West Ham fought back to beat Fulham and secure back-to-back Premier League wins after a topsy-turvy London derby.
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Andreas Pereira gave Fulham the lead with a fine strike from a ridiculous angle and the Cottagers were on top early on and could have stretched their lead.
Jarrod Bowen equalized from the penalty spot in the first half as Fulham weren’t happy with that decision and Marco Silva was apoplectic with rage at West Ham’s go-ahead goal.
A ball over the top found Gianluca Scamacca and he controlled and lobbed home and despite a lengthy VAR check for a possible handball, the goal stood. Substitute Michail Antonio scored late on to seal the 3-1 win.
With the win West Ham now move on to 10 points, while Fulham have 11 points.
What we learned from West Ham vs Fulham
Bad luck impacts Cottagers: The penalty call on Andreas Pereira was harsh and the possible handball on Scamacca could have easily seen that goal chalked off by VAR. Marco Silva was fuming and Fulham will feel very unlucky after this outing. They probably deserved a draw.
Scamacca, Bowen finding form: It has taken them a little while in the Premier League but they looked really sharp and stretched Fulham’s defense and had the quality to finish when chances arrived. Only some Bernd Leno brilliance stopped them scoring a few more and West Ham looked much more like themselves.
Tactical focus
Fulham were dangerous on the counter and caused West Ham problems throughout but they did miss Mitrovic’s hold-up play as Carlos Vinicius couldn’t keep the ball or keep attacks going. West Ham also played on the counter but looked more dangerous in the final third with Scamacca and Bowen linking up.
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Stars of the show
Gianluca Scamacca: Lovely finish for his goal and denied twice by Leno. Looks very sharp and has found his feet in the Premier league.
Joao Palhinha: Dominated midfield in the first half and is one of the best signings of the summer.
What’s next?
West Ham host Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday, Oct. 13 and then travel to Southampton on Sunday, Oct. 16. Fulham host Bournemouth on Saturday, Oct. 15.
How to watch West Ham vs Fulham live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 9am ET, SundayTV Channel: CNBCOnline: Stream via NBCSports.com
After a lengthy VAR review, Gianluca Scamacca gets his goal!
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) October 9, 2022
📺: @CNBC #MyPLMorning | #WHUFUL pic.twitter.com/uoJ7DF62Eh
Key storylines & (young) star players
Fulham may be without Robinson and Tete in addition to definitely missing Layvin Kurzawa, leaving Kevin Mbabu as the lone regular fullback certain to be available. Attacking injuries could shift focus to ex-Tottenham loanee Carlos Vinicius and wingers Neeskens Kebano and Daniel James.
West Ham started the Anderlecht win with Declan Rice, Lucas Paqueta, Gianluca Scamacca, and Pablo Fornals on the bench, with the quartet entering over the final 21 minutes to deliver the W. Aaron Cresswell, Kurt Zouma, Thilo Kehrer, and Tomas Soucek were completely rested, so there won’t be too much worry about the weariness angle mentioned above.
West Ham team news, injuries, lineup
OUT: Nayef Aguerd (ankle), Maxwell Cornet (calf)
Our team to take on Fulham looks like this! ⚒️#WHUFUL pic.twitter.com/qMJTWzDzgt
— West Ham United (@WestHam) October 9, 2022
Fulham team news, injuries, lineup
OUT: Kenny Tete (knock) Aleksandar Mitrovic (ankle), Layvin Kurzawa (knock), Manor Solomon (knee), Harry Wilson (knee), Nathaniel Chalobah (suspension)
Team news is in! ℹ️#WHUFUL pic.twitter.com/6tB3WFKUT1
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) October 9, 2022
