Alan Shearer has predicted West Ham United will play out a draw with Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday [14 September].
Julen Lopetegui will take his side to Craven Cottage looking to kickstart their season after two defeats in the opening three matches.
The Hammers were the victim of an Erling Haaland hat-trick in the 3-1 loss to Manchester City before the international break but face a favourable game against Fulham, who failed to beat newly-promoted Ipswich Town last time out.
“Another London derby for these sides at the Cottage, and I have mentioned before that I see these derbies tough to call,” Shearer predicted for The Metro [13 September].
“West Ham have had a tougher start to the season so it remains to be seen what they can do just yet. There is likely not going to be much between them, so I am opting for another draw.”
West Ham United expected to face tough test against Fulham
There wasn’t much Lopetegui or West Ham could do against Man City, especially when Haaland is in a rich vein of form. The side gave a good account of themselves but three points in three games makes for uncomfortable reading given the influx of new signings in East London this summer.
Tim Steidten produced a masterclass in the transfer window, with recruits arriving to strengthen all areas of the pitch ahead of their aspirations of finishing in the European places this season.
However, among the waves of new signings, Lopetegui only has three senior centre-backs at his disposal, and the club are expected to leave the free-agent market and focus on promoting from within their academy.
On paper, the Irons have a stronger squad than their West London counterparts and should have the quality to get the job done. But, Craven Cottage is a tough away ground to travel to, and the side will have their work cut out for them this weekend.
Despite the underwhelming start to the campaign, the fixture list has not been kind to the Hammers, and their only two losses have come against Champions League opposition in Aston Villa and Man City, albeit both losses were at the London Stadium.
Lopetegui needs to be picking up three points against mid-table sides like Fulham to realise his side’s European aspirations. Dropping more valuable points even at this early stage of the season could be detrimental to West Ham’s success this year.
