.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but the first game back after an international break is always hard because you don’t have the whole group together until a couple of days before the match, so you don’t have much time to prepare.
“And I think all things considered, we’re on the right track. We’re still very early on in the season, there is a long way to go, and we have to be positive.”
A point at Fulham made it four from four games for West Ham so far in 2024/25, following victory at Crystal Palace in between narrow home defeats at the hands of Aston Villa and Manchester City.
Next up is a hotly-anticipated London derby against Chelsea at London Stadium on Saturday 21 September, and Álvarez is hoping to once again link up in midfield with fellow South American Guido Rodríguez, in pursuit of victory.
Álvarez added: “It’s not been an easy start, but in England every game feels like a final. Next up we have Chelsea, which will be tough as well, but we’ll be confident playing at our home ground, where the fans will be right behind us.
“I always love lining up with Guido, who I know well from my time at Club América in Mexico. But I have lots of good teammates, and I know regardless of who’s playing, they’ll be up to the task. The longer the season goes on, the more chemistry we’ll build up, so we’re confident of success.”
