Harrison Reed scored an unfortunate own goal to help West Ham produce one of the narrow football scores of the weekend in the Premier League. Moyes said his career was on the line following Wednesday’s 5-1 thrashing at home to Newcastle, but has retained the backing of co-owner David Sullivan, it was Harrison Reed’s terrible 23rd-minute first-half own goal that proved decisive. In the absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Carlos Vinicius fed off scraps for Fulham, but Lukasz Fabianski was hardly dragged into the action, with Andreas Pereira blocked as he sought to round the keeper as near as the hosts would allow.
Bernd Leno denied Danny Ings, who was soon substituted, to the chagrin of Hammers fans, but it would not attract prolonged Fulham pressure as the visitors hung on for their first Premier League away win since August. Fulham has now lost four straight league games for the first time since April 2021, keeping them in 10th place, while West Ham has risen to 13th, three points above the relegation zone.
Moyes was enthusiastic and relieved after the final whistle as Fulham manager Marco Silva watched from the terraces, serving the first of his two-game touchline ban. The Scot has survived to fight another day. Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady were in the stands at Craven Cottage, witnessing a tenacious performance that earned the Hammers three points against a sluggish Fulham, who are beginning to appear like a side thinking about next season.
Moyes had made five changes in response to the Newcastle fiasco, but it was a stroke of luck that determined this tense match. Vladimir Coufal, one of those substitutions, pulled out a cross to avoid Antonee Robinson, and after Tim Ream had handed his clearance to Jarrod Bowen, his low center struck the inside of Reed’s heel, confusing Leno. A nasty game had a suitable winner, but for Moyes, it was a precious moment.
Ings should have made the second half far more comfortable when he latched onto Bowen’s through pass and lofted his finish over Leno’s head as he advanced at his feet, but despite their dominance, Fulham lacked penetration. After Pereira was denied in his attempt to round the veteran West Ham custodian, Tosin Adarabioyo headed into Fabianski’s gloves – but that was as close as the Hammers got, who should have put the game to bed in stoppage time when Maxwel Cornet shot straight at Leno, failing to capitalize on a mistake by Ream. Moyes is still alive, and Fulham is on the beach.
“They scored through our own goal, which should be disallowed due to Coufal’s apparent handball in the build-up. It’s tough for us to understand why the VAR didn’t review that moment because it was right in front of the linesman,” Fulham boss Marco Silva said. “Nonetheless, our performance in the first half has cost us. We sought more inventiveness in our half-time adjustments in order to become more unpredictable. The second half was better, with two or three threatening moments, but it wasn’t enough for us to equalize. Our execution was not up to the standard that it should have been. I only know one method to improve my outcomes, and that is to work hard. This is how we’ve had so many good performances this season and how we got to where we are at the table. To improve, we need to exhibit more personality on the pitch. It is normal to play without confidence when you are not receiving results, but it is up to you to change that.”
“We stole a goal. The modifications were effective, and we spotted a handful of the boys who had been there for a while and knew their tasks. That provided us with a solid platform upon which to build. They are very good, seasoned players in whom I have faith,” West Ham boss David Moyes said. “Today, we began with Danny [Ings] and Mic [Michail Antonio] to see if it could provide us with something different. It did, in parts. That’s the plan: we’d like to play a more expansive game. But I think you understand that when you’re at this position in the league, you have to play a certain style. Today, I believe the decisions we made and when we made them all worked quite well.”
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