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.
Manchester City’s lunchtime victory 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 safety 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.
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, Harry 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 Ollie Scarles.
