Match Report: Fulham Deserved Win over West Ham on New Year's Day

Fulham vs West Ham was a fixture neither team could afford to lose as they aim to stave off the threat of relegation. The Hammers were victors when the 2 teams met at Upton Park in November, with a 3-0 win that subsequently cost Martin Jol his job as Fulham boss. The Cottagers failed to fire a single shot on target in the defeat and it was little surprise to the neutral to see the Dutchman relieved of his duties following the London derby.

René Meulensteen came in as his replacement and while the club have won 3 of the 7 league games he's taken charge of, the defensive frailties within the Fulham backline are painstakingly evident. Knocked for 6 at Hull last weekend, adding to the 9 they had shipped in the previous 3 matches before that, it was imperative the players picked up their performance against a West Ham side that had lost their previous 4 away from home prior to their short trip across the capital.

These deficiencies in defence saw the west London outfit endure the worst possible start in a wet and windy encounter at Craven Cottage, going 1-0 down to a Mohamed Diamé strike in the opening exchanges. The midfielder was gifted the time and space to control Jussi Jääskeläinen's punt up field and pick his spot to net past David Stockdale.

The goal from the Senegalese was the 15th time the hosts have conceded the first goal in a Premier League fixture this season and it's an aspect Fulham need to improve on. However, the hosts levelled matters midway through the first half as Steve Sidwell headed Damien Duff's corner past Jääskeläinen to make it 1-1.

West Ham lost Mark Noble to injury and Kevin Nolan to a straight red before the break and Fulham made their numerical advantage count in the second half. Having fired away 13 shots in the opening 45 minutes to West Ham's 6, Meulensteen's side continued to press for the eventual winner and it came courtesy of Dimitar Berbatov after the hour mark. It saw Fulham move out of the relegation zone, in turn heaping further misery upon Allardyce's side.

The hosts ended the encounter having fired away 30 shots on the West Ham goal, their highest total in a single Premier League fixture this season having had the fewest shots at goal in the division prior to Wednesday's game (192). The number of efforts Fulham had in the match meant the victory was nothing more than they deserved, even if the 2-1 scoreline flattered the visitors.

This is exhibited in that Jääskeläinen was West Ham's highest rated player from WhoScored, securing a figure of 8.3 having been forced into 9 saves, while only Sidwell (8.7) scored higher than the Finn. With the hosts ending the 90 minutes with 68% possession, the Hammers were fortunate that the score was as low as it was come full time.

West Ham now sit only 1 point off the foot of the table following the defeat at Craven Cottage and it remains to be seen how they will turn their fortunes around. While the FA Cup will offer some reprieve to the east London side, Premier League meetings with Cardiff, Newcastle and Chelsea between now and the end of the month provide little respite to a team now battling to stave off the threat of relegation.

Completing just the 64% of their passes didn't aid the side's fluidity in the attack, while their 3 shots on target, all coming in the first half, highlighted their lack of penetration and creativity in the London derby. Granted, their quest for victory wasn't eased by Nolan's 44th minute red card, his second in his last 4 league starts, but the lack of imagination over the course of the fixture is a real cause for concern for West Ham.

As for Fulham, while their defensive frailties continued to be highlighted in the win, 3 points to kick off 2014 at the expense of a fellow relegation candidate is a major boost for the side, especially on the back of 6-0 drubbing from Hull last time out. From a West Ham perspective however, they must end this 7-match winless streak sooner rather than later if they're to avoid falling behind those around them and seeing their Premier League status brought to an end come May.

Do you think Fulham deserved to beat West Ham? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below