West Ham United secure a huge three points as they beat Fulham 1-0 in the Premier League. The Hammers had to work hard for the win, with Crysencio Summerville scoring the all-important goal.
Since the turn of the year Nuno Espirito Santo’s team have been improving week-on-week in phases, and they showed their grit and determination to leave Craven Cottage with all three points.
Summerville the hero, as he took advantage of Bernd Leno’s mistake to send the Fulham goalkeeper walking as he smartly slotted the ball into the back of the net, scoring his fifth of the Premier League season.
Victory takes West Ham level with Nottingham Forest, closing the gap to safety.
Nuno made two changes to his starting XI for this game. Callum Wilson came in for Soungoutou Magassa to add some attacking intent, whilst Jean-Clair Todibo replaced Konstantinos Mavropanos in central defence.
First-half
West Ham showed intent in the opening minute, Jarrod Bowen setting up Valentin Castellanos who tested Leno immediatley.
Fulham weren’t going to make things easy for the Hammers, as they responded with two straight chances. Samuel Chukwueze drifted down the right-hand side to test Mads Hermansen, before Josh King’s effort went inches past the post.
Bowen had a goal-bound effort blocked by Calvin Bassey as the both teams pushed hard for the opener.
West Ham would then have back-to-back corners resulting in a VAR check for handball, which was swiftly ruled out.
Fulham came again on the half-hour mark, King testing Hermansen again, before Alex Iwobi did the same.
Bowen, causing Fulham problems once again, set up Callum Wilson with the help of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but the forward couldn’t keep his effort down.
Chaos in the West Ham box on the stroke of half-time as Hermansen failed to claim the ball. The big Dane made two saves before he was adjudged to have been fouled as the ref blew the whistle for the break.
Second-half
West Ham began the second-half on top, Tomas Soucek flying over former Hammer Issa Diop, meeting Bowen’s corner and sending Leno into full stretch.
Out of nowhere, disaster struck as Fulham were awarded a penalty.
Tom Cairney went down under a challenge from Valentin Castellanos. VAR recommended an on-field review and the referee John Brooks overturned the decision, instead giving a free kick to West Ham.
The Hammers hit back, Bowen testing Leno again before Summerville flouted in a sublime cross that neither Wilson or Soucek could turn home.
The West Ham pressure didn’t stop, five minutes later, it paid off.
A long ball over the top caused havoc in the Fulham backline, Leno rushed out, failing to claim the ball. Summerville pounced, winning the ball, dropping the shoulder on the keeper and slotting the ball into the back of the net.
As expected Fulham rallied, making for a nervous time for Nuno and his team.
Luckily, the home side couldn’t find their breakthrough and West Ham had three vital points.
A huge win but still a long way to go in this fight for the Hammers.
Teams
Fulham: Leno, Tete (Castagne 82), Bassey, Diop, Robinson, Berge (Sessegnon 82), Cairney (Bobb 61), King (Smith Rowe 61), Iwobi, Chukwueze, Jiménez (Muniz 61)
Subs not used: Lecomte (GK), Andersen, Reed, Lukic
Booked: Bassey, Robinson
West Ham United: Hermansen, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo (Mavropanos 90+3), Disasi, Diouf, Souček, Fernandes (Kanté 90+3), Bowen, Summerville (Adama 89), Wilson (Magassa 61), Taty
Subs not used: Areola (GK), Walker-Peters, Scarles, Kilman, Lamadrid
Goal: Summerville 65
Booked: Wan-Bissaka, Fernandes, Kanté, Bowen
Referee: Matt Donohue
Attendance: 27,191
