The London Stadium recently hosted a London derby featuring two Portuguese managers: Nuno Espírito Santo of West Ham and Marco Silva of Fulham. The match ended with a narrow victory for Fulham, thanks to a late goal from former Benfica player Raúl Jiménez, sealing the match at 1-0.
Match Overview
The first half of the game was uneventful, with limited goal-scoring opportunities. Fulham maintained slightly more possession and attempted to threaten the West Ham goal defended by Alphonse Areola. However, the game remained goalless at halftime, justified by the lack of chances from both sides.
Second Half Action
The second half brought more excitement. Fulham continued to control possession, but West Ham, led by Espírito Santo, began to create chances as well. Lucas Paquetá and Jarrod Bowen both had opportunities to break the deadlock, yet they failed to find the target.
In a classic football adage, “those who don’t score, suffer” proved true. In the 85th minute, Fulham’s Harry Wilson delivered a precise cross into the box. Raúl Jiménez struck with a header, securing the victory for his team.
Standings Impact
- West Ham now faces a challenging situation with three consecutive losses, remaining in the relegation zone with 13 points.
- Fulham celebrated their second consecutive win, climbing up to 10th place with 26 points.
Other Match Highlights
In another significant game, Brentford faced Bournemouth, where Kevin Schade made headlines with a hat trick, leading Brentford to a 4-1 victory. His goals came at the 7th, 51st, and 90+6 minutes.
Additionally, Burnley and Everton played to a goalless draw at Turf Moor. Everton’s Beto started the match and had more shots, while Burnley struggled at the bottom of the table, currently in 19th place with 12 points. Fulham’s win allowed them to surpass Everton in the standings, placing the Toffees at 11th.
