Premier League GW16 - Fulham vs West Ham

Fulham Demolishes West Ham 5-0 in Craven Cottage Spectacle

PREMIER LEAGUE 2023/24 SEASON

1/21/20244 min read

Fulham vs West Ham | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

West Ham and Fulham played in a thrilling London derby at Craven Cottage. Both teams had interesting stories to tell going into the match. Fulham wanted to continue their strong goal-scoring run after defeating Nottingham Forest 5-0 recently. Spurred on by their thrilling comeback victory over Tottenham, West Ham looked to win an important road game. The fans had no idea that they were going to see an exciting show.

Fulham:

Fulham's best Premier League victory in over ten years came on Wednesday when they thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-0. Under Marco Silva, the team has scored 11 goals in their last three games, including three against Wolves and Liverpool. They are now nine points clear of the relegation zone as a consequence. If the capital club wins today, it will be the first time since 2012 that they have won three in a row at home in the Premier League; yet, the Cottagers have lost their last 11 London derbies.

West Ham:

Midweek, West Ham overcame a one-goal deficit to defeat Tottenham 2-1, raising their record to five victories from six across all competitions. The Hammers' strong play has solidified their position in the top half of the standings, but they are yet to record their first away Premier League clean sheet of the year. Despite this, they have scored in all nine of their previous high-level away games and have won five of their previous six encounters with today's opponents.

Starting XI:

FULHAM (4-2-3-1):

Bernd Leno; Timothy Castagne, Tosin Adarabioyo, Calvin Bassey, Antonee Robinson; Joao Palhinha, Tom Cairney; Alex Iwobi, Andreas Pereira, Willian; Raul Jimenez.

SUBS: Marek Rodak, Sasa Lukic, Fode Ballo-Toure, Rodrigo Muniz, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Carlos Vinicius, Harrison Reed, Kennt Tete, Harry Wilson.

WEST HAM (4-3-3):

Lukasz Fabianski; Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, Aaron Cresswell; Tomas Soucek, James Ward-Prowse, Pablo Fornals; Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta.

SUBS: Joseph Anang, Angelo Ogbonna, Divin Mubama, Danny Ings, Emerson Palmieri, Maxwel Cornet, Said Benrahma, Thilo Kehrer, Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Craven Cottage Stadium | Picture Credits: Fulham Website

First Half: Fulham's Dominance Unleashed

Building on their last convincing victory, Fulham demonstrated their attacking ability from the first whistle. The Cottagers gave West Ham continuous problems with their superb ball control and passing accuracy. In the twenty-second minute, Joao Palhinha's outstanding cross from the left was met by Raul Jimenez's signature header, bringing Craven Cottage to its feet. With a 1-0 advantage, Fulham created the conditions for further drama.

The hosts didn't stop there, as Willian doubled the lead in the thirty-first minute. Alex Iwobi's shot and Andreas Pereira's shrewd play set up a sequence that Willian finished off with a cool first-time finish to give Fulham a 2-0 lead. A third goal from Fulham came just before the interval. Tosin Adarabioyo rose high to meet Pereira's corner after Iwobi had blocked a volley, sending a soaring header into the top-left corner. With a comfortable 3-0 lead at halftime, the Cottagers were in control.

Second Half: Fulham's Goal Fest Continues

Fulham continued to put constant pressure on West Ham's defence in the second half, carrying over their momentum. Harry Wilson, a replacement, showed off his skill in the 56th minute when he forced Lukasz Fabianski to save a close-range attempt. Wilson showed he was not going to back down, and he scored Fulham's fourth goal in style a few moments later with an incredible strike from outside the box.

The 89th minute was when the cake was iced. After scoring earlier, Wilson released Carlos Vinicius in the area and took on the role of provider. Vinicius finished Fulham's 5-0 thumping of West Ham with a composed finish, putting the ball past a defenceless Fabianski.

Fulham's Resurgence, West Ham's Nightmare

Fulham's resounding 5-0 victory over a faltering West Ham team demonstrated their attacking strength and superiority. With five different scorers, Marco Silva's team demonstrated their variety and strength all over the pitch. Fulham moved up the Premier League standings after the victory, now trailing West Ham by just three points.

It was a day West Ham would never forget. With five goals given up and minimal offensive output, they raise concerns about their general form and defensive weaknesses. The triumphant supporters of Fulham celebrated an incredible win, and the Cottagers are full of confidence heading into their matchup with Newcastle United. Conversely, West Ham has to get back together before visiting Freiburg in the Europa League and taking on Wolves in their upcoming Premier League match.

This 5-0 victory will go down in Craven Cottage annals as a monument to Fulham's comeback and West Ham's horror in the heart of London. The Premier League is still full of surprises, but this game will go down in history as one of Fulham's best performances of the year.