West Ham’s home ground witnessed an emotional and dramatic evening as Fulham edged past the Championship leaders 3-2 in a Carabao Cup clash filled with twists. Before the match began, supporters honoured the memory of former goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko, who passed away at 64 after battling cancer. Miklosko had guarded the Hammers’ net across nearly 400 appearances between 1990 and 1998, and his loss weighed heavily on the occasion.
Once play started, Fulham took early control, moving the ball with purpose. Antonee Robinson found space down the flank and delivered a low cross that Rodrigo Muniz headed home from close range, giving the visitors an early lead and their first goal away from home this season. The advantage did not last long, as Konstantinos Mavropanos headed across goal for Morato to power in an equaliser just minutes later.
Fulham responded again before the break. A lofted pass from Joachim Andersen sent Cesar Palacios through on goal, and the Spanish midfielder calmly chipped the ball over goalkeeper Finlay Herrick, netting his second goal in as many matches. West Ham refused to fold, though, and drew level once more right at the interval when Kyle Walker Peters whipped in a cross that Benjamin Lecomte could only parry into the path of Pablo, who forced it home from a narrow angle.
The decisive moment arrived late, in the 78th minute, when substitute Oscar Bobb scored his maiden goal for Fulham to hand manager Alvaro Arbeloa a much needed victory following a difficult opening stretch in the Premier League. Despite chances for both sides in the closing stages, the score stayed the same, ending West Ham’s six match unbeaten streak.
Attention now shifts elsewhere: West Ham travel to Millwall in the Championship on Saturday, while Fulham host Manchester United the following day, hunting their first Premier League win of the season.
