Match Report
West Ham United (0) 0-2 (1) Fulham
Premier League Match Day 33 2324 at London Stadium
Sunday 14th April 2024 KO: 14:00
Referee:
Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
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Fulham did the double over West Ham United with a comfortable 2-0 win at London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
An Andreas Pereira brace did the damage in Stratford, with the Brazilian notching in either half to secure a first away win in the Premier League over the Hammers since 2001.
As he did in this fixture last season, Andreas gave us the lead early on, this time showing neat footwork to round the goalkeeper before lashing in.
A second goal was important and it duly arrived in the 72nd minute, with Andreas tapping in after the ball was put on a plate for him by Alex Iwobi.
There was just the one change from the XI that started the narrow defeat by Newcastle United the previous week, with Sasa Lukic coming in for Tom Cairney in the middle of the park.
West Ham should have taken the lead with just three minutes on the clock. Vladimir Coufal showed good footwork to nip inside of both Antonee Robinson and Calvin Bassey, only to be denied by a spawling Bernd Leno arm. The loose ball fell kindly to Michail Antonio, but he blazed wildly over from 10 yards out.
The home side kept up the pressure with two corners – the first culminated in Mohammed Kudus bending narrowly off target from range, before Lucas Paqueta rifled into the side-netting at the next.
It had been a fast start by the Irons, but it was Fulham who drew first blood.
Konstantinos Mavropanos needed to cut out Iwobi’s cross to prevent Rodrigo Muniz from being in, but his interception fell straight to feet of Andreas, who kept his composure to round Lukasz Fabianski before smashing high into the net.
Andreas could have doubled his tally shortly after when Willian’s cutback picked him out. It bounced just before reaching him, though, and the Brazil international could only volley wide while sliding to connect.
The two ‘keepers were called into action from long range when Joao Palhinha and James Ward-Prowse tried their luck at either end, but both were saved comfortably enough despite the shots being well struck.
Another misplaced Mavropanos touch gave Andreas a sight of goal after half an hour, but this time Fabianski got down to keep out his snapshot from the edge of the box.
The Polish stopper then made three saves in quick succession to keep the score down, parrying Willian’s angled shot before keeping out two Rodrigo Muniz efforts.
There were chances at either end before the half was out, with Iwobi placing one a yard wide of the far post, and Ward-Prowse heading over.
Muniz had been a pest all first half, and he started the second half confidently, too, attempting a cheeky backheel shot after just 25 seconds that required another Fabianski save.
The veteran goalkeeper had been his side’s standout performer and they had him to thank again on 57 minutes when he got fingertips on Iwobi’s effort across goal after the winger had been played in at the end of a fine Willian carry.
Both teams then threatened from a corner, with Palhinha sending a half volley wide of the near post before Paqueta had a header saved by Leno.
Fulham had had a decent amount of joy creating openings after pinching the ball, and it was from one such scenario that we doubled our lead. A crunching Palhinha tackle allowed us to break with Muniz and then Iwobi, whose ball across the face was perfect for Andreas to tap home.
That second goal completely knocked what little wind remained from West Ham’s sails, with the rest of the contest seeing very little action – one Fabianski save from substitute Adama Traore aside – as the Whites secured a double over a team for the first time this season.
Slightly earlier, Hammers youngster George Earthy had been stretchered off after colliding with his own man, and we wish him a speedy recovery.
West Ham United : Fabianski, Coufal (Johnson 69'), Mavropanos (Zouma 60'), Aguerd, Emerson, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse (Soucek 69'), Kudus, Ings, Paqueta, Antonio (Earthy 82'(Cornet 91'))
Unused substitutes: Cresswell, Cornet, Ogbonna, Mubama, Anang
Booked: Paqueta (97,f)
Fulham : Leno, Castagne, Adarabioyo, Bassey, Robinson, Palhinha (Reed 98'), Lukic, Iwobi (Wilson 74'), Pereira (De Cordova-Reid 74'), Willian (Traore 92'), Muniz (Broja 92')
Unused substitutes: Rodak, Jimenez, Cairney, Diop
Goals:
Pereira 09 (Fulham lead after their first attack of the game, albeit with the help of a terrible mistake by Mavropanos, who tries to control Iwobi's long ball into the box, only for it to go straight to Pereira - and the midfielder simply rounded Fabianski to then fire into the empty net.)
Pereira 72 (Fulham double their lead after a lovely counter as Paqueta is dispossessed in midfield after a crunching Palhinha tackle and within the bink of an eye Pereira is racing up field, before finding Iwobi on the right edge of the box - and the Nigerian returns the pass to the unmarked midfielder who simply side foots home into an empty net for his second of the game.
FPL Assist: Iwobi)
Booked: Pereira (61,f), De Cordova-Reid (81,f)
Referee:
Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
Attendance: 0