The Tanner Report: West Ham 3 Fulham 2

You can lose a game because the opposition is superior or through bad luck (a deflection, an injury or a poor refereeing decision) or through sloppiness. This match was lost by sloppiness because Fulham were the better team but two grotesque defensive lapses gifted the game to the Hammers.

Fulham started the brighter and it was Harry Wilson, making his trademark run into the box, who struck the bar. Yet it was West Ham who found the net first.

The goal was clearly offside but it took far too long to be chalked off.

West Ham did not have to wait long to score when Andreas Pereira committed that most basic of errors by passing the ball across the penalty area for Solar to despatch into an empty net.

The goal seemed to disconcert Fulham as, just two minutes later, West Ham had another when Thomas Soucek met Wan Basaka’s low cross from close in. So Fulham, against the run of play, were two down.

All did not seem lost when Alex Iwobi’s curling cross eluded West Ham keeper Fabianski, no doubt distracted by the onrushing Raul Jimenez.  Yet once again Fulham erred when Bernd Leno – normally so reliable as the last line of defence – passed the ball to Paqueta:  3-2.

Fulham had one more chance to equalise when Adama Traoré blazed over.

I remember a conversation with Fulham’s greatest goal-scorer Gordon Davies when he recalled what, for him, was one of his best-ever goals as he had to place the ball in the corner.

Traore would do well to take a lesson from Davies as – in front of goal – he seems to lose his cool.

Once again Fulham failed to defeat a team below them.

To West Ham you can add Southampton, Wolves, Ipswich and we have another – Leicester City – this Saturday.

I have a feeling that Émile Smith Rowe will be dropped for Pereira.

After his aberration – and the strange press disclosure of dissatisfaction at Fulham -I would let Pereira go.

He was scarcely contrite after his lapse, still wanting to take every free kick and his body language suggests he thinks himself someone too good for the likes of us.