Report and free match highlights from Fulham's 2-0 win over West Ham United. Andreas Pereira's goals in each half gave the visitors victory in this London derby. The Cottage are level on points with Bournemouth.West Ham miss the chance to move up to 6th place and remain in 8th place
Marco Silva's side returned to their winning ways in the Premier League, with Andreas Pereira's double either side of half-time giving Fulham a 2-0 victory over a lackluster West Ham United side.
The visitors made the short trip across the capital to end a three-game winless situation in the league and were met by an obliging West Ham side who gave their opponents the opening goal.
An attempted clearance by West Ham centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos went straight to Pereira in the box, and the Brazilian gratefully accepted the gift before firing past Łukasz Fabianski and into an empty net. The Cottages took the lead in the 9th minute.
It was 28-year-old Pereira who doubled Fulham's advantage with 18 minutes remaining. After a devastating counter-attack led by the attacking midfielder in an exchange of passes with Alex Iwobi, he headed home past a helpless Fabianski.
The hosts also had chances, the best of which went to Michail Antonio, but the forward opened the scoring after just four minutes in what was a frustrating afternoon for David Moyes' side. Ta.
As a result, 13th placed Fulham are level on points with Bournemouth, while West Ham remain in 8th place, missing out on the chance to move up to 6th place by surpassing Man United and Newcastle United.
How Fulham got back to winning ways
The home side came into the game on Thursday night after an energy-sapping Europa League quarter-final first leg against Bayer Leverkusen, but two late goals broke the hearts of the visiting side, but that disappointment was reflected in this off-collar It may have had an impact on the West team. Ham exhibit.
West Ham should have taken the lead early on, but after Bernd Leno did a good job of denying Vladimir Coufal, the striker somehow ended up on top of the unguarded goal when the ball went to Antonio eight yards out. He took a shot.
However, it was mostly good for the Hammers as Fulham took control of the game, albeit thanks to a horrible mistake by Mavropanos as he tried to control Alex Iwobi's long ball, handing the ball straight to Pereira. However, Pereira did not score a goal. error.
And it was precisely that combination that produced Fulham's second goal on the counter. Lucas Paqueta lost the ball in Fulham's half and in the blink of an eye Pereira raced up the field, Iwobi was released in the box and Pereira scored from the return pass. At the end of the match, he tapped home to seal the victory.
Meanwhile, flat West Ham played the final quarter of the game in a near-silent stadium apart from boos at the final whistle, but manager Moyes acknowledged 19-year-old George Arcee, who was taken away on a stretcher. There was also good news. Immediately after his debut, he was conscious and on his way to the hospital.
The Hammers will now need to pull themselves together if they are to have any chance of overturning Leverkusen's two-goal deficit in Thursday's Europa League last-eight rematch.
There is no comfortable home for the Hammers at the moment – Opta stats
- West Ham are without a win in their last four home games in the Premier League (D3 L1), their longest streak in a single season since October-December 2019 (six games) under Manuel Pellegrini. ing.
- Fulham recorded their third league double against West Ham, following the 1959-60 and 1965-66 seasons (both in the top flight). However, this is the first time they have won both home and away matches and kept a clean sheet.
- This was Fulham's fourth London derby victory in the current Premier League campaign (against West Ham twice, Arsenal and Spurs). The most in a single season in the competition.
- West Ham conceded the first goal in 10 Premier League games in 2024. Along with Luton, this is the most of any team. In fact, they have not kept a clean sheet in their last 13 league games, making it their longest period without a clean sheet since July 2020 (14 games).
What the managers said…
West Ham manager David Moyes:
“George [Earthy] I suffered a head injury. He is awake and taken to the hospital for further tests. ”
On Lucas Paqueta's display: “Every once in a while a player like this comes along, I haven't had many players like that, but you have to give them license. We really like him. He's done a great job for us. But that didn't happen today.”
On the possibility of overturning a 2-0 deficit in Thursday's first leg against Leverkusen: “We have to play really well on Thursday, but today we didn't have the shooting boots on and we didn't connect the chances well.
“We're going to need the shooting boots on Thursday and our goal scorers are going to need to be there for us to win.”
Fulham manager Marco Silva:
“It's a great win for us. To be honest, we deserved the three points. West Ham started well. They had plenty of chances to score. But then we went in a different way. I started controlling the game.”
“We know our quality and the way we play. We were solid and most of our transitions were good. We were more clinical and had more killer instincts.”
Silva finally brings out the best in temperamental Pereira
Sky Sports' Richard Morgan analyzed the London Stadium as follows:
“British audiences first took notice of Andreas Pereira in a Man United shirt ten years ago, but he has since enjoyed a stop-start spell at Old Trafford, including loan spells at Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo. He only made 45 appearances in total during his career, before Marco Silva decided to take him to west London in July 2022.
“The Portuguese supported his man-management skills and coaching ability to get the most out of the sometimes frustrating Brazil international, and that's exactly what he did.
“Following Fulham's 2-0 win over West Ham, in which Pereira scored his first double in the Premier League, Silva asked how the player should be positioned in midfield to get the best out of him. He talked about how he changed it to.
“'The plan was clear to him this afternoon,' Silva said in the post-match press conference. 'We said it would never happen.' [in front] Of West Ham's two midfielders. We wanted him between the lines, in the pocket, that's how we planned the game. As for him arriving in the box, that's what we're asking him to do. ”
“And the 28-year-old heeded his manager's advice at the London Stadium, contributing his 12th goal in 40 games in all competitions so far this season. “Right after the start of the game, Pereira ran up to the manager on the touchline and hugged him. The duo's close-knit score is there for all to see.
What's next?
west ham vs. hosting the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals bayer leverkusen Kickoff Thursday, April 18th at 8pm. They return to Premier League action on Sunday 21 April. crystal palace. Kickoff at 3pm.
Fulham Welcome to follow the title liverpool Live On at Craven Cottage on Sunday 21st April sky sports. Kickoff at 4:30 p.m.
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