Crysencio Summerville scores the decisive goal as West Ham secure a crucial 1-0 Premier League win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
West Ham United boosted their survival hopes with a hard fought 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage that temporarily lifted them out of the drop for the first time since December. Crysencio Summerville scored the only goal midway through the second half after capitalising on a defensive mix up.
The result gave West Ham their seventh Premier League victory of the season. It also moved them level on points with Nottingham Forest in the battle to avoid relegation.
West Ham nearly opened the scoring within the first minute. Jarrod Bowen surged forward and found Valentin Castellanos near the edge of the area. His first time effort was pushed away by Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
The visitors continued to look dangerous in the early stages. Bowen had another chance after being set up by Castellanos but dragged his attempt wide. Fulham gradually settled and began to see more of the ball.
Alex Iwobi tested Mads Hermansen with two long range efforts as the hosts searched for a breakthrough. However, clear chances remained limited during a tense opening half.
The contest finally sparked into life towards the end of the first half. West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes risked a second yellow card after fouling Josh King near the edge of the area. Referee Matt Donohue chose not to send him off, much to Fulham’s frustration.
Seconds later Fulham nearly took the lead. King created space inside the penalty area but Hermansen reacted quickly to block his low effort. The save ensured the match remained goalless at the interval.
Fulham thought they had a golden chance shortly after the restart. Tom Cairney went down in the area following contact with Castellanos and the referee pointed to the spot.
However, a VAR review told a different story. Replays showed Cairney had kicked the striker during the challenge. The penalty was overturned and play resumed with a free kick to West Ham.
The breakthrough arrived in the 65th minute after a costly error from Fulham. Leno rushed out of his penalty area to deal with a through ball but hesitated. Defender Calvin Bassey also failed to clear the danger.
Bowen reacted first to the confusion and squared the ball to Summerville. The Dutch winger kept his composure and finished into an empty net. It was his fifth Premier League goal of the campaign.
Fulham pushed forward in search of an equaliser during the closing stages. Substitute Rodrigo Muniz headed over while Iwobi fired narrowly wide from distance.
Hermansen proved crucial in the final minutes. The Danish goalkeeper produced a superb save to deny Timothy Castagne and preserve West Ham’s advantage. The visitors then saw out the remaining stoppage time to secure a valuable clean sheet.
West Ham finished the match with three shots on target compared to Fulham’s five. However, the visitors generated slightly higher expected goals with 1.09 xG against Fulham’s 1.01.
Summerville’s recent form has been central to West Ham’s revival. The winger has now scored seven goals in his last ten appearances across all competitions. Earlier in the season he managed only one goal in his first 38 matches for the club.
The win also marked a notable improvement under manager Nuno Espirito Santo. West Ham have now recorded four victories in their last eight league matches.
Summerville was the decisive figure on the night with another crucial goal. Bowen also impressed by creating the winning opportunity after pressing aggressively.
Hermansen delivered an excellent performance in goal. His saves before and after half time proved vital in protecting West Ham’s narrow lead.
West Ham now face a difficult run of fixtures as they continue their fight for survival. They will take on Manchester City before hosting Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Fulham will aim to respond quickly when they travel to face Everton in their next league outing.
