Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 16/09/26...

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League Cup

Tuesday 15/09
West Ham	2-3	Fulham
		Muniz Palacios Bobb

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West Ham United 2-3 Fulham
Oscar Bobb struck his first Fulham goal to seal their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after a thriller at West Ham.

On an emotional night, Hammers fans paid tribute before kick-off to their former goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko - who made almost 400 appearances between 1990 and 1998 - after he died from cancer at the age of 64.

And the hosts twice fought back in a first half containing four goals with Morato and Pablo - his first for the club - cancelling out efforts from Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz and Cesar Palacios.

Substitute Bobb's 78th-minute strike delivered a much‑needed win for Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa following a winless start in the Premier League.

Defeat ended a six‑match unbeaten run for Championship leaders West Ham, who pushed for a late leveller that never came.

Fulham dominated the start and worked the ball patiently until Antonee Robinson released Palacios to the byeline, where he swept in a cross for Muniz to head home the Cottagers' first away goal of the season from six yards.

The lead lasted three minutes as Konstantinos Mavropanos headed the ball across for Morato to power a header into the net.

Fulham struck again in the 37th minute when Joachim Andersen's long pass sent summer signing Palacios clear to lift the ball over Finlay Herrick for the Spaniard's second goal in successive games.

But West Ham showed great fight and levelled again on the stroke of half‑time as keeper Benjamin Lecomte parried Kyle Walker‑Peters' cross into the path of Pablo, who squeezed in from a tight angle.

Fulham boss Arbeloa, who made nine changes from the side that drew 0‑0 at Liverpool on Saturday for a first league point after three defeats, made good use of his substitutes - not least the introduction of match‑winner Bobb in the 69th minute.

The Norwegian, who arrived from Manchester City in January, enjoyed his first goal since netting at the Fifa Club World Cup in June 2025 for his former club.

Both sides had late chances, with Taty Castellanos' 88th‑minute effort cleared off the line by Timothy Castagne and Palacios dragging a shot wide of an open goal.

West Ham's attention will turn to the league and visit Millwall next in the Championship on Saturday (12:30 BST), while Fulham will look for their first Premier League win when they host Manchester United on Sunday (16:30 BST).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cwm2rdlj5d17t

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Post-West Ham Press Conference
Álvaro Arbeloa felt his side of deserving of their 3-2 victory over West Ham in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night. 

An end-to-end first half saw goals from Rodrigo Muniz and César Palacios cancelled out by the hosts before Oscar Bobb sealed the victory in the final 15 minutes at the London Stadium.

"We could have scored more goals," Arbeloa reflected. "I was a little but upset at half-time because we conceded two goals.

"In the second half we did much better. We scored one goal and we could have scored some more.

"At the end they had a very good chance, but I think we were a better team, and we deserve to be in the next round.

"Before the match there were so many questions about how we didn't score in away games. We scored three but obviously we conceded two goals in situations where we shouldn't concede.

"But we did a very good job defensively. We have players with a lot of talent, and we create so many chances.

"We had ideas and how we wanted to play the game. And we did it.

"I said in the press conference yesterday that for us it is an important competition.

"I think we performed very well and we are in the next round and I am happy."

Numerous young players were on display for Fulham throughout the night with Rodrigo Muniz, César Palacios & Oscar Bobb all on the scoresheet.

Arebloa was pleased by the impact they all made but stressed the importance of patience.

"I think we have to be patient with the young players," he said. "We have to develop them and help them to reach their level. We have many, many young players.

"They are under 22 years old, so I think we will have to be patient.

"You can see the quality and talent that they have."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/september/15/post-west-ham-press-conference-/

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Oscar: A great feeling

Oscar Bobb says it is a great feeling to score his first goal for the Club and hopes the result will help Fulham to 'kick on' in the Premier League.


"A GREAT FEELING TO SCORE" 🗣 | Oscar Bobb post-match interview | West Ham 2-3 Fulham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa2PymTVHEE

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Álvaro: Job Done

Álvaro Arbeloa is happy with the team's performance as Fulham book a place in the next round of the Carabao Cup.


"SO HAPPY, JOB DONE." ✅ 🗣 | Álvaro Arbeloa post-match interview | West Ham 2-3 Fulham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yTwxx-jwRo

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West Ham 2-3 Fulham
Fulham progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a solid 3–2 victory over West Ham on Tuesday night.

An action-packed first half saw Fulham twice take the lead through Rodrigo Muniz and César Palacios, only for West Ham to respond shortly after on both occasions. The second half proved a more subdued affair, but the decisive moment came courtesy of Oscar Bobb, who scored his first goal for the Club to seal our place in the next round.

Álvaro Arbeloa made nine changes from the side that earned an impressive point away at Anfield on Saturday, with only the two full-backs retaining their places in the starting XI.

Fulham began confidently and, after enjoying the lion's share of possession, opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Patient build-up culminated in Kevin whipping a deep cross towards the back post, where Antonee Robinson neatly slipped Palacios in behind the West Ham back line. The Spaniard delivered an inviting ball into the path of Muniz, who nodded home from close range.

The celebrations were short-lived, however, as the hosts drew level just moments later. Following a corner, a speculative cross was headed back across the face of goal by Konstantinos Mavropanos, leaving Morato with the simple task of heading home.

Despite the setback, Fulham quickly recomposed themselves and, in the 22nd minute, Palacios tested Finlay Herrick in the Hammers goal. A delightful first touch created space for the midfielder on the edge of the box before his driven effort was well dealt with by the goalkeeper.

Fulham restored their lead in superb fashion in the 37th minute. Joachim Andersen picked out a brilliant, drilled pass from the edge of his own box, slicing through the West Ham back line and finding Palacios, whose first touch was exquisite. Spotting the onrushing Herrick, the midfielder showed tremendous composure to lift a perfectly weighted finish over the goalkeeper and into the far corner. It was an outstanding goal in its simplicity, but one that also showcased the technical quality involved at every stage of the move.

On the stroke of half-time, the hosts were level once again. A low cross from the right flank took a fortunate deflection and fell kindly to Pablo at the back post. With the Fulham defence caught out of position and Benjamin Lecomte stranded, the striker lashed the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle, restoring parity as the sides headed into the break.

The hosts started the second half in a more composed fashion, suggesting the contest could prove just as eventful as the first.

That wasn't to be the case, however, as the game became increasingly scrappy, with both sides making changes midway through the half. Manor Solomon came close to breaking the deadlock, curling an effort towards the bottom corner, only for Timothy Castagne to produce a superb block on the edge of the box.

In the 72nd minute, substitute Gonzalo García lashed an effort over the bar before Bobb restored the lead six minutes later.

The fresh legs of Josh King and Bobb put the West Ham defence under pressure, forcing them into surrendering possession. The Norwegian wasted no time in driving into the opposition box before firing a low effort into the back of the net.

A spell of dominance followed the goal, but Castagne was soon called upon again to deny what looked a certain equaliser. A rare foray forward culminated in another low cross from the right flank finding an unmarked Valentín Castellanos. Opting for placement over power, he directed a low effort goalwards from five yards out, but the Belgian defender was perfectly positioned to block clear. A real let-off.

Palacios came close to capping a stellar night in the dying stages but lashed an effort wide from close range before the referee brought the encounter to a close.
West Ham: Herrick, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Morato (Scarles 83'), Mukasa (Bowen 51'), Orford (Piroe 83'), Engels, Kanté, Pablo (Castellanos 64'), Ajala (Solomon 51')

Subs: Hermansen, Piroe, Solomon, Castellanos, Bowen, Magassa, Scarles, Golambeckis, Mayers

Fulham FC: Lecomte, Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson, Reed (Charles 63'), Larsson (Manuel Ángel 63'), Kevin (Bobb 69'), Smith Rowe (King 69'), Palacios, Rodrigo Muniz (García 68')

Subs: Leno, Bassey, García, Bobb, Berge, Charles, Manuel Ángel, Affengruber, King



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/september/15/west-ham-0-0-fulham/

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Bobb's winner gives Fulham cup victory at West Ham
Oscar Bobb's winner at the London Stadium – his first Fulham goal – secured a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

West Ham twice equalised, through Morato after Rodrigo Muniz's opener, and then through Pablo after Cesar Palacios' second goal in as many matches.

But Bobb, on as a substitute, took the Whites through with a lovely goal.

Fulham opened the scoring when Antonee Robinson slipped a clever pass through to Palacios, who pulled back a cross from the left-hand touchline for Muniz to head home from close range.

The lead lasted less than three minutes. Fulham managed to clear a left-wing corner, but when ball was recycled and delivered from the same flank, Konstantin Mavropanos at the back post headed across goal and Morato was on hand to nod in the equaliser.

The impressive Palaciois restored the lead with a classy goal, controlling with his chest after being found by Joachim Andersen's long ball, and then scoring with a lovely finish beyond keeper Finlay Herrick.

Emile Smith Rowe should then have made it 3-1 but miskicked after being found unmarked by Robinson's cross.

And Fulham were pegged back again in the final moments of the first half. Kyle Walker-Peters' low cross was flicked towards goal by Mohamadou Kante, and after keeper Benjamin Leconte dived to his right and parried, Pablo tucked away the loose ball.

Fulham came under pressure in the second half – and Mavropanos missed a great chance to put the Championship side ahead when he headed wide from close range.

In the end, a triple substitution by Alvaro Arbeloa made all the difference.

The Whites boss rolled the dice, sending on Bobb, Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia, and it worked.

King nicked the ball off Kante, and Bobb then delightfully jinked his way into the box and slotted into the net.

There should have been a third Hammers equaliser. After being set up by Jarrod Bowen, Taty Castellanos looked certain to score, but his finish was overly casual and Timothy Castagne was able to clear off the line.
Fulham: Lecomte, Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson, Reed (Charles 63), Larsson (Manuel Angel 63), Smith Rowe (King 68), Kevin (Bobb 68), Muniz (Gonzalo 68), Palacios.
Subs not used: Leno, Affengruber, Bassey, Berge



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/west-ham-v-fulham-carabao-cup-report

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Oscar Bobb's solo strike settles five-goal thriller as Fulham beat West Ham
Fulham booked their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after Oscar Bobb's brilliant individual effort earned a hard-fought 3-2 win over West Ham at the London Stadium.

The Norwegian was summoned from the bench by Alvaro Arbeloa with his side chasing the winning goal, and it took him less than 10 minutes to deliver, a lovely jinking run through the home side's defence before finishing inside the near post.

Both managers fielded strong line-ups in east London and it was a competitive cup tie that saw the Hammers more than hold their own against Premier League opposition, albeit four of the starting XI had played for Nuno Espirito Santo during their relegation season.

Rodrigo Muniz headed in for Fulham in the 13th minute before a quick response from Morato brought West Ham level.

Cesar Palacios rolled the ball in after 37 minutes to restore the visitors' advantage but Pablo squeezed in an equaliser in first-half stoppage time.

A cagey second half followed before Bobb's brilliance tipped the balance, though Fulham owed much to a late goal-line clearance from Timothy Castagne to deny Taty Castellanos.

Arbeloa's side led early. Antonee Robinson was left in too much space out near the left touchline, and nobody went with the overlapping run of Palacios, leaving the midfielder all the time he needed to pick out the unmarked Muniz who headed in.

The lead lasted less than three minutes. Fulham failed to properly clear a corner and the ball fell at the feet of Arne Engels who sent over a lovely cross to the back post, headed back across goal by Konstantinos Mavropanos and in by Morato.

Only a last-ditch recovering tackle from Kyle Walker-Peters prevented Palacios going clean through on goal and getting a shot away.

The midfielder, though, would have his goal. Within a minute he was presented with another chance, West Ham's defence parting far too easily from Joachim Andersen's long ball over the top, and Palacios darted in to finish coolly past Finlay Herrick.

Muniz ought to have extended Fulham's lead in the final minute of the half but he was denied by Herrick as the young goalkeeper – making his second first-team appearance – raced from his goal.

Instead, West Ham were level by the break.

With the final action of the half, Mohamadou Kante's clever back-heel was brilliantly kept out by the reach of Benjamin Lecomte, but Fulham failed to clear the danger. As the ball broke loose inside the box, there arriving at a tight angle was Pablo to slam it home.

Jarrod Bowen came off the bench and crossed for Pablo who came within inches of making contact and putting the home side in front.

It was Bowen again the creator with an inswinging corner from the right that was met by Mavropanos six yards out, but the defender's header dropped a foot wide.

Penalties seemed the likely outcome until Bobb's fabulous individual run and finish won it for Fulham.



https://www.irishnews.com/sport/soccer/oscar-bobbs-solo-strike-settles-five-goal-thriller-as-fulham-beat-west-ham-LID34NZ5HBJT7AOA3TTZEYFHYU/

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Fulham get the better of West Ham in entertaining east meets west derby
League Cup Third Round

West Ham United (2) 2 Morato 16 Pablo 45+2

Fulham (2) 3 Rodrigo Muniz 13, Palacios 37, Bobb 78

Oscar Bobb's first Fulham goal settled a very watchable League Cup third round tie at the London Stadium - where West Ham, as notional Championship underdogs equalised twice to keep the contest bubbling nicely right to the end.

The £27m Norwegian - a January signing from Man City - celebrated his first domestic goal since a win for City at Newcastle in January 2024 and it gave the Whites a win their overall play deserved.

West Ham went into this cup tie on another of those emotionally-charged nights following the death this week of Ludek Miklosko - a club goalkeeping legend from the 90s who served the east Londoners so well.

Fellow Czech Tomas Soucek took to the field showing off a number one Miklosko keeper's jersey that he lay behind one of the goalmouths. Another club stalwart, Tony Gale, eulogised about his old team-mate in a public address before kick-off.

Fulham passed the ball around crisply at the outset and took the lead with a goal of stunning simplicity as Antonee Robinson fed Cesar Palacios for a cross that an unmarked Rodrigo Muniz had no trouble dispatching with a header..

But the Hammers struck back straight away when a cross from deep on the left by Arne Engels was nodded back into the centre by Dinos Mavropanos for Moarato to power in from close range with his head - keeper Benjamin Lecomte getting a hand to the ball but unable to stop it from finding the net.

It was the 25-year-old Brazilian defender's first goal for the club since his loan switch from Nottingham Forest.

The Whites regained the initiative with another goal which asked questions of the Hammers defence. All it took was one floated ball from inside his own half from Joachim Andersen to catch out the Irons' back four. Palacios strode on in space and stayed calm - slipping the ball past the advancing Finlay Herrick.

Herrick ended the half on a high, though, saving well to deny Muniz a second goal after some defensive sloppiness opened up the door for the Fulham striker.

It proved important, as, totally against the run of play, the Irons drew level just before the break.

Kyle Walker-Peters' ball in from the right was touched goalwards by Mo Kante and reached Pablo for an angled finish at the far post.

With only 38 per cent possession, the Hammers had somehow kept themselves in the game. This was another Brazilian celebrating a first goal for his club.

Manor Soloman came on for the Hammers and almost scored - denied by a great last-ditch tackle - and Mavropanos did his usual thing of almost scoring with a far-post header at a corner.

Both sides reached for the first-teamers in a bid to get a winner. Jarrod Bowen came on for the Hammers. Fulham summoned Gonzalo Garcia and Josh King from the bench.

But another of those to come on got the decisive goal. Bobb weaved in from the right past two players before planting a firm low striker past Herrick at the end where happy Fulham fans were stationed.

Castellanos had a great chance to take the game to penalties in the final minutes when he was on the end of a Bowen cross but fired into Timothy Castagne, covering on the line.

    In the night's other Carabao Cup Third Round ties involving London clubs, Spurs were eliminated from the competition by Liverpool after a 3-1 defeat at Anfield. Alexis Mac Allister scored after 21 minutes and Cody Gakpo added a second on 54 minutes. Conor Gallagher pulled one back, but Dominic Szoboszlai added a third in injury time for the Reds.

    Arsenal's fringe players got a look-in at Ipswich and took full advantage. Max Dowman needed only seven minutes to find the net at Portman Road and Noni Madueke doubled the lead after 16 minutes. Dowman netted again after the break and Mikel Merino made it 4-0 on 58 minutes. Anis Mehmeti and chuba Akpom scored consolation goals for the Tractor Boys.

    Callum Wilson nabbed his second goal for Brentford - he netted in the 6-1 rout of Birmingham in the previous round - as the Bees took a first-half lead at League One Reading. Fabio Calvalho made it 2-0 just before half-time. Paudie O'Connor pulled one back for Reading on 72 minutes.

Hammers: (4-4-2) Herrick - Walker-Peters, Mavropnanos, Kilman, Morato (Scarles 83) - Engels, Orford (Piroe 83), Kante, Mukasa (Bowen 51) - Pablo (Castellanos 64), Ajala (Solomon 51)

Whites: (4-2-3-1) Lecomte - Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson - Reed (Charles 63), Larsson (Angel 63) - Kevin (Bobb 69), Smith Rowe (King 69), Palacios - Rodrigo Muniz (Garcia 69)



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/fulham-get-the-better-of-west-ham-in-entertaining-east-meets-west-derby

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Bobb sinks West Ham as Arbeloa's cup victories continue
Fulham claim 3-2 win but lose lead twice in busy game at the London Stadium

Another round, another victory for Alvaro Arbeloa as Fulham walk away from the London Stadium with a 3-2 victory over West Ham. Two leads were squandered and the defending needs a serious investigation again but our attacking football shone throughout the evening as Oscar Bobb's first goal in white built on first half strikes from Muniz and Palacios to help the club qualify for the fourth round of the League Cup. Nuno Espirito Santo's team might be in the Championship but they posed a serious obstacle tonight, and it took some fine play from the team to make their quality count across the game.

First Half
West Ham's decade of discontent at the London Stadium caught up with them via last season's relegation but our opponents fielded a side with familiar top-flight faces - we would have a sterner test waiting for us than our dominant victory over Wimbledon. Possession was our early ally, letting an almost entirely changed XI coast through the opening minutes on the ball. Kevin was busy, if a little clumsy, taking on full-back Morato along our right. An early corner won through his footwork saw Reed's delivery find Smith Rowe in the box, but the playmaker's effort was tame and comfortably cleared by the defence.

Offering so little only invites pressure though, and Nuno's men soon met their consequence. A long string of passes unravelled West Ham's set-up - from Andersen at the back, to Larsson moving the ball through the lines, Muniz shifting play wide and Kevin lifting the ball over Morato and the box to Robinson on the other flank, Fulham reached the box with West Ham unnerved. Palacios ran between an unaware Walker-Peters and Mukasa to penetrate the exposed flank and crossed the ball to an unopposed Muniz, who headed the ball into the gaping net. It was a reminder of the beauty and effectiveness of possession play. West Ham were made to look rudderless and passive through manipulating the ball, and the lead was ours...

...for a couple of minutes, as our wretched defending reared its ugly face again. A long ball from their goalkeeper led to a thoughtless Reed foul on Ajala, the free kick was cleared for a corner, the corner was cleared straight to Engels and at second-attempt the Belgian swung the ball to the far post, where Mavropanos leapt highest to knock the ball back across goal and Morato slammed his header into the goal. It was horrible to watch our defence abdicate any control of the game, letting West Ham swing deliveries into the box without a care until they found their goal, and be it Smith Rowe's half-hearted attempt to intercept Mavropanos's assist or the sleepy attitude of our centre-backs for the equalising shot, we'd blown our early advantage.

The ball was still ours, but with a lead squandered Fulham's football without being ahead in the game felt more frustrating, cumbersome even. A shame, as there was still some nice football to watch, particularly with Palacios enjoying a lively evening. His work combining with Robinson on the left seemed fruitful, taking a Reed ball over the defence and turning into the box to curl a low shot that Herrick had to push out of the box. Another move saw him collect a forward ball from Larsson and drive at the defence with speed, his threaded ball through the centre-backs narrowly missing Smith Rowe. Yet small flaws, be it Kevin's clumsy footwork or Robinson misplacing his crosses, kept us from restoring the lead. All the while, our vulnerability at the back lay in West Ham's sights - a ball along the left collected by Ajala in the air was perilously close to producing a penalty, as Andersen barged the striker over on the cusp of the box.

Thankfully fate handed us a lifeline as Engels blasted his free kick over, and the danger seemed to pain Fulham enough to kick into action. Castagne dinked a ball over the midfield for Muniz, who laid it off for Reed; the midfielder took the ball to the box and knocked it forward for Palacios, whose effort was guided away by determined defending from a chasing Walker-Peters. But the route to goal was presented, and Andersen, perhaps seeking atonement for his near-miss, lifted an even deadlier ball over West Ham in entirety, Palacios storming beyond Walker-Peters and quicker than a trailing Orford to enter the box, poking his shot past Herrick into the far-corner.

2-1 could have been three, but for a painful few minutes for Smith Rowe. He'd given away a free-kick on the right in an eerily similar position to Andersen's earlier, losing the ball to Kante and grabbing his leg in response. Engels kick, thankfully, was caught-well by Lecomte, and the subsequent counter-attack looked terrific, Robinson blasting into their half, playing a one-two with Palacios to overlap behind Walker-Peters and lifting the ball into the box... only for Emile, uncontested by a defender, to misread the bounce of the cross and swipe at thin air. Orford and Kante were not protecting their backline - another aerial ball was collected by Kevin behind them, slipped through to Muniz away from Morato, but the shot wasn't accurate enough and Herrick used his body to block the shot well.

And at this moment in time, Arbeloa's side cannot afford to waste chances. A hideous piece of defending between Cuenca and Robinson, in which a miscommunication turned Mukasa's pass to Ajala into a shot at goal for the striker, needed a sliding block from the centre-back to keep from scoring, to say nothing of the good fortune in Kilman skewing his header from the set-piece wide. What should have been a composed final minutes of stoppage time turned into a farce, as several tame West Ham crosses were swatted away with abandon, Reed at one point slicing his clearance straight to an opponent. It let Nuno's men set up base around our half, and with no defending to concern themselves with Walker-Peters etched forward for an overlap of his own. Mukasa fed the full-back, with acres of space away from Robinson he crossed the ball into the box, Kante's flick goalwards was only marginally diverted from goal by Lecomte's dive and Pablo was alert enough to slam the ball over the floored keeper for the equaliser, to dampen the mood right before the interval.

Second Half
A first half with four goals offered a lot for both managers to work with, but the game had an eerily familiar feel as the second half commenced, and the sight of Kevin fumbling possession against Morato soon stained the pitch. He had energy and pressed well, but his execution on the ball continually let him down, at one point smacking a pass to an unmarked Robinson straight out for a goal-kick. The control of the ball was not matched with a ruthless edge, and the chance to sculpt the half our way wasn't taken.

Meanwhile, West Ham started to purr. Nuno had introduced captain Jarrod Bowen and former Fulham forward Manor Solomon at the break and after riding Fulham's early waves their own attacking pieces started to click. Kante, popping up on the right, set the ball up for Bowen to swing a sharp ball into the box. Its bounce only eluded Pablo by a few feet - any touch would have rendered Lecomte unable to catch it. We fired back with another Andersen long ball, Robinson cruising into the box, playing a one-two with a delectable lay-off from Palacios and firing a missile with his weak-foot that Herrick had to tip over the bar. In response, West Ham dealt with our miserable corner and countered, Bowen running with the ball from his own half and needing Reed to track back with him to put the ball out of play.

Arbeloa made his own changes, refreshing his midfield with Charles and newcomer Manuel Angel entering the action, but West Ham's striker swap saw Castellanos bolster the front-line, and the young Spaniard got a quick taste of life in England, barged off the ball by the striker. From it, a nippy Solomon propelled the hosts along the left, cutting into the box away from Cuenca and wrapping his right foot around the ball to shoot - Castagne slid well to block the shot. Bowen's corner was good also, finding a lofty jump from Mavropanos, but his header bounced marginally wide of the post. The momentum was theirs, a more fearsome set of forwards prowling around in search of a goal, and with possession finally under their control the game looked likelier to fall to our opponents.

Of course, an advantage being a Premier League side provides is in depth. A bad Smith Rowe challenge on Kante earnt him a booking and a substitution, and with it Fulham's A-team arrived: Oscar Bobb, Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia all on the pitch. It was as though a switch was flicked - we grasped the ball and the passing patterns reappeared, our energy revitalised with added quality and menace. Cuenca found Garcia in a patch of space and he moved away from Orford, holding off Walker-Peters to blast a show narrowly over the bar. Bobb wriggled along the right in style, linking with King to guide a ball across the box, Marvopanos on-point to stop Garcia's touch manifesting into a shot. The pressure was mounting, possession winning territory, territory producing attacks, attacks earning set-pieces and the ball stuck in West Ham's final third. Castagne found a right-sided Palacios on the overlap, the cutback was intercepted by Kante but King's quick press won the ball back, and from it Bobb activated, dancing into the box with a string of deft touches, cutting onto his left foot to set up the angle and firing the ball at Herrick, unable to readjust his position quick enough to block the goalbound shot.

A third lead in the game as Bobb's goal made it 3-2, but could we hold onto it this time? A through ball from Garcia to King into the box was shrugged off by Morato, dispossessing our young starlet, and at the other end Solomon's quick thinking to lay a ball over-the-top to Bowen was spurned as the captain struck the ball into the stands. Nuno introduced Scarles and another forward in Piroe to turn the screw further, but our midfield refresh paid dividends - Charles was attuned to the heightened challenge, putting himself across the pitch with vital disruptions to play and keeping the play flowing for Fulham.

It helped limit the number of opportunities West Ham could forge in the closing minutes, a crucial fact given how close they came to scoring. A Bowen overlap away from Robinson let Walker-Peters play it through to him, moving into the box and playing the ball in front of the exposed defence to an unmarked Castellanos. It was a golden opportunity, but the shot was languid, and Castagne reacted excellently to stick a foot out and block the ball's path. Indeed, it was our side with the greatest chance as the game reached stoppages, Mavropanos losing the ball with a bad pass to Herrick and needing a fast recovery to stop Palacios pulling the trigger until too awkward an angle to steer it on-target. As one last corner was headed clear, the game came to an end, and progress to Round 4 had been secured.

Promising attack, painful defence
Fulham are in the Premier League and West Ham are not; the quality of the attacking football demonstrates the gulf between the two sides. Cesar Palacios is a player Real Madrid had on their books and it showed - the swift, pacey play along the left, the ease at which he moved into the centre when the opportunity called for it and the fluid nature of his execution contributed to a fine evening of football, setting up Muniz's goal delightfully and taking Andersen's pass to make his own one afterwards. If he can build on this performance, he has a lot to offer the team in a number of positions; a MOTM performance.

Of course, the game did need the regular starters to seal the deal, so what about the rest? Muniz has a second goal in as many cup games, and one can never fault his enthusiasm and graft around the pitch, but it is also true that his header was fodder for any striker, and the other chances he had might have been a truer barometer of his finishing. Still, his link-up play was far better than Kevin or Smith Rowe, who endured difficult evenings. An evening of fast feet followed by little else is not only disappointing, but sadly far too frequent for our Brazilian winger. Emile, meanwhile, had a horrible evening, by far the least productive of the attacking unit whilst actively costing Fulham with his tackles at the back. The pair are Number 1 and 3 on our all-time transfer record list; nights like this make it very difficult to write positively about the pair, and though I genuinely believe a world where their enthusiasm, talent and application melds together and makes an interstellar attack for Fulham to unleash exists, it feels increasingly distant when their evenings frequently look like this.

The aforementioned bench did very well though. Bobb has his long-awaited goal and can hopefully use it to embellish his own football - the technical skill that can only come from training sessions with Pep Guardiola was on full display for his goal, and the chemistry he seems to revel in with King and Castagne along the right is surely worth a hatful of goals. I really like seeing Charles in a Fulham shirt - the man lives to stop and own the ball, and seems to be a critical player for us in midfield already. King is obviously brilliant, and Garcia's energy makes him at worst a workhorse and at best a stallion on the hunt for a goal at any moment. Even Angel, who looked comically outsized early on, grew into the action, and with a little conditioning will be interesting to watch.

Further back, it's a mixed bag. Larsson was quietly effective, linking play together nicely from deep, and for all Reed's limitations his graft and determination when he puts on a Fulham shirt is priceless, quite literally keeping the scores level at times tonight. On the other hand, Robinson continues to blow hot and cold, linking really nicely with Palacios but scarcely able to find an attacker in the box, and the ramshackle defending from Andersen and Cuenca all evening made the game far harder than it needed to be. It is quite amazing to be praising Castagne as the best defender of the night but here we are - twice his blocks stopped goals in the second-half, both times covering his teammates' blushes. If we are going to play the attacking football Arbeloa wants us to the defending has to be more competent, and the players have to be capable of keeping pace with the game - Cuenca and Andersen are a long way off providing that for us at this moment in time.

Instant return for West Ham?
What of West Ham? They provided a contest, and there's a reason they're top of the Championship - the team have a lot of quality left over from their Premier League days, and have enough all-round attributes to make the most of any situation. The set-pieces were a constant menace, the pace on the counter was dangerous, and with players like Bowen and Solomon on the wings it only takes a pocket of space for a player to cut-inside and curl the ball into the net. I've no doubt the team will be in the running for an instant return to the Premier League - few Championship sides look as well-stocked as West Ham did tonight.

Of course, it is worth tempering this with the fact that we should have gone two goals up on a fair few occasions over the game, in both halves, and put in a comedy of errors to gift an equaliser twice, despite there being feasible routes out of both situations. It was a competitive 3-2 but there was a gulf between the two sides, and Fulham should not let West Ham's name distract from the fact their performance could have sent them out of the cup with fate landing another way.

I think, therefore, we can be pleased with the result tonight, but curious about the future. On the plus side, Arbeloa has navigated two cup victories, utilising his squad to get gametime for a lot of players and settle into his way of playing, all whilst having the team score numerous goals and look attractive in the process. On the other, the team needs some consistency to fix the litany of defensive errors happening in each game, and will need the whole squad to pitch in if it wants to find victories outside early round cup games against second-tier opponents. It's a positive result tonight though, and we shall have to see if a tougher test lies next when the draw is made.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/bobb-sinks-west-ham-as-arbeloas-cup

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We need to be patient with our young players – Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa
Youngsters Shea Charles, Gonzalo Garcia and Manuel Angel all came on in the second half of a 3-2 Carabao Cup win at West Ham.

Alvaro Arbeloa called for patience for his young Fulham players after they beat West Ham 3-2 at the London Stadium to reach the Carabao Cup fourth round.

It took a lovely solo finish from substitute Oscar Bobb to win the tie 12 minutes from the end after Arbeloa had sent on youngsters Shea Charles, Gonzalo Garcia and Manuel Angel, all of whom joined the club in the summer.

It was a more senior player that gave Fulham an early lead in east London, Rodrigo Muniz heading in before West Ham levelled through Morato.

Summer signing from Real Madrid, Cesar Palacios, himself only 21, then restored the lead, but the home side equalised again late in the half through Pablo.

Bobb's brilliant strike won it, but Arbeloa was encouraged by the introduction of his young stars.

"We have so many young players with talent and we need to be patient with them," he said. "We need to help them, develop them, but you can see the talent they have, the quality. They understand the game and they will grow during the season."

Arbeloa is still awaiting his first Premier League win since taking charge but this was an impressive battling display against a strong West Ham side that retained much of their top-flight quality from last season.

"West Ham has very good players, and when they made their substitutions it was a Premier League team," said Arbeloa, after the hosts sent on Jarrod Bowen, Taty Castellanos and Manor Solomon in the second half. "They were pushing in the last 10 minutes.

"So happy with the performance of my players and with the job that they did. We prepared well, we did a very good first half.

"I was a little bit upset at half-time. I'm still asking how we can concede these two goals. So easy, for me. We need to improve there. It's not easy for us to score goals, we need to do so many things well.

"We need to be a little bit more aggressive when we are defending. But everything that we worked on in the last two days, we did on the pitch."

After a first-half goal-fest, a cagey second period followed before Bobb's brilliance tipped the balance.

The Norwegian was summoned from the bench with his side chasing the winning goal, and it took him less than 10 minutes to deliver, a lovely jinking run through the home side's defence before finishing inside the near post.

"It was a tough test for us, we know it would be a tough opponent," said Nuno Espirito Santo, whose Championship leaders now turn their attention to Saturday's derby away to rivals Millwall. "Overall we did a reasonable performance, some mistakes.

"There's not much time now for sorrow, so let's focus on Saturday."



https://www.irishnews.com/sport/soccer/we-need-to-be-patient-with-our-young-players-fulham-boss-alvaro-arbeloa-KG3CTVFU2JITVJRXBV3U64K2JE/

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Arbeloa hails Fulham youngsters after Carabao Cup win
Alvaro Arbeloa praised Fulham youngsters after the Carabao Cup victory at West Ham.

Oscar Bobb scored the winner, assisted by fellow substitute Josh King, while summer signing Cesar Palacios – who was outstanding – also got on the scoresheet.

Palacios, signed from Whites boss Arbeloa's former club Real Madrid, has now scored in consecutive matches,

"César had a very good game; good assist, good goal. He could have scored one or two more goals," said Arbeloa.

"We have so many young players with talent, and we need to be patient with them. We need to help them and develop them, but you can see the talent they have.

"The quality, they understand the game, and of course I think they will grow during this season. I'm so happy with all of [them]."

Rodrigo Muniz also scored at the London Stadium – his second goal of the season, and Arbeloa said: "I am really happy for him, because I know that we bought Gonzalo [Garcia], and it's not an easy situation, but he's working so hard. He's the kind of player that can help us a lot."

Arbeloa was much less happy, however, with Fulham twice conceding an equaliser during a first half that ended 2-2.

West Ham levelled through Morato after Muniz's opener, and then through Pablo after Palacios' goal.

"I was a little bit upset at half-time," Arbeloa admitted.

"I'm still asking how we can concede these two goals. We need to improve there.

"We need to be a little bit more aggressive when we are defending. But everything that we worked on in the last two days, we did on the pitch."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/arbeloa-hails-fulham-youngsters-after-carabao-cup-win