Fulham vs West Ham – News and Probable Lineups

Seeking to achieve back-to-back victories in London derbies at Craven Cottage, Fulham will entertain West Ham United in Wednesday’s Premier League encounter.

Marco Silva’s squad arrives at this match following a 2–1 success over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, a day after the Hammers were defeated 5–2 by Liverpool.

Match overview

Having started February with three consecutive league losses, Fulham seems to have regained their form, winning three straight fixtures, beginning with a triumph at Stoke City that secured their place in the FA Cup fifth round.

This was followed by a second-half comeback win against Sunderland, but the Cottagers started fast against Tottenham on Sunday, with Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi giving them a 2–0 lead before halftime, leaving Richarlison’s goal in the 66th minute as merely a consolation.

The victory moved Fulham up to ninth in the Premier League standings, just five points behind a struggling Chelsea in sixth, while it marked the East Londoners’ first league double over Tottenham in 22 years.

A similar chance arises on Wednesday as the Cottagers aim for a rare Premier League season sweep against West Ham – having previously achieved this in the 2023–24 season – following a late winner at the London Stadium back in December.

Having won five of their last seven home matches in all competitions should fuel Fulham’s confidence, especially after scoring multiple goals in five of those fixtures, which may provide an added advantage against a defensively weak rival.

Indeed, only Burnley (56) has conceded more goals in this Premier League season than West Ham’s 54, with those defensive issues becoming evident again on Saturday at Anfield, where the Hammers’ vulnerability at set pieces was highlighted.

Level on 16 goals conceded from set-piece situations (excluding penalties) with Bournemouth, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side was undone by three first-half corner routines from Liverpool, which proved to be an insurmountable deficit, despite a much-improved effort in the second half that brought goals from Tomas Soucek and Taty Castellanos.

This loss halted West Ham’s three-match unbeaten streak in the league (W1, D2) and extended to four across all competitions, including an FA Cup penalty shootout victory over Burton Albion – following a win against Burnley and draws with a revitalized Manchester United and Bournemouth in their last league fixtures.

In light of recent results, the West London club has shown signs of progress, earning 11 points from their last seven Premier League matches, which is seven more than in their previous 10, where they didn’t manage a single victory.

Despite this slight improvement, the Hammers remain entrenched in the relegation zone, currently in 17th place, two points behind 16th-placed Nottingham Forest, who face a tough challenge against title-chasing Manchester City on Wednesday. A favorable outcome there, coupled with a victory at the Cottage, would elevate West Ham out of the relegation zone.

However, a poor track record against other London rivals presents a concern, as the visitors have lost seven of their eight Premier League derbies this season (W1), with only three teams suffering more losses in such matches during a single campaign.

Team News

Fulham’s win over Tottenham came at a cost as Wilson was substituted in the second half due to a twisted ankle, and if he is unfit before Wednesday’s London derby, Samuel Chukwueze is expected to start on the right attacking flank.

This marks the second successive match where the Cottagers have faced injury setbacks, following winger Kevin’s foot injury against Sunderland, which will require surgery and could keep him out for several weeks.

Furthermore, centre-back Joachim Andersen – who missed the last match due to illness – and midfielder Sasa Lukic, sidelined since mid-January with a hamstring injury, could both be available for Wednesday’s match.

West Ham seem to have no new injury issues from their previous fixture, meaning January signing Pablo Felipe (calf) and backup goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (back) may be the only players still recovering.

Central midfielder Freddie Potts will be serving the final match of a three-game suspension, so Soucek, Soungoutou Magassa, and Mateus Fernandes could again form the midfield trio for the Hammers.

Fulham probable starting XI:

Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Berge, Iwobi; Chukwueze, Smith Rowe, Bobb; Jimenez

West Ham United probable starting XI:

Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Bowen, Magassa, Soucek, Summerville; Fernandes; Castellanos

West Ham’s only losses over their last seven league matches came against the formidable Chelsea and Liverpool, thus the Hammers might be optimistic about securing a positive outcome here.

However, their disappointing record in London derbies and defensive vulnerabilities could prove detrimental against a high-scoring Fulham side at the Cottage, potentially giving the hosts the advantage as they strive to enhance a rare continental push.