An all-London event awaits on Tuesday evening when Graham Potter takes charge of his first Premier League game as West Ham manager against Fulham.
Potter was in the dugout on Friday evening, just days after he was confirmed as Julen Lopetegui’s successor at east London. There were positive signs at Villa Park and the FA Cup tie turned around after an erroneous decision to award Aston Villa a corner, which resulted in the hosts equalising.
The Englishman still has a lot of work to do with a squad that may not be ideal for him due to the lack of legs in midfield and injuries at the top.
West Ham go into Tuesday’s game 14th in the table, having won just six of their 20 league games under Lopetegui.
In contrast to the Hammers, Fulham moved into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 4-1 win over Watford on Thursday evening. The Cottagers are currently unbeaten in nine games in all competitions, but their draw tendency means they are only ninth in the Premier League table.
Marco Silva’s side are in the hunt for a European spot and are within touching distance of the top seven.
Here is 90 minutes Potter’s London Stadium Arch Guide.
West Ham vs Fulham head-to-head record (last five games)
Current form (all competitions)
West Ham | Fulham |
|---|---|
Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham – 01/10/25 | Fulham 4-1 Watford – 09/01/25 |
Man City 4-1 West Ham – 01/04/25 | Fulham 2-2 Ipswich – 01/05/25 |
West Ham 0-5 Liverpool – 12/29/24 | Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth – 12/29/24 |
Southampton 0-1 West Ham – 12/26/24 | Chelsea 1-2 Fulham – 12/26/24 |
West Ham 1-1 Brighton – 12/21/24 | Fulham 0-0 Southampton – 12/22/24 |
country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | TNT Sports 4, Discovery+, Discovery+ app |
United States | peacock |
Canada | fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 4 Canada |
Niclas Fullkrug’s long-term hamstring injury has compounded West Ham’s injury problems in attack, with Potter also having to make do without Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen early in his tenure. With Fullkrug out, Danny Ings could secure a rare Premier League start in east London.
Ings scored in the second leg at Craven Cottage in September – his only goal of the season so far.
In defense, Jean-Clair Todibo and Emerson could be missing, so it is unlikely that there will be any changes to Potter’s defense on Tuesday. Teenager Oliver Scarles impressed at left-back at Villa Park.
Predicted West Ham line-up against Fulham (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles; Soucek, Alvarez; Kudu, Paqueta, Summerville; Ing.
Fulham are still without Kenny Tete and Reiss Nelson due to knee and hamstring injuries, while Sander Berge and Rodrigo Muniz are both doubtful for Tuesday’s game.
Given the personnel at Silva’s disposal, Silva could see a return to a back three, with Antonee Robinson taking on a full-back role on the left.
Tom Cairney could start alongside Sasa Lukic in midfield if Berge doesn’t return, while the in-form Raul Jimenez is certain to return to the Cottagers’ XI.
Predicted line-up for Fulham against West Ham (3-4-3): Leno; Diop, Andersen, Bassey; Castagne, Lukic, Cairney, Robinson; Wilson, Jimenez, Iwobi.
The spoils were shared at Craven Cottage back in September and there could be another draw between the two sides on Tuesday evening.
While Fulham have scored at least two goals in five of their last six games, they face a Potter-led team keen to achieve early stability. Given West Ham’s poor performance without the ball under Lopetegui, the defensive foundations need to be laid in east London under the Englishman.
Stalemates are certainly not uncommon at the start of a new manager’s tenure, and West Ham’s injury problems at the top mean they are unlikely to pose much of a threat in the final third.