As expected, Graham Potter's first outing as West Ham United manager served just the dish to please- three points sprinkled with some drama. Full of twists and turns, this match saw the Hammers down Fulham 3-2 at the London Stadium.
Follow Playing for 90 on X (Twitter).
Potter's touch
It was clear from the word go that West Ham were ready to respond to Potter, even if it took a bit of time to get going. Finally, it did; they started organizing, pressed Fulham, and a couple of forced errors proved crucial. That pressure led to the first goal, which was by Carlos Soler. Edson Álvarez pressed Andreas Pereira into the misplaced pass, and he left him in the position to open the scoring with much simplicity.
The second, still in the first half, was a collective effort that epitomized what Potter seems to want to instill: quick movement and precise decisions. Lucas Paquetá initiated the play by challenging the defense, allowing Soler to find Tomas Soucek. The stand-in captain finished sharply at the near post, doubling the lead.
Fulham fights back but lacks precision
It did not matter, though, as Fulham did not hold back despite West Ham's early dominance. Marco Silva's men created good chances in the first half through Alex Iwobi and Harry Wilson, but poor finishing and a solid defensive display by Maximilian Kilman kept them from converting those chances.
The deficit which Iwobi reduced with a cross that deceived Fabianski, in the second half, saw Fulham's hopes reinstated. But again, a defensive mistake proved costly as Danny Ings's pressure forced Bernd Leno into a misstep to leave Paquetá free to extend West Ham's lead.
Tense finish
If the third goal appeared to nail it for the home side, Fulham simply would not be put off. Iwobi once again took center stage, a cross sailing over everybody bar into the back of the net, with West Ham's one-goal advantage now cut.
The dying minutes were marked by drama. Adama Traoré, on as a substitute, was able to beat everyone except the crossbar in stoppage time.
Bright start for Potter
Afterwards, Graham Potter spoke highly of the team attitude and commitment. "Three points, a very, very committed performance. It wasn't perfect, of course, but the attitude, the effort and the will to fight for each other, certainly was.
Potter also referred to how changes in the course of the match made a difference. The advance of Kudus and the aggressiveness he transmitted to players like Aaron Wan-Bissaka allowed him to take control at key moments.
Table and what's next
With the win, West Ham moved to 12th place with 26 points, while Fulham remains ninth with 30 points. For Potter, the challenge now is to build on this result as the season progresses.
“It was great, it was stressful, it was emotional, it was frustrating. It was all of those emotions, but that’s what we’re here for.”
Potter also stressed the importance of balancing intensity with control, particularly against teams that look to capitalize on moments of defensive laxity.