Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

As it happenedended

West Ham record fourth straight victory and pile further pressure on struggling Fulham

Re-live the action from Craven Cottage

Kishan Vaghela,Nathan Jacobs
Saturday 15 December 2018 12:59 GMT
Comments
West Ham 2018/19 Premier League profile

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Fulham's chaotic defending cost them again as in-form West Ham roared to a fourth straight victory.

The Cottagers remain the only team in England without a clean sheet this season after goals from Robert Snodgrass and Michail Antonio gave the visitors a 2-0 win and lifted them to ninth in the Premier League.

New Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri knows he needs to plug the leaks but on this evidence he has a lots of work still to do with his side still rooted to the foot of the table.

West Ham's goals were beautifully worked, but when not one of the seven defenders in attendance thought to close down Snodgrass on edge the area, and when Javier Hernandez - a player also known as 'Little Pea' - won a header in the box to set up Antonio's second, Ranieri's problems were laid bare.

Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's evening Premier League encounter between Fulham and West Ham, brought to you from Craven Cottage.

The teams are set to be unveiled at 4.30pm before we begin our full coverage ahead of kick-off at 5.30pm.

Jack de Menezes15 December 2018 11:57

Team news

Jack Watson15 December 2018 16:33

The teams are out at Craven Cottage and we're minutes away from kick off! 

It's a fabulous ground in English football and can they haul themselves off the bottom of the table? 

It's bound to be a good one...maybe. 

Nathan Jacobs15 December 2018 17:28

Mike Dean blows his whistle and we're underway at the Cottage with West Ham winning a foul within 3 seconds. 

Fun start. 

Nathan Jacobs15 December 2018 17:31

Fulham 0-0 West Ham - 5 mins: 

Corner to West Ham comes to nothing and it's been a rather conservative start to proceedings here. 

Fulham will probably be happy with that given how they collapsed at Old Trafford last week. 

Nathan Jacobs15 December 2018 17:37

And right in time, as if I've got my headset on, BT has just presented the stat that Fulham have conceded the most goals in the opening 15 minutes of games in the whole of the Premier League. 

They've just made it beyond half of that, now.  

Nathan Jacobs15 December 2018 17:38

​Fulham 0-0 West Ham - ​ 8 mins: 

Good play from Andre Schurrle sees him take it beyond one West Ham player before unleashing a long range right footed shot which flies over the bar. 

Nathan Jacobs15 December 2018 17:39

​Fulham 0-0 West Ham - 9 mins HUGE CHANCE FULHAM! 

What an opportunity to open the scoring for the Cottagers as Mitrovic threads it through for Kamara who runs on to the ball and is one on one with Fabianski. 

No West Ham defenders catch up with him and he's at a pretty handy angle. 

His shot though is tame, rubbish and just thoroughly disappointing. 

A genuinely weird effort for a striker. 

Nathan Jacobs15 December 2018 17:41

Good start from Fulham in these opening exchanges.

Nathan Jacobs15 December 2018 17:41

GOAL! ​Fulham 0-1 West Ham - (Snodgrass, 17) 

On the counter attack West Ham take the lead and it could have all been so different as Mitrovic was played through on goal but didn't have the composure to do so. 

Instead, Felipe Anderson beats Odoi on the left hand side far too easily and lays it into the path of Snodgrass on the egde of the box. 

The Scottish midfielder curls it into the top corner beyond the reach of Rico. 

Good goal but slightly against the run of play. Definite sign of quality they possess. 

Nathan Jacobs15 December 2018 17:49

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in