Fulham v West Ham United
Premier League, Craven Cottage, Sunday 10 December 2023, 2pm GMT
A third consecutive London derby is on the agenda for West Ham United as the Irons travel west to face Fulham.
David Moyes Hammers play the Cottagers in Premier League action on Sunday 10 December at Craven Cottage, with kick-off set for 2pm.
The Hammers sit ninth in the Premier League on 24 points following an impressive 2-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday evening, while Fulham head into this weekend’s game on the back of a 5-0 victory against Nottingham Forest.
Tickets…
West Ham fans are advised that the Club's allocation of 2,701 tickets have sold out.
The first 90 per cent of tickets sold out to Bondholders and Season Ticket Holders with 32+ Loyalty Points. The remaining ten per cent (270 tickets) were then made available via a ballot process to Season Ticket Holders who had yet to purchase for this fixture. The ballot closed at 12pm on Tuesday 21 November.
Travel…
The simplest way to reach Craven Cottage is by using public transport.
The nearest London Underground station is Putney Bridge on the District line, which is a 15 minute walk along Ranelagh Gardens and the Thames Path through Bishops Park and into Stevenage Road, from where you can access the Putney End. Fulham Broadway and Parsons Green are also on the District line, but are both around a half-an-hour's walk to Craven Cottage.
Alternatively, you can travel to Hammersmith on the Hammersmith & City, Circle, Piccadilly or District line. From there, it is a half-hour walk to the stadium, or you can take the 220 bus to Fulham Palace Road.
If you prefer, Putney mainline station is around 25-minutes’ walk away across Putney Bridge on the south side of the River Thames and can be reached by South Western Trains from Clapham Junction and Waterloo. You can also catch the 74, 220 or 424 bus to Fulham Palace Road.
Parking around Craven Cottage is both extremely limited and restricted to the extent that driving is not advisable.
How To Follow…
West Ham’s visit to face Fulham has not been selected for live television broadcast in the United Kingdom.
If you live outside the UK, click here for details of listings in your territory.
You can listen to commentary in the UK on BBC Radio London 94.9FM and worldwide on whufc.com and our official app.
You can also follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle.
Team News…
Alphonse Areola missed out on Thursday's win at Spurs due to a wrist problem but manager David Moyes does not anticipate the setback being a long-term issue for the French goalkeeper.
Michail Antonio is continuing his recovery from an injury sustained on international duty.
Former Hammer Issa Diop has been unavailable for Sunday’s hosts in recent weeks due to a foot injury and is not anticipated to return in time for this weekend’s match.
Forward Rodrigo Muniz is nearing a return for Fulham after a knee injury while Marco Silva will be hoping Adama Traoré has recovered from a thigh problem in time.
Opposition…
After a few seasons of yo-yoing between English football’s top two divisions, Fulham once again appear settled into life in the Premier League.
A tenth-placed finish in the top flight last campaign, the highest of the three promoted teams from the Championship, was an excellent return for the Cottagers. Under Portuguese boss Marco Silva, the west London side have found consistency.
Silva’s appointment came in the aftermath of relegation in the 2020/21 season and, with the former Everton boss in charge, an immediate return to the Premier League was secured. Automatic promotion was achieved with four games left to play, before Fulham claimed the 2021/22 Championship title.
As mentioned, Fulham vastly exceeded the expectations of pundits and analysts alike with their efforts last season. Sat sixth in the league at the midway point, Fulham would eventually claim a top ten finish.
The form of striker Aleksandar Mitrović was undoubtedly crucial to those efforts, with the Serbian scoring 15 goals in all competitions. With Mitrović departing for Saudi side Al Hilal in the summer though, additions were needed in the summer window.
Silva has added real experience to his side in the form of attacking duo Raúl Jiménez and Adama Traoré from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Calvin Bassey from Ajax, right-back Timothy Castagne from Leicester City and versatile midfielder Alex Iwobi from Everton.
While results in the second campaign so far have not lived up to last year’s lofty heights, Fulham’s stay in the Premier League is likely to continue into a third campaign as the Cottagers continue to pick up points.
With three of their four league wins this season coming at home, Craven Cottage is sure to be a tough place to visit on Sunday for the Hammers.
Previous Meetings…
Recent history is on West Ham United’s side when visiting west London.
The Irons are unbeaten on our last four visits to Craven Cottage, picking up three wins and a draw in those matches. The most recent of those victories came last season, when Harrison Reed’s own-goal was the difference between the two sides in April this year.
A 0-0 draw in February 2021 played without supporters present was preceded by a 2-0 win at Craven Cottage in December 2018, when goals from Robert Snodgrass and Michail Antonio secured the three points.
You have to go back to New Year’s Day 2014 for Fulham’s last home win over the Hammers, with the Whites winning just three of their 13 Premier League home matches against West Ham overall.
The Hammers, by contrast, have claimed eight wins in 13 Premier League matches at Craven Cottage, leaving Fulham’s ground with an impressive 26 Premier League points over the years.
Match Officials…
Referee: Paul Tierney
Assistant Referees: Scott Ledger & Steve Meredith
Fourth Official: Steve Martin
VAR: David Coote
Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton
Paul Tierney has been named the referee for West Ham's visit to Craven Cottage to face Fulham.
The 42-year-old official from Wigan has been a Premier League referee since 2014 and has notably taken charge of the 2019 Championship play-off final between Aston Villa and Derby County, the 2021 EFL Cup final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, and most recently the 2023 FA Cup Final which saw City defeat Manchester United.
Tierney has taken charge of eight Premier League matches so far this season, including the Irons' 2-1 win away at Luton Town at the start of September.
He took charge of two West Ham Premier League matches last season in the English top flight; the 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 2022 and the 1-0 victory against Southampton in April.
More information about this weekend's officials can be found here!
