THE HAND OF POD
Hernandez 29, Diop 40, Antonio 90 JUST when Claudio Ranieri thought it could not get any worse, Fulham were shafted by the Little Pea’s hand of pod.
And if Ranieri thought he could hear distant chimes on a misty night in the East end, the Bow bells were not ringing dillyding, dilly-dong for him this time.
They were tolling for Fulham as they slipped deeper into the Premier League quicksand.
But if the Emperor Claudio confounded 5,000-1 odds when he presided over Leicester’s title miracle three years ago, fortune was always hiding this time.
West Ham, sluggish and sloppy for half an hour, got lucky with Javier Hernandez’s equaliser.
Stooping to conquer at the far post, Chicharito appeared to apply the critical touch with his hand. Much as we hate VAR, and the momentum it will strip from Babel 3 Premier League games next season, the men in the bunker watching monitors would have sorted out fact from fraud.
Energised by their outrageous good luck, West Ham improved and ultimately deserved to win.
But the turning point was undeniably the home side’s leveller delivered by Little Pea’s sleight of hand.
Fulham fans have been unconvinced by
Ranieri’s shuffling of the pack with just one point to show from 13 London derbies, losing the last nine in a row – a new low in capital punishment.
When Ryan Babel failed to take advantage of Pablo Zabaleta’s slapdash back pass in the opening 35 seconds, shovelling a weak finish straight at Lukasz Fabianski, then Ranieri must have feared the worst. But the former Liverpool flop soon made amends, making no mistake from Ryan Sessegnon’s low cross after three minutes. It was a number-crunchers’ delight, the Dutchman’s first Premier League goal since December 2010, exactly 3,000 days earlier.
There was a glaring lack of authenticity about the Irons’ equaliser just before the half-hour. Sergio Rico flapped at a Robert Snodgrass corner, Michail Antonio and Angelo Ogbonna headed it back into the sixyard box and Hernandez appeared to steer it inside the post with the proverbial helping hand. Ranieri registered an emphatic protest with fourth official Stuart Attwell, and 3,000 visiting fans had their worst suspicions confirmed when the ‘goal’ was replayed on the jumbo screens in all its fraudulent glory. Fulham’s sense of grievance was only augmented when they fell behind five minutes before the break – but this time they had only their own negligence to blame.
The towering Issa Diop (left, celebrating) emphatically headed home another Snodgrass corner.
Hammers substitute Manuel Lanzini, making his comeback after eight months out, was given a thunderous ovation, and his fellow replacement Marko Arnautovic hit the woodwork.
But Fulham were game and competitive until Antonio headed Arnautovic’s cross in off the post bang on 90 minutes to settle all arguments.
Hammers captain Mark Noble said: “We started the match terrible. They should have scored three goals in the first 10 minutes.
“We have seen our equaliser and it has gone in off his hand.
“But we had an offside goal scored against us here a couple of weeks ago and that’s how it goes, it’s rub of the green.” Safe hands, or ‘bezpieczne rece’ as they say in Poland
ZABALETA
Sloppy backpass set tone for the Hammers’ early problems
DIOP
Narrowly off-target with one huge header, scored from another OGBONNA
Involved in the head-tennis leading to controversial first goal CRESSWELL
Energetic shuttle down left flank, often a decent attacking outlet RICE
Mixed bag this time from One Of Our Own (except in Ireland)
NOBLE
Enjoying new lease of life as Hammers’ midfield heartbeat SNODGRASS
More wicked set-piece deliveries than a wicked stepmother ANTONIO
Rampaging excursions down the right, his late goal wrapped it up ANDERSON
Bright talent flickered but rarely burst into flame this time HERNANDEZ
Fraudulent equaliser, definite handball for his 50th Prem ‘goal’ SUBS:
Fredericks (Zabaleta 46) Arnautovic (Hernandez 64)
Lanzini (Anderson 75) Booked MOTM 6 6 5 Flapping at Snodgrass corner led to Hammers’ counterfeit equaliser ODOI
Did his best to keep Anderson quiet but patchy distribution NORDTVEIT
His Fulham debut turned into a trial by set-piece mayhem
REAM
No shortage of application but not commanding enough in the air BRYAN Booked
Had his work cut out all night with Antonio’s power and pace
Square peg in round hole or a desperate punt? Take your pick
Bright start but influence faded as West Ham stepped on the gas
Quiet first half but a couple of surging runs gave Fulham hope
One glaring miss in opening minute but then bullseye
Looked up for the battle but he needs more support
Low centre laid Fulham’s opener on a plate for Babel
Anguissa (Seri 46) Markovic (Sessegnon 46)