Raúl Jiménez deepened West Ham’s relegation worries as Fulham snatched victory with five minutes remaining, his second goal in two matches giving Fulham a third straight win. The West Ham youngster Ollie Scarles was in tears after his mistake handed Fulham the victory and deepened his side’s relegation fears.
Manchester City’s lunchtime win at Nottingham Forest gave the Hammers the chance to cut the gap to 17th place to just two points. But instead they remain five points adrift of the last safe spot after the first of a run of supposedly winnable games, with Brighton and Forest still to come to east London, either side of a trip to rock-bottom Wolves.
West Ham looked set to earn a point until five minutes from full time when the 20-year-old full-back Scarles swung an air shot at a clearance, allowing Harry Wilson to lift a cross to the far post for Jiménez to tuck home.
“We are all disappointed and sad, but we stick together,” said Nuno Espírito Santo. “He has our total confidence and support. Mistakes are part of the game. Today and tonight is going to be tough, but tomorrow is another day and then we are playing again.”
There was little festive good cheer in the air at the London Stadium, with West Ham supporters holding up red cards and chanting “sack the board” in the latest protest against the owner David Sullivan and the vice-chair Karren Brady. On the pitch, the club have won just two matches at home this season, lost their last six London derbies and taken just three points from their last seven games.
Jiménez, who scored Fulham’s winner against Forest before Christmas which lifted them well clear of any imminent danger, had their first chance but curled his effort wide. Moments later, Wilson let fly from 20 yards with Alphonse Areola at full stretch to tip the ball over.
West Ham threatened when Mateus Fernandes threaded the ball to Jarrod Bowen, whose angled shot was saved by Bernd Leno. Then a slick Hammers move down the right saw Kyle Walker-Peters send Crysencio Summerville to the byline, and his cross was headed narrowly wide by Scarles.
Nuno Espírito Santo sees West Ham slip to their 11th Premier League home defeat of 2025, now the joint-most home losses in their league history in a calendar year along with 1967. Photograph: Tony O Brien/Reuters
Summerville had a volley deflected wide from a Freddie Potts corner before, at the other end, Areola had to make an unorthodox save with his feet to keep out Joachim Andersen’s long-range effort.
Fulham should have taken the lead seven minutes into the second half when Wilson darted into space down the right, but his low cross eluded both Kevin and Sasa Lukic in front of goal.
The chances were by now coming at both ends with Lukic heading an inviting Antonee Robinson cross wide, before Bowen somehow scooped a cross from Soungoutou Magassa off target from six yards out. Callum Wilson, on as a substitute, turned Andersen on the halfway line and raced towards goal but his shot flew wide.
Bowen teed Wilson up for another shooting chance, but this time he lifted it over the top. Instead it was Fulham who took the points after the mistake by the otherwise impressive Scarles.
Raul Jiménez heads home from Harry Wilson’s cross for his seventh career Premier League goal against West Ham. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
“It’s special for us, to be winning three games in a row,” said Jiménez. “We are happy to finish the year with a win and we want to start next year with the same. We are playing well, having control of the games, we know we are going to have our chances to score. It was late but in the end it’s 1-0 and we go home with three points.
“It’s important always to keep this good form, we have been together. We wanted to start the season like this, but different things [happened]. Now we are in good form we don’t want to lose it.”