Premier LeagueFulham 5-0 West Ham United
Saturday, 9th December 2023
by Chris Wilkerson
West Ham were brought crashing back down to earth this Sunday as Fulham tore them apart at Craven Cottage. A 5-0 defeat saw David Moyes's side deliver their worst performance under the manager and erase all the good will earned from a midweek win at Spurs.
It was abysmal, a performance worthy of being hammered so badly, and a game where they hardly made Fulham earn a single goal.Coming off the back of a 5-0 midweek thrashing of Nottingham Forest, Marco Silva's side were flowing with confidence, and came up against a similarly charitable opponent who failed to do the basics.
West Ham were unbeaten in six, but rarely playing well in that time. After a shaky start against Spurs, they found their feet again, but it's notable that that was a game where they were expected to play with little possession and strike in bursts. Back to the normality of games they cannot just let play out in front of them, The Hammers struggled again.
Talk of a sickness bug may excuse some of this in the light of day. Edson Alvarez missed the game due to sickness and there have been suggestions that Emerson started on the bench because he didn't feel well. Pablo Fornals was replaced at half-time due to being unwell, too.
West Ham made two changes from their comeback victory over Tottenham on Thursday night, with Cresswell and Fornals coming in for Emerson and an unwell Alvarez. Fornals played wide on the left, moving Paqueta central ahead of Ward-Prowse and Soucek. Bowen started up front, with Kudus back to the right wing.
There were good signs early, Fornals and Paqueta showing an ability to pass and move together that could go some way to replicating how Emerson has combined with the Brazilian this season.
That chemistry helped West Ham make inroads down the left, but not in any way they could profit. A nice move between the two saw Fornals pass a lovely ball into the area, but just evading the movement in the box.
There were continuing signs of a growing relationship between Kudus and Bowen, too, who play with many similarities in their games. Kudus's ability to ride challenges and use his own physicality to win the ball in the opposition half set up Bowen for a low blast from the edge of the box, but easy to save for Leno.
There was a clear instruction to shift the ball across the pitch quickly, such was the increase of big switches from one side to another. It was mostly across to the right, possibly to expose Willian's lack of workrate defensively on the wing. It failed to bear fruit.
It took 15 minutes for Fulham to really get into the game but once they did, they never looked back.
That first real moment of threat was a sign that things were going to be too easy for the home side in the final third. Jimenez picked the ball up in a pocket of space just off the left flank. He looked up and saw Willian bursting into the box, and was given the time to dink a pass over the defence and ahead of the run of his Brazilian teammate.
It was too easy for the striker to play his difficult pass and too easy for Willian to control the dipping ball. His shot was weak and straight at Fabianski.
West Ham were winning corners at the other end, but not making chances. It was frustrating to watch Ward-Prowse sending corners right under the bar, directly at Leno, with players crowded around him.
It is certainly uncomfortable for the goalkeeper, but he also knows any touch on him will bring a foul, and it's questionable whether discomfort results in actual danger. They were ineffective and achieved nothing throughout the game.
The Fulham pressure continued to build; West Ham would surely be punished if they allowed their opponents the time on the ball they were being given. It was to be the case, the complete lack of energy ensuring the Fulham midfield had both the time and the space to create quality chances.
The opening goal was a fantastic one. Palhinha had powered through two big challenges in his own half, and then joined the attack.
He received the ball some 35 yards from goal, tucked inside off the left. He looked up and settled on the ball as the West Ham midfield sat off him. It gave him the time to assess his options, so he chose to hit a hard, flat cross at the head of Jimenez moving on the right side of the West Ham box.
It's hard to criticise the defence here, such was the skill of that ball into the box. It arrowed onto Jimenez's head, and the Portuguese striker continued his return to pre-head injury form by cushioning it perfectly, just using the power to guide it at goal, rifling off his head and flying into the corner of the goal.
It's no consolation for West Ham, but there is a little bit of bitter joy to see the striker finding his feet once more, such has he struggled to be the same player he was before that vicious injury.
Fulham are unbeaten this season when scoring the first goal, and that was not about to change. After opening the scoring 22 minutes into the game, they extended their lead as the half-hour mark ticked by.
This time it was a poor Aguerd pass into midfield that let Fulham pounce, giving the ball to a man under pressure with an undercooked pass. Fulham took it and poured forward, working from Willian on the left to Iwobi in acres of space on the edge of the box, middle of goal. His effort was saved well by Fabianski, who pushed it wide.
But the ball was retrieved with speed by Pereira, who played a first-time pass back into the box. Iwobi should have scored from 8 yards out, but his air shot left the ball rolling to Willian, who smashed it back across goal and into the bottom corner to double his side's lead.
It was all Fulham now, and there were gaps to be found whenever Fulham wanted them. Unlike the game midweek, this was a team stuck in defence and without the ability to handle it.
This was a performance much more similar to that horror show at Villa Park, where the team seemed to know more was required than sitting in and defending their goal, but unable to balance the need to attack and to defend. It was a reminder of last year, a team that tried to evolve to play with possession and floundered because of it.
The manager had swapped Kudus and Bowen around after the first goal and was right to swap them back after the second. Kudus isn't a striker, and Bowen is improving all the time at the back-to-goal play required, and he doesn't need to be a bully to do it. Much of Kudus's ability with his back to players comes from the mixture of strength and skill, but the strength doesn't bother your standard centre back.
Putting Bowen back in the middle did yield a first chance for West Ham, and Bowen was arguably the only player who performed. His ice cold finishing streak away from home was finally broken, but it was weirdly promising to see him play well and get chances when his side were flailing and failing across the pitch.
To be an effective striker for West Ham, you need to be able to thrive off inconsistent service and make a bit of your own luck. Bowen proved today that he can do that, which is a test that can only be taken when the team is faltering. It could be the best evidence yet that shows he can be that main man up front.
He missed a few opportunities in the game. Nothing wonderfully clear, often snap chances that needed an instant finish. A Fornals cross that Coufal flicked back over his head to return to the middle fell at his toes and he had to get a quick effort off was West Ham's best moment of the half and typical of the service he was living off.
With minutes to play before the half-time whistle, Cresswell made a great block to stop a goal bound volley from Iwobi, but that only delayed Fulham's joy. From the corner, Zouma was beaten in the air by Tosin, and his bullet header could only be flicked into the roof of the net by Coufal standing a couple of yards off the line. Fabianski may have got there, but that's by no means a certainty.
It was a goal similar in many ways to Romero winning the header on Thursday, and an example of Zouma's inability to make a full and flying jump.
They should have had a fourth just before the break, Iwobi getting on the inside of Aguerd and squeezing into the box. Luckily for West Ham, the midfielder made the angle tight for himself and turned down the shot, instead trying to square to Jimenez. His pass was cut out by Fabianski.
A 3-0 hiding going into the break saw Moyes make changes at half-time. Fornals and Cresswell were replaced by Emerson and Mavropanos as West Ham went to a back three system. Fornals, it has since been reported, was replaced due to sickness. One has to wonder if maybe he didn't need to start?
It was hard to see whether the system was a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2 as Kudus drifted, but it was not a change that brought any life to the performance. They continued to chase shadows, and it must have been a relief for some of them when Fulham crashed home a fourth and the manager decided to put three more out of their misery.
The goal itself was beautiful, a Harry Wilson goal that looked exactly like your expected Harry Wilson goal. He'd just missed an easy chance after being found in the box by Pereira and turning Zouma with wonderful skill, but he made up for it this time.
Cairney curled a ball out to Wilson on the right side, just on the edge of the West Ham box. The Welshman cut in under no pressure, looked up and bent a beautiful effort into the top corner across goal, whipping it around defenders and way out of Fabianski's reach.
Kudus, Zouma and Paqueta were immediately withdrawn, protected ahead of a massive game on Thursday, replaced by Mubama, Ogbonna and Benrahma with 25 minutes to play.
Bowen soon hit Leno again with a shot as a long throw from Coufal dropped at his toes and the striker quickly shuffled to strike at goal, too close to the goalkeeper once more.
A minute later, Benrahma should have scored. A nice move down the right saw Bowen - now playing on the wing - drift in off the right with the ball and open up space. He slotted Benrahma through in the box, but the Algerian could only direct it right into the hands of Leno. He had time and space to do more with the whole goal to aim at.
The only good news was that the away fans were now at their best, signing without pause, loud and proud, over and over. It didn't stop when Mubama fluffed a shot and it barely stopped as West Ham lolled about aimlessly and lifelessly as the game finished.
There was still time for a fifth. With a minute to play, a clipped ball over the defence from inside the Fulham half found Wilson through on goal. Selflessly, with great awareness, he waited until Fabianski closed him down and then rolled it to the side where Vinicius was ready to pass into an empty net.
Wilson had found the space behind Aguerd, running off Emerson and being left to do so by the Italian international. It was about as accurate a depiction of the whole game as you could find. Bowen still had time to poke a reflex chance just wide, but it was a relief to hear the final whistle and consign this game to history.
Manager's Rating
David Moyes: 5/10 With some sympathy about the illness we are now hearing more of, he still saw his team play awfully. The subs didn't work at all, tired players were flogged, his side created nothing. Even if we accept the energy was low, it was another example of West Ham being unable to play with possession against a half decent team.
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Click to view all West Ham United vs Fulham match reports Click to view all match reports by Chris Wilkerson Like to share your thoughts on this article? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.Player Ratings
Lukasz FabianskiMade some good saves and was given absolutely no chance on the goals. It does, however, pierce the view that this defence is more secure with Fabianski behind them.
Vladimir Coufal
Created a few half chances and was never exposed like either left back was.
Aaron Cresswell
Looked off the pace, which is no surprise given age and game time this year.
Kurt Zouma
It's hard to tell now what is his physical limitations and what's just bad play, but he had to do better on that header. Didn't read the ball well, didn't attack it, struggled to get a good leap.
Nayef Aguerd
Far too much reliance on the Moroccan to do ahh passing from deep, and he's still just a centre back who can be good on the ball. Got to a point where he's hitting aimless passes up the line because the options in midfield were dire.
Tomas Soucek
A midfield pair of Ward-Prowse and Soucek lacks any ability to pass progressively in central areas, doesn't carry the ball, and relies on both to be better defensively than they are. Soucek is a good defender but needs to be aided by someone with the nous of Rice or Alvarez.
James Ward-Prowse
Whereas Ward-Prowse is nullified being forced deeper, where you lose the ability he has to defend aggressively, and isn't more than a safe passer in those areas. He can muck in, but it needed more and he couldn't offer it.
Pablo Fornals
Tried manfully and had the odd useful moment, a couple crosses from the left were good and he was unlucky not to get anything from them.
Lucas Paqueta
He's looked lost out wide lately, but failed spectacularly as a 10 in a central area. Didn't seem to want to get in and do the work defensively, but only really showed one moment where he could offer an attacking threat. His dip in form is staggering now.
Mohammed Kudus
He tried, but ultimately failed, and was a long way short of the spark he's been in recent games that has carried the poorer performances around him.
Jarrod Bowen
Carried all the hopes of the team on his shoulders as the rest buckled. On another day, he might sneak one or two of those in, but they were all difficult chances and it was a shock he even managed to make something of them.
Substitutes
Konstantinos Mavropanos(Replaced Cresswell, 46) The team didn't defend much better and he offered nothing as a third centre back who could move forward.
Emerson Palmieri
(Replaced Fornals, 46) Looked shorn of energy and defended mindlessly.
Divin Mubama
(Replaced Kudus, 64) One half chance fluffed, worked hard but inspired nothing.
Saïd Benrahma
(Replaced Paqueta, 64) One big chance, arguably our best, and he hit Leno.
Angelo Ogbonna
(Replaced Zouma, 64) Wasn't guilty of any mistakes and didn't get exposed like almost every other centre back had been in there at some point.
Joseph Anang
Did not play.
Thilo Kehrer
Did not play.
Maxwel Cornet
Did not play.
Danny Ings
Did not play.
Match Facts
West Ham United: Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell, Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, Tomas Soucek, James Ward-Prowse, Pablo Fornals, Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen.Goals: None.
Booked: Aaron Cresswell 0 .
Sent off: None.
Fulham : Leno, Castagne, Bassey, Adarabioyo, Robinson (Ballo-Toure 72), Palhinha (Reed 79), Cairney, Willian (Wilson 72), Iwobi (De Cordova-Reid 79), Pereira, Jimenez (Carlos Vinicius 72) .
Subs not used: Rodak, Tete, Muniz, Lukic.
Goals: Jimenez (22), Willian (31), Adarabioyo (41), Wilson (60), Carlos Vinicius (89).
Booked: Palhinha, Ballo-Toure.
Sent off: None.
Referee: Paul Tierney.
Attendance: 23,988.
Man of the Match: Jarrod Bowen.