With goals from Javier Hernandez, Issa Diop, and Michail Antonio, West Ham United tidied up a solid Friday night under the lights. The team performed well and carried play throughout the match, limiting the Fulham cottagers to counterattacking play. Here is the match review!
* Title and opening paragraph are not reflective of the opening 10 minutes of the game.
Get to the goals!
Blimey, the Hammers certainly didn’t look up to it early in this match. Just 40 seconds in, Pablo Zabaleta who has just returned to the starting XI played a lazy backpass that was intercepted by Ryan Babel. Fabianski stood tall and turned it aside, but at the three-minute mark, the Polish keeper couldn’t stop an unmarked Babel, again, who scored the opening goal.
It was inexplicably sloppy from the well-rested Hammers, but thankfully after weathering the initial storm, the tides turned. West Ham amassed 12 corner kicks in this match and made sure to utilize them in the first half.
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Robert Snodgrass’ delivery in the 29th minute forced an emergency punch from Sergio Rico, the Fulham keeper, but Antonio won the following header towards Ogbonna who knocked it to the hand of Chicharito to level the score.
Yes, the HAND of Chicharito. It was controversial but there is no debate about it. West Ham’s surprise starting striker pulled a veteran move and launched his head towards the out of reach ball, disguising the illegal goal. Call it justice for the offside goal Liverpool scored.
Eleven minutes later Snodgrass would whip in another dangerous ball from a corner. This time the in-swing was a little bit closer to the front post and centre-back Issa Diop met the ball and splashed it home. This was the crowning jewel to a solid performance by Diop, who despite his age continuously looks like a promising star-in-the-making.
The final goal came in stoppage time as West Ham carried possession off of a Fulham last-ditch effort to draw the match. After Marko Arnautovic’s first shot hit the post, the Hammers kept possession and Arnie picked out standout player Antonio who headed it home from about 12-yards out.
Honorable Mentions
Outside of the goalscorers, West Ham had plenty of stars. Robert Snodgrass collected one assist in the match, but was constantly chasing down the ball in the midfield and took a fair few kicks from the Fulham players.
Declan Rice, who was voted man of the match, was yet again brilliant. He has reached the level of success where random pundits will slag him off now (see Nathan Murphy’s tweet) but just ask Raheem Sterling, its part of the game apparently. Murphy later showed his Irish hand; he was disappointed Rice didn’t choose Ireland. Dec was solid and dominant yet again.
Lanzini also returned to action! The Argentine replaced Felipe Anderson, which was a bit of a surprise, but his 76th-minute insertion saw him get substantial time and he didn’t look lost, slow, or out of place. The team was also dead-set on getting him a goal, but the football gods didn’t want it.
Fabianski kept the Hammers in it early with his 40-second save. He also commanded the area well, claiming long balls that would have been met by Fulham attackers. He showed off his rebound control in this match, as well, holding on to the limited Fulham shots which helped the Hammers keep possession and end threats against.