Sunday Fulham Stuff - 28/12/25...

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Results

Saturday 27/12
Forest	1-2	Man City
Arsenal	2-1	Brighton
Brentford	4-1	Bournemouth
Burnley	0-0	Everton
Liverpool	2-1	Wolves
West Ham	0-1	Fulham
		Raúl
Chelsea	1-2	Villa

CAF Africa Cup of Nations

Saturday 27/12
Nigeria	3-2	Tunisia

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West Ham United 0-1 Fulham


Raul Jimenez's winner means he has scored in successive Premier League games for the first time this season

At a glance

    West Ham miss chances to take lead

    Raul Jimenez heads Fulham winner in 85th minute

    Hammers, without a win in seven, stay 18th

    Cottagers move into top half with victory

Raul Jimenez grabbed a late winner as Fulham recorded their third successive Premier League victory and extended relegation-threatened West Ham's winless run to seven games.

In a match of few clear-cut chances, Jimenez, who scored the only goal in the 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Monday, headed into the net from Harry Wilson's cross after Ollie Scarles had missed a chance to clear.

The result deepens the Hammers' relegation fears and they will be wondering how they left empty handed when they had chances to win in a game they would have targeted for three points.

England winger Jarrod Bowen saw one attempt saved by Bernd Leno and flicked another effort just wide from inside the six-yard box.

Substitute Callum Wilson also fired narrowly off target from two opportunities as the Hammers could not find the breakthrough.

Just when the game looked to be heading towards a goalless draw Scarles, who was in tears at the final whistle, failed to connect with an attempted clearance, enabling Wilson to cross for Jimenez to score his fourth league goal of the season.

The result leaves the Hammers 18th in the Premier League table, five points adrift of safety with a home game against Brighton and then a trip to bottom-placed Wolves to come.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, speaking to BBC Match of the Day, said: "We have been punished by a mistake and we lose the game. Everybody cares, it's not about that but about the situation we are in.

"Everything bad happens to us. You can argue about the justice of the result, but the reality is we lost after an equal first half and in the second half we created situations we should have scored from.

"We have to react, the good part is we play another game in two days time. It's another chance to give back to our fans."

West Ham analysis: Hammers need to strengthen in transfer window
Earlier on Saturday, 17th-placed Nottingham Forest were beaten 2-1 at home by Manchester City, to give the Hammers the chance to close the gap.

But the east Londoners, without a win since a 3-2 success over Burnley on 8 November, could not take advantage on another miserable day at London Stadium.

As well as the club struggling on the pitch, there have been frequent protests throughout the season from the Hammers fans, angry at the club's direction under chairman David Sullivan and vice chair Baroness Brady.

In the 15th minute, to signify the 15 years they have been at the club, numerous fans held up red cards aimed at the pair, while chants of "sack the board" were also heard.

Part of the supporters' anger is over the club's business in the transfer market, and this performance again highlighted both West Ham's lack of creativity and clinical finishing.

If the Hammers are to extend their 14-season spell in the top flight then Bowen, their top scorer with only five goals, will need to have a strong second half to the campaign.

He was at the heart of most of the hosts' chances and had a first-time effort pushed over by Leno, while he twice looked to be through on goal, only to be denied by tight offside calls.

But Bowen would have been disappointed with his finish when Soungoutou Magassa had created the chance, only for the Hammers skipper to not get a clean contact and send the ball wide of the post.

Bowen was again involved as he released Wilson, but he shot over, with those missed opportunities proving crucial as Fulham left with the win.

"We have to demand more from ourselves, demand more from each other," said Bowen. "The only thing I know is to stick at it and change your fortunes.

"It's easy to blame, easy to point fingers and ultimately it comes from inside to put it right yourself starting from me first and foremost and that starts now.

"It's a really good group and the main thing is we have to stick together as a team."

The Hammers have now only picked up 10 points from Nuno's 13 games in charge, with just Burnley and Wolves collecting fewer since he replaced the sacked Graham Potter at the end of September.

Fulham analysis: Cottagers into top half as excellent run continues
Fulham have now gained six victories in nine games to ease their own relegation fears, with this success taking them up to 10th.

They began the game well with Jimenez shooting over from 18 yards, before Wilson forced a superb save from Areola with the goalkeeper tipping a powerful 25-yard strike over the bar.

But, after a bright opening, the visitors were largely restricted to long-range efforts, although Joachim Andersen almost embarrassed Areola with a 35-yard strike, which the goalkeeper had to save with his legs.

Jimenez fired well over from one of their few chances in the second half and Marco Silva's side had to defend well to stay level.

But Jimenez gave the Hammers a warning of what was to come as he forced a save from Areola, before the Mexico striker became the match-winner for the second game in a row.

A draw may have been the fair result, but Silva was understandably delighted with his side's victory.

He said: "Great win, big three points for us. A third win in the Premier League in a row is not something that is easy to achieve. It was a tough game, we knew it was a very, very important one for them.

"In many moments we did manage the game very well and on the ball we knew how to create and punish them."

What's next for both sides?
West Ham have another match at London Stadium on Tuesday (19:30 GMT) when they entertain Brighton before they play at bottom-of-the-table Wolves next Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Fulham take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in another London derby on Thursday (17:30 GMT) and then host reigning champions Liverpool on Sunday, 4 January (15:00 GMT).

Player of the match
R. Jiménez  7.50



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/clyd8332r1rt

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Post-West Ham Press Conference
Marco Silva was delighted by his side's desire to fight for three points until the final moments at London Stadium.

Fulham's meeting with West Ham United looked as though it was heading for a goalless draw until Harry Wilson capitalised on a defensive error to tee up Raúl Jiménez for the winner in the 85th minute.

"Very tight game, as we expected," Silva said. "These type of games, they are not decisive, but they are always going to be very important for the home side to win this afternoon, but we showed our ambition.

"Both teams had chances, but what pleased me more really is the way in the last 20-25 minutes our team started to push a little bit more.

"You come to play away from home, and we saw our team on the ball, we saw our team trying to create chances on the ball, [and] you expose ourselves more.

"We knew it, they are going to be set up for some counter-attack moments, we expected that with [Jarrod] Bowen and [Lucas] Paqueta and [Crysencio] Summerville, before [Callum] Wilson came in.

"We have to be aware of that situation, and if you look for all the game, the chances that they create, or the dangerous moments they had, they came all from counter-attacks.

"In some moments, we should have squeezed more their frontline players to not let them have the chance, but it really pleased me how we pushed. Before [the goal], we had a great chance with Josh, one great chance with Raúl, too.

"Great assist, great goal from Raúl. Overall, the game coming for an end, looked like it is going to be a draw, but it pleased me the way the team showed ambition to push forward to try to win the game, and it's very important for us.

"Premier League is very tough to win football matches, we knew the individual quality that is in the other side, players like Bowen, Paqueta, and Summerville or Wilson, the capacity they have to decide some times in games.

"We are very pleased. The third win in a row in Premier League – it's always difficult to win and to achieve it, third in a row away from home as well. With the clean sheet, even better for us.

"I'm very pleased, the players deserve all the credit in this busy period with a lot of absences from our side, the way we have been able to win games recently and to climb the table."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/december/27/post-west-ham-press-conference/

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Crystal Palace, Fulham eyeing Oscar Bobb swoop
Crystal Palace and Fulham are chasing Oscar Bobb ahead of January, with the winger likely to leave Manchester City should Antoine Semenyo arrive.

According to talkSPORT, Oscar Bobb is a target for Crystal Palace and Fulham ahead of the January window. The Norwegian winger could potentially leave Manchester City should Antoine Semenyo arrive in a high-profile move, as the winger will seek ample game time ahead of the World Cup.

Oscar Bobb is someone who could come in for demand ahead of the January transfer window, amid some expected changes to the Manchester City frontline. Pep Guardiola wants to reinforce his squad for the second half of the campaign and bring in a new wide attacker to give them a better chance to go for the Premier League title.

Manchester City are the favourites to sign Antoine Semenyo in the opening days of the January transfer window, and the winger reportedly prefers a switch to the Etihad, as per credible sources. Should the Bournemouth star arrive, which, at this point, looks highly likely, Bobb could be allowed to leave.

Oscar Bobb could even push for an exit out of Manchester City as he seeks ample game time to be in a good vein of form ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. At the Etihad, he has started four games across all competitions for the club this term, providing one assist.

Fulham and Crystal Palace have been interested, and it appears the London duo are now ready to make a concrete effort to land the 22-year-old, highly-rated attacker. Starting with the Eagles, they are in the market for a wide attacker as Oliver Glasner wants to reinforce the frontline with a player of that specific profile.

Brennan Johnson remains a target, but Palace face ample competition as well as paying a huge asking price, which the report states could be around the 50 million mark. Hence, Bobb is likely seen as an alternative to the Welshman, but any move will come down to finer details, such as game time and importance in the team in the second half of the season.

Oscar Bobb set to leave Manchester City?
Fulham are the other contenders, with Marco Silva eager to bring in new players that the club could not in the summer. They had been in the market for a wide attacker off the right-hand side to add competition for places, while Harry Wilson's long-term future is also called into some doubt.

As for Oscar Bobb, the idea of joining one of Fulham or Crystal Palace could prove attractive enough, as the arrival of Semenyo will further curtail his game time at the Etihad. Hence, the 22-year-old highly-rated attacker is anticipated to find a new club in January to develop his career, as a move out of the Etihad beckons.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2025/12/27/crystal-palace-fulham-eyeing-oscar-bobb-swoop/

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Jimenez nets late winner for Fulham at West Ham
Raul Jimenez scored a late winner for Fulham at the London Stadium.

The Mexican striker netted his second goal in as many games as Fulham edged a cagey derby to secure a third consecutive Premier League victory.

Harry Wilson provided yet another assist, crossing for Jimenez to head home.

In the first half, Wilson stung the palms of keeper Alphonse Areola with a rasping long-range effort early on, and Jarrod Bowen tested Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal with two efforts, both of which were well saved.

Bowen came close to giving the Hammers the lead in the second half when his close-range effort rolled just wide.

Callum Wilson also missed a chance for West Ham before Jimenez struck to win the points for the Whites.
Fulham: Leno, Tete (Castagne 82), Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson, Berge, Lukic (Diop 87) Wilson, Smith Rowe (Cairney 82), Kevin (King 69), Jimenez.
Subs not used: Lecomte, Reed, Ridgeon, Traore, Kusi-Asare.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/jimenez-nets-late-winner-for-fulham-at-west-ham

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West Ham's relegation worries deepen as Raul Jimenez goal earns Fulham victory
Raul Jimenez deepened West Ham's relegation worries as Fulham snatched a 1-0 victory at the London Stadium.

The Mexican struck with five minutes remaining, with his second goal in two matches giving Fulham a third straight win.

Manchester City's lunchtime victory at Nottingham Forest gave the Hammers the chance to cut the gap to 17th place to just two points.

But instead they remain five points adrift of safety after the first of a run of supposedly winnable games, with Brighton and Forest still to come to east London, either side of a trip to rock-bottom Wolves.

There was little festive good cheer in the air at the London Stadium, with West Ham supporters holding up red cards and chanting "sack the board" in the latest protest against owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady.

On the pitch, the Hammers have won just two matches at home this season, lost their last six London derbies and taken just three points from their last seven games, which is definitely relegation form.

Jimenez, who scored Fulham's winner against Forest before Christmas which lifted them well clear of any imminent danger, had their first chance but curled his effort wide.

Moments later, in-form midfielder Harry Wilson let fly from 20 yards with Alphonse Areola at full stretch to tip the ball over.

West Ham threatened when Mateus Fernandes threaded the ball to Jarrod Bowen, whose angled shot was saved by Bernd Leno.

Then a slick Hammers move down the right saw Kyle Walker-Peters send Crysencio Summerville to the byline, and his cross was headed narrowly wide by Ollie Scarles.

Summerville had a volley deflected wide from a Freddie Potts corner before, at the other end, Areola had to make an unorthodox save with his feet to keep out Joachim Andersen's long-range effort.

Fulham should have taken the lead seven minutes into the second half when Wilson darted into space down the right, but his low cross eluded both Kevin and Sasa Lukic in front of goal.

The chances were by now coming at both ends with Lukic heading an inviting Antonee Robinson cross wide, before Bowen somehow scooped a cross from Soungoutou Magassa off target from six yards out.

Callum Wilson, on as a sub, turned Andersen on the halfway line and raced towards goal but his shot flew wide.

Bowen teed Wilson up for another shooting chance, but this time he lifted it over the top.

Instead it was Fulham who took the points after a mistake by the otherwise impressive Scarles, who took an air-shot at a clearance, allowing Wilson to lift a cross to the far post for Jimenez to win it.



https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/west-ham-relegation-worries-deepen-165937947.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9jLm5ld3Nub3cuY28udWsv&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADi-TccyAUPiPlNNcV9eyrgEDt4t-BgdsHjjP7bPtaJWvi3uT3P-hjiQUNE76G9CTCAE6vaNhiT8Sx9aGVDVEP-l0SUbFpm5WTlr7EMvY05hXKYhJ_ILsH3uDSv4IztMHB2byN76PneLB9X0gRSP0OM2fHoJ5nTM6tIJnKCQZdZd

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Jimenez strikes again as Fulham win at London Stadium
West Ham beaten 1-0 through late winner to lift themselves into top half

2025 ends on a high for Fulham, as Marco Silva's men took a third straight league win this afternoon. Raul Jimenez, fresh from his penalty heroics on Monday, struck a well-placed header to extend the hosts' winless run and put a sword in ruminations over our relegation. It might not have been the prettiest of wins - indeed, there's plenty for the team to work on given the fixtures coming up - but the importance of getting over the line in fixtures like this can never be understated, not least against a Nuno Espirito Santo side, or perennial frustrations West Ham United.

First Half
It's not Boxing Day, but the opening half had all the airings of a Christmas hangover. I can't imagine many would call West Ham and Fulham exponents of the most beautiful, goal-laden football in the world - the early trappings of this game will add to this hypothesis, a slower game in which both sides struggled to turn possession into clear chances in the box. Not terrible, of course, and arguably both sides can point to many things they did right, but 0-0 was a fair reflection of the efforts of the two teams for the 45.

We'll have to wonder what our games would look like if we had a fully-fit Raul Jimenez. He was busy to start, turning nicely in the box from a Robinson pass but ballooning his shot over, and moments later his pass produced a fierce long-range effort from Wilson that Areola had to save. The man has talent - if his body wasn't exhausted, these early flashes might be sustained over a match and yield more goals. Certainly, he didn't relent in his work-rate around the pitch, but with Kilman and Todibo sharpening up their intensity from the opening minutes a greater presence for a striker was needed to make an early inroad.

West Ham aren't a flimsy side under Nuno, and their formation meant they had many spells in ascendency. Mateus Fernandes, Potts and Magassa worked very hard to shut down our passing options, scuttling many of our passing moves. With energy lashed at our backline from the front three, Fulham didn't have the luxury of building up play as smoothly, or utilising long balls from our centre-backs to quickly refocus the ball elsewhere. Worse, Summerville, Bowen and right-back Walker-Peters (when he came forward) had the pace to run at us, particularly when their defenders had retrieved the ball.

It could - and perhaps should - have caused more issues for Leno. Walker-Peters made a run down the right, fed Paqueta and watched as Cuenca was needed to force Bowen off the ball. A flurry of corners followed, the last producing a clearance that let Todibo play a ball through our disorganised defence - Leno did well to push Bowen's high shot away from goal. Such moments were common - West Ham had more speed in their movement and could bypass Berge, often putting them directly against our backline. To our defence's credit, the teamwork in these moments was good; Robinson, Cuenca, Andersen and Tete held a tight line, catching West Ham's nippy runners in a number of offside traps. The hosts will surely point to their lack of a striker, who might have held their runs or controlled the ball more sharply with defenders breathing down their backs.

Meanwhile, our performance on the ball and around the pitch was uninspired and sloppy. Our closest effort following the opening minutes came around the 30 minute mark; a rare bit of space for Andersen let him fire a shot from distance at Areola, almost catching our former keeper off guard as he kicked it clear. Beyond that, miscontrolled touches from errant crosses into the box, and Smith Rowe making dangerous runs unseen by his teammates was as good as it got. It's harsh to focus on Kevin, because Wilson had a quiet half and Lukic and Berge weren't exactly supplying quality balls to take us forward, but the Brazilian can't convert his promise into results at the moment, and killed a lot of moves with rotten execution. An offside spared one hideous shot off-target - no such call relieved the pain of misplacing a pass for Smith-Rowe, on an unmarked run into the box.

Second Half
Goalless at the break then, with both sides restrained in their efforts and struggling to make a mark on proceedings. A similar message found its way out of both managers - raise the tempo of the game, and punish the mistakes of the opponent to seize an important win. Fulham took this approach first, using the formative minutes of the half to put long balls into dangerous areas; Andersen, from one, found Smith Rowe, who caught the pass well and laid it off nicely to Jimenez running alongside him - sadly the control wasn't present in the volley accompanying the run. A little later, a Robinson pass flew diagonally across the pitch to Wilson, who benefitted from a Scarles mistouch to carry the ball into the box. A great position; yet the cross was poor, and both Kevin and Smith Rowe were denied the opportunity to put an effort at goal.

Of course, West Ham's gameplan was already centred around capitalising on the space we leave when we take the ball forward. Their passing had already been decent, and our attacking impetus seemed to perk the ears of their forwards. From the aforementioned chance, the ball was worked quickly into Summerville, who charged at our lonesome centre-backs. His own pass to Paqueta, sprinting as part of the attack, was insipid though, and Robinson had the speed to slide ahead of the Brazilian. Another counter-attack produced similar, but again the pair flashed at the opportunity, putting poorly placed shots around the box that needed defensive blocks.

Nuno had seen enough, and removed the wasteful Summerville for an actual striker in Callum Wilson. It tweaked the hosts' formation around, too - Mateus Fernandes moved forward to the left, Paqueta had a more central role to receive the ball more and Bowen could enjoy his preferred RW position, all with a proper piece at the front of the side. It had an instant impact, and turned the game into a precarious one for our team. Cuenca and Andersen, whilst hardly disintegrating under the pressure, found their decisions taking place under a shorter window of time, the sly fox Wilson linking play far more effectively and creating opportunities to shoot at goal.

It turned the game into a livelier affair as the two sides adjusted to the different landscape. Paqueta, liberated from running against Robinson's speed, had the positioning to drill a shot at Leno that had to be well caught. Robinson was active at both ends of the pitch and almost had an assist with an accurate lofty ball into the box, but Lukic's storming run to meet it miscued his header. Magassa, moving forward from midfield to put Robinson under pressure, fired a cross that Leno had to punch away, and following West Ham retrieving the ball from Kevin rather quickly turned the left-back on the edge of the box after receiving it from Potts to dart into space; Bowen will rue the sliced effort he took that turned his shot wide of the goal.

Evidently Silva was unhappy with the energy being taken to our left - whilst Robinson had handled Bowen very well, moments that Magassa, Walker-Peters and Paqueta ventured rightwards to join in were hitting us viciously. Kevin, though not ambivalent to his defensive duties, was not retaining possession effectively enough or contributing at the back with the vigour needed to alleviate the danger - King replaced him with 20 minutes to go. This gave us a player with more tactical attunement to the game - we were able to stay on the ball more, King operating more cohesively on the left for the team, and Robinson could travel forward without the flank being unbalanced as dangerously.

Granted, West Ham were still a threat in the match. Though the change made our attacks longer and more consistent, the bolts from counter-attacks still posed a threat, and with Wilson on the pitch, they had a man able to turn it into a shot. From midfield, Paqueta played a frightening ball through to Wilson, who cleverly knocked it past Cuenca - thankfully the striker dragged his shot wide. Similar happened from another break, as the Hammers snatched the ball from us and dispatched Bowen, surging through the pitch as our scrambling defence gave chase, before laying off a pass to Wilson making a rightwards run away from the congregation swarming his compatriot - again, a careless finish stopped Leno having to make a save.

Though we were on the ball for the majority of these moments, these let-offs would continue to give us nightmares with the score at 0-0. West Ham had defended well in the box, Areola rarely being tested directly and Kilman and Todibo putting themselves between anything we'd managed to work into a shooting area, which sucked away the threat of many of the balls we'd guided into the danger zone. Once again though the substitutions proved important in pushing us closer to a positive result. Captain Cairney returned again to add the extra composure in possession, arriving with Castagne from the bench - with Cairney pulling the strings from deep and Castagne joining Robinson as full-backs with serious license to operate in the final third, this helped pin West Ham in even further.

Conversely, West Ham removed Magassa, who'd been quite effective around the pitch, and Paqueta, a critical creative piece launching West Ham counter-attacks, for Soucek and Earthy. Understandable if the hosts were winning by a few goals - the wrong move in this game, however. It removed the hosts' ability to riposte our mounting pressure on their box - and with greater pressure, mistakes are more likely.

Scarles had survived a few errors earlier in the game, aided somewhat by a disappointing game for Harry Wilson. Our defenders had spotted his vulnerability though, and long balls had made their way to Wilson against him repeatedly. The Welshman's first cross was soft and cleared by Fernandes' defensive header - but in place of a solid clearance, Scarles took an unwieldy swipe at the ball and swung his foot through air. A player like Wilson needs no invitation to repair their mistake, especially in his form - he guided his second cross delightfully over the defenders, into the path of Jimenez, who headed the ball downward, away from Areola, and into the corner of the net. A brilliant moment for Fulham, one that put a bullet in the hosts' aspirations for the game, and the sight of Diop entering to shore up the closing minutes would have compounded the frustration for West Ham, all the way to the final whistle.

A Raul of Wins
1-0 to Fulham - not bad, is it? There's an argument that will be made about the game, and this winning run at large, that centres on the fact the team are needing good fortune in the box to win marginal scorelines against relegation-threatened sides. It's not completely wrong - our attack, weakened for various reasons, has benefitted from facing some of the weaker teams in the division in recent matches. But it loses a vital component of the areas of strength the team has right now - the brilliant defending seen around the backline with Cuenca in the line-up.

I don't think Bassey is a poor player - certainly Nigeria will be better for having him over their AFCON campaign! Cuenca, however, has added a stability and composure to the back that was missing for months with Bassey. Perhaps the fact he can't rely on stupendous physical attributes to bail him out of danger makes him more attuned to the positions and situations around him - his timing today was largely excellent, and whilst Bassey had shaken off much of the worst form from earlier in the season he and Andersen did another great job in marshalling the area around the box. Wilson, transformative as he was for West Ham's football, didn't manage to take a shot from the centre of the goal, instead being forced wide - it was no accident!

Robinson returning is also a huge victory for the team. It's curious that Sess got injured right as Antonee was ready to play again, but it's a very happy coincidence - the American was very effective today, supplying numerous deliveries for teammates in the box but more importantly matching the speed of Bowen and others on the flank to avoid being swamped on our left. He and Cuenca looked quite good on the ball too - such possession is critical in tighter games, as it takes time out of the game for West Ham to find an equaliser. Lukic needed to be a little snappier on the ball, but he got himself into some good attacking positions in the manner Iwobi does and improved in the second half. I was torn on Berge - I did feel he wasn't quite as effective as some of the matches he's played this season, and his passing in the first half was frustrating to watch, but he's an important piece in our defence, and as Potts wilted and Magassa got withdrawn his presence once again shone through.

As for the forwards, it's a mixed bag. Raul Jimenez can once again take the accolades for a successful winner - he had "downtime" across the game where he didn't see the ball for a time, but the periods he activated himself for were important parts of the game, and his goals have proven crucial in many of the games he's scored them in. Of course, the counter is that said "downtime" isn't sustainable over a full Premier League season, and the sterner opponents we have coming up will take advantage of it. Smith-Rowe played very well, dynamic and industrious on the ball throughout, and really deserves more praise for the work he's done to get himself back into fitness and form for the team.

The wingers were less impressive today; Wilson has another assist but didn't play with the sharpest feet for much of the game. A more confident left-back than Scarles, and his opportunity to supply the winning cross disappears. And Kevin... it's frustrating, because there are many moments that his pace destroys defenders, and he has demonstrated that he can put the menacing balls into the box, but there are far too many errors in his game right now, and when King arrived he and Robinson did more to use the left wing to Fulham's advantage. He needs time, of course, but with Chukwueze overseas and King injured the spotlight demands him now. Here's hoping the games against some top-half sides will prove a fitting stage.

Crisis at West Ham?
We'll also not have many worse sides than West Ham to play this season. I like Nuno and still think he'll guide West Ham closer to safety than where they are now, but the team don't have a lot of confidence at the moment and it's rapidly sinking their league campaign. Scarles is the scapegoat today and the weak link in the backline but mistakes like this are likelier when young players are thrown into the relegation battle of a despondent team. It plagues the whole team - their backline was competent but couldn't abate the rising danger over the game, and ended up buckling by the end.

Nuno made good attacking changes but they didn't produce a goal, which meant that when the attacks dried up the weakened midfield couldn't disrupt Fulham's passing. Potts started strongly but had too much to do by the end of the match, with Fernandes in a new position, Magassa taken off and many, many miles run into his legs. On the topic of these attacks, the team need their pieces to fire collectively - between Summerville's pace, Bowen's directness, Wilson's intelligence and Paqueta's creativity there's a competent attack to sculpt, but they never fire collectively and the result can often be a mess. Leno should have had more to do; the few times they actually managed to put a shot on target the German was alert. It meant they had no goals to show for their genuinely decent football on the ball, and were susceptible when Fulham's goal was scored. Truly, the year has been a dismal one for the club.

It matters not to us - Fulham are the victors, and can put to rest the most serious fears of being sucked into a relegation battle for now, certainly to the same level as the other teams around mid-table, We have to give Marco Silva credit - we've faced several hardships out of our control over the season, including the ongoing injury problems and AFCON, but the team are pulling results together and rediscovering their form. Whatever you say about 2025, you can't fault the effort Silva puts into making the club as good as it can be - he wants to win with us, and the work he's done to get us to this moment, an established top-flight side putting together winning runs over the tricky Christmas season, shouldn't be taken for granted.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/jimenez-strikes-again-as-fulham-win

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West Ham 0-1 Fulham
Raúl Jiménez's late header earned Fulham a third successive Premier League victory on Saturday afternoon.

The meeting with West Ham United at their London Stadium was a hard fought battle, one that was nervy at times, but the Whites had enough about them to get over the line.

Five minutes before the death, Harry Wilson capitalised on a defensive mistake to set up Raúl for his second goal of the week, efforts which have earned six points for his side.

Marco Silva named an unchanged XI to the one that beat Nottingham Forest at the start of the week, with Wilson declared fit after injuring his knee in that game.

After a possession-laden opening spell from Fulham, we fashioned the first opening on six minutes when a smart Raúl turn presented him with a shooting chance, but he bent off target.

Seconds later, Wilson tested the agility of Alphonse Areola from the edge of the box, and the goalkeeper showed why he's a former Fulham Player of the Season winner with a fine fingertip save.

West Ham responded with a couple of corners, keeping the pressure on when Jarrod Bowen was slid in – the England man drawing a firm-handed save from Bernd Leno at his near post.

Some nice movement from the Irons in the final third 25 minutes in culminated in Crysencio Summerville clipping a cross over to the unmarked Ollie Scarles, but the left-back sent his header wide.

Buoyed by that opening, they went closer soon after as Summerville's shot deflected through a host of white shirts in the box, narrowly evading a decisive touch by Soungoutou Magassa for what would have been a tap-in at the back stick.

At the other end, excellent hold-up play from Raúl presented a sighter of goal for Kevin, but he was quickly swarmed and his shot lacked the power to trouble Areola.

Areola was then surprised by Joachim Andersen, making an unorthodox save with his legs to keep out his former teammate's dipping strike from the best part of 35 yards. Wilson got to the loose ball first but put it wide according to the officials, though it looked like a claret toe may have had the final touch.

Intricate play down the right five minutes before the break ended with Saša Lukić dinking a cross into the path of Emile Smith Rowe, but he couldn't get over his header and cleared the crossbar.

The opener looked certain to come Fulham's way eight minutes into the second half when Wilson got the better of Scarles to break into the area, but his cutback could not be converted by Lukić or Kevin.

Shortly after the hour mark, Antonee Robinson spotted the forward run of Lukić and picked him out with a perfect cross, but the midfielder couldn't quite direct his header inside of the upright.

West Ham had an even better chance moments later when Magassa's pass found Bowen in the box, only for the England man to flick his first time effort wide.

The hosts had looked more of a threat since introducing a focal point up front in the guise of Callum Wilson, and with 20 minutes to play it was hearts in mouths as he managed to roll off the shoulder of Jorge Cuenca to open the pitch up for himself, only to pull his low strike wide.

Josh King had also come off the bench for Fulham and he had a sweetly hit half volley bravely blocked, before skinning his man and delivering a wicked ball across the face that was hacked away before anyone in white could convert.

Areola was called upon again on 84 minutes when Raúl got on the end of a delicious Robinson delivery, making himself big to save at his near post.

Raúl came out on top of that personal battle a mere 54 seconds later, though. Wilson capitalised on Scarles fluffing his clearance by looping a ball into the box for Raúl to power home.

The low-incident nature of the second half meant Fulham only had four minutes of added time to see out, something the lads did professionally to make it a hat-trick of top flight victories.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/december/27/west-ham-0-1-fulham/

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West Ham 0-1 Fulham: The Hammers' defensive woes continue, the position they must target in January - and the star whose return has boosted Marco Silva's side
A year is a long time in football, and just 12 months after taking Nottingham Forest to third in the table via a 1-0 victory over Tottenham, Nuno Espirito Santo is facing a much bleaker picture.

The Portuguese coach is now in danger of a first Premier League relegation, with West Ham five points adrift of safety after a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham following Raul Jimenez's late strike.

The Hammers squandered some good chances before Harry Wilson pounced on Ollie Scarles' error to tee up the Mexican for his second goal in two games.

Nuno's side, who have lost all six of their matches against fellow London teams this season, couldn't muster a response - and they now face crunch fixtures against Brighton, Wolves and Nottingham Forest over the next 10 days.

Daily Mail Sport's WILL PICKWORTH was at the London Stadium and he has picked out some key talking points from the match.

West Ham's defensive woes go on
As Scarles missed his routine clearance, Nuno's heart must have sunk as Wilson crossed for Jimenez to head home from yards out.

It is now 15 games without a clean sheet for West Ham, with their only shut-out of the campaign coming in a 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest when Nuno was in charge of their relegation rivals.

Individual errors like the one from Scarles, who was left in tears at full-time, have continued to let the Hammers down.

They have shipped 23 goals in 13 matches since Graham Potter was replaced, and Wolves are the only Premier League team with a worse defensive record this season.

What will be even more infuriating for Nuno is that his side had defended much better for most of the game after conceding three goals against Aston Villa and Man City.

The under-fire Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo had dealt with Jimenez until his late strike, but without clean sheets, the Hammers have no chance of staying up.

Robinson return boosts Fulham
It is perhaps no coincidence that Fulham have picked up three successive wins - and two clean sheets - since Antonee Robinson returned from over two months out through injury.

On form the USA left back is one of the best in his position in the Premier League - and he was a huge presence for Fulham here.

Robinson was tireless up and down the left and had a big role in his side's build-up play.

He was unfortunate not to grab an assist with Sasa Lukic heading wide from one teasing ball, and he caused Alphonse Areola trouble with another dangerous cross. He also largely kept both Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen quiet.

Ryan Sessegnon proved to be an able deputy before his own injury, but Robinson's return is very much welcome for Marco Silva, while Jorge Cuenca also stepped up again in the absence of Calvin Bassey.

'We cannot forget how well Sessegnon did in the first three months of the season because he was very important,' Silva said.

'But of course, with the injury, for Robinson to be able to play so many games in a row with all that energy on the left-hand side is impressive.

'I am pleased for him to be able to help the team, because last season he was so important for us, and two seasons ago it was the same.'

Where West Ham must strengthen in January
If West Ham are to get out of relegation trouble, reinforcements in the January transfer window will be key. Although many Hammers fans are desperate for a new centre back, they must sign a striker too.

With Callum Wilson benched for the fourth successive game and Niclas Fullkrug on his way out, the hosts lacked a focal point until the former was introduced in the second half.

Time and time again they got into good positions, but they were let down by final quality or the absence of a proper centre forward.

Jarrod Bowen did well running in behind, yet he does his best work coming off the right, and it is clear that Nuno doesn't quite trust Wilson.

The 33-year-old made an immediate difference to West Ham's attacks, occupying Fulham's defenders, thereby giving Bowen more space and they looked much more threatening.

Yet Wilson is not quite the player he once was, and he was guilty of squandering two good chances. Bowen also fired wide from close range.

'It's disappointing,' Nuno said post-match. 'I felt the momentum was ours. We created situations, and I felt the goal was coming but in the end we got punished. After that there was not much time.'

Hammers fans make feelings known
It was after 15 minutes when chants of 'sack the board' rang around the London Stadium as Hammers supporters held up red cards that read 'no more BS' in their latest portrayal of discontent towards vice-chair Karren Brady and chairman David Sullivan.

The protests, which have included marches, boycotts, banners and chants, show no signs of abating as supporters continue to demand for the pair to depart amid accusations of mismanagement, poor recruitment and a disconnect from the fanbase.

It was heartening to see Fulham fans demonstrate support by clapping those near the away end, and while it is hard to ever see Sullivan and Brady regaining the backing of many, investment in January may buy them some goodwill.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15415807/West-Ham-0-1-Fulham-Hammers-defensive-woes-continue-position-target-January-star-return-boosted-Marco-Silvas-side.html

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Marco Silva says Fulham 'showed our ambition' after defeating West Ham
An all-London affair went the way of the visitors at the London Stadium.

Marco Silva spoke after a 1-0 win for Fulham against West Ham.

This triumph marks three successive Premier League victories after the 1-0 defeat of Nottingham Forest at the start of the week and a 3-2 triumph over Burnley last weekend. The Cottagers have climbed into the top half of the table, and they will be eager to look up the league in the new year.

"Very tight game, as we expected. These type of games, they are not decisive, but they are always going to be very important for the home side to win this afternoon, but we showed our ambition.

"Both teams had chances, but what pleased me more really is the way in the last 20-25 minutes our team started to push a little bit more. You come to play away from home, and we saw our team on the ball, we saw our team trying to create chances on the ball, [and] you expose ourselves more.

"We knew it, they are going to be set up for some counter-attack moments, we expected that with Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Crysencio Summerville, before Callum Wilson came in.

"We have to be aware of that situation, and if you look for all the game, the chances that they create, or the dangerous moments they had, they came all from counter-attacks.

"In some moments, we should have squeezed more their frontline players to not let them have the chance, but it really pleased me how we pushed. Before [the goal], we had a great chance with Josh King, one great chance with Raul Jimenez, too.

"Great assist, great goal from Raúl. Overall, the game coming for an end, looked like it is going to be a draw, but it pleased me the way the team showed ambition to push forward to try to win the game, and it's very important for us.

"Premier League is very tough to win football matches, we knew the individual quality that is in the other side, players like Bowen, Paqueta, and Summerville or Wilson, the capacity they have to decide some times in games.

"We are very pleased. The third win in a row in Premier League – it's always difficult to win and to achieve it, third in a row away from home as well. With the clean sheet, even better for us.

"I'm very pleased, the players deserve all the credit in this busy period with a lot of absences from our side, the way we have been able to win games recently and to climb the table."



https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2025/12/27/fulham/1245649-marco-silva-says-fulham-showed-ourambition-after-defeating-west-ham.html

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Fulham rewarded for their ambition to win – Silva
Marco Silva felt Fulham were rewarded for showing their ambition to win a tight London derby at West Ham.

In a game of few clear-cut chances, the visitors kept attacking late on and Raul Jimenez's goal clinched a third consecutive league victory.

Whites boss Silva said: "A very tight game, as we expected. These type of games are always going to be very important for the home side to win, but we showed our ambition.

"What pleased me is the way in the last 20-25 minutes our team started to push a little bit more. We saw our team trying to create chances.

"It looked like it was going to be a draw, but it pleased me the way the team showed ambition to push forward to try to win the game."

The in-form Harry Wilson, who was passed fit following a minor injury, served up yet another assist, crossing to set up the clinical Jimenez.

"Great assist, great goal from Raul," Silva said.

"I'm very pleased. The players deserve all the credit in this busy period, with a lot of absences from our side, the way we have been able to win games and to climb the table."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-rewarded-for-their-ambition-to-win-silva