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

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.

Teams

Fulham XI: Rico, Odoi, Mawson, Chambers, Ream, Bryan, Seri, Schurrle, Cairney, Kamara, Mitrovic

West Ham XI: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Masuaku, Snodgrass, Noble, Rice, Anderson, Hernandez, Antonio

Show latest update

2018-12-15T11:57:53.336Z

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 Menezes
• 15 December 2018 11:57

2018-12-15T16:33:19.466Z

Team news

 

 

• Jack Watson
• 15 December 2018 16:33

2018-12-15T17:28:09.953Z

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 Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:28

KICK OFF

2018-12-15T17:31:04.980Z

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

 

Fun start. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:31

MATCH ACTION

2018-12-15T17:37:11.383Z

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 Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:37

2018-12-15T17:38:59.520Z

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 Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:38

MATCH ACTION

2018-12-15T17:39:37.026Z

​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 Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:39

MATCH ACTION

2018-12-15T17:41:48.803Z

​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 Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:41

2018-12-15T17:41:57.316Z

Good start from Fulham in these opening exchanges.

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:41

GOAL!

2018-12-15T17:49:18.803Z

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 Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:49

MATCH ACTION

2018-12-15T17:57:31.240Z

​Fulham 0-1 West Ham - 23 mins CHANCE FULHAM! 

 

And what a chance this is for Mitrovic. 

 

It's a wonderful bit of play from Joe Bryan who somehow swings in a ball towards the far post where Mitrovic is arriving. 

 

The Serb is alive and gets to the ball first but prods his header wide of the goal. 

 

He should have put that back across goal but who am I to say that?

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:57

MATCH ACTION

2018-12-15T17:58:37.366Z

​Fulham 0-1 West Ham - 25 mins FULHAM CHANCE! 

 

And another chance for Fulham, this time for Kamara as Odoi swings in a good cross which meets the free head of Kamara. 

 

His header is on target and heading for the bottom corner but Fabianski saves and claims. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:58

MATCH ACTION

2018-12-15T17:59:42.190Z

​Fulham 0-1 West Ham - 27 mins FULHAM CHANCE! 

 

It was a bit of a scrap leading to this chance but Kamara finds himself about 25 yards out and leathers the ball towards goal but a good save from Fabianski pushes it out wide. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 17:59

GOAL!

2018-12-15T18:02:05.500Z

GOAL! Fulham 0-2 West Ham (Antonio) 28 mins

 

It's really been an odd game. Fulham have been marginally better than West Ham but I'm sorry, if you defend like Fulham you've got absolutely no chance. 

 

They may not have conceded after 15 minutes but they've conceded two before the 30th! 

 

This time Hernandez wins a header and flicks it towards the 6-yard-box where Anotnio is hanging around, COMPLETELY UNMARKED. 

 

He takes a touch and slots it in under Rico with his right foot. 

 

It's just really bad. He's free in the box. I'm at a los to explain this. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 18:04

MATCH ACTION

2018-12-15T18:05:54.530Z

Fulham 0-2 West Ham 34 mins

 

Fulham have a corner and swing it in. 

 

Nothing comes from it in the area but it does fall to Schurrle... who's effort is atrocious. 

 

High, wide, bad, unpleasant. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 18:05

2018-12-15T18:06:52.346Z

Fulham look reasonable going forward but sometimes it's too fancy and at the back...

 

Well, I've already said enough.

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 18:06

2018-12-15T18:09:37.426Z

​Fulham 0-2 West Ham - 38 mins CHANCE FULHAM! 

 

A good ball in from the right hand side is heading towards Mitrovic but it misses him and heads further towards the far post but Bryan isn't busting a gut to get it. 

 

Ranieri not impresses.

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 18:09

YELLOW CARD

2018-12-15T18:10:00.240Z

​Fulham 0-2 West Ham - 38 mins: 

 

Noble booked for a classically strong tackle on Mitrovic. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 18:10

YELLOW CARD

2018-12-15T18:11:39.766Z

40 mins: Seri the latest in to the book for a late challenge on Michail Antonio. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 18:11

HALF TIME

2018-12-15T18:16:25.896Z

​Fulham 0-2 West Ham - 44 mins 

 

Schurrle has a good effort from outside the area, bending towards the goal but it doesn't bend enough and goes wide of the post. 

 

Looks like heading for half time with two goals in it... 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 18:16

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