Fulham get the better of West Ham in entertaining east meets west derby
League Cup Third Round
West Ham United (2) 2 Morato 16 Pablo 45+2
Fulham (2) 3 Rodrigo Muniz 13, Palacios 37, Bobb 78
Oscar Bobb's first Fulham goal settled a very watchable League Cup third round tie at the London Stadium - where West Ham, as notional Championship underdogs equalised twice to keep the contest bubbling nicely right to the end.
The £27m Norwegian - a January signing from Man City - celebrated his first domestic goal since a win for City at Newcastle in January 2024 and it gave the Whites a win their overall play deserved.
West Ham went into this cup tie on another of those emotionally-charged nights following the death this week of Ludek Miklosko - a club goalkeeping legend from the 90s who served the east Londoners so well.
Fellow Czech Tomas Soucek took to the field showing off a number one Miklosko keeper's jersey that he lay behind one of the goalmouths. Another club stalwart, Tony Gale, eulogised about his old team-mate in a public address before kick-off.
Fulham passed the ball around crisply at the outset and took the lead with a goal of stunning simplicity as Antonee Robinson fed Cesar Palacios for a cross that an unmarked Rodrigo Muniz had no trouble dispatching with a header..
But the Hammers struck back straight away when a cross from deep on the left by Arne Engels was nodded back into the centre by Dinos Mavropanos for Moarato to power in from close range with his head - keeper Benjamin Lecomte getting a hand to the ball but unable to stop it from finding the net.
It was the 25-year-old Brazilian defender's first goal for the club since his loan switch from Nottingham Forest.
The Whites regained the initiative with another goal which asked questions of the Hammers defence. All it took was one floated ball from inside his own half from Joachim Andersen to catch out the Irons' back four. Palacios strode on in space and stayed calm - slipping the ball past the advancing Finlay Herrick.
Herrick ended the half on a high, though, saving well to deny Muniz a second goal after some defensive sloppiness opened up the door for the Fulham striker.
It proved important, as, totally against the run of play, the Irons drew level just before the break.
Kyle Walker-Peters' ball in from the right was touched goalwards by Mo Kante and reached Pablo for an angled finish at the far post.
With only 38 per cent possession, the Hammers had somehow kept themselves in the game. This was another Brazilian celebrating a first goal for his club.
Manor Soloman came on for the Hammers and almost scored - denied by a great last-ditch tackle - and Mavropanos did his usual thing of almost scoring with a far-post header at a corner.
Both sides reached for the first-teamers in a bid to get a winner. Jarrod Bowen came on for the Hammers. Fulham summoned Gonzalo Garcia and Josh King from the bench.
But another of those to come on got the decisive goal. Bobb weaved in from the right past two players before planting a firm low striker past Herrick at the end where happy Fulham fans were stationed.
Castellanos had a great chance to take the game to penalties in the final minutes when he was on the end of a Bowen cross but fired into Timothy Castagne, covering on the line.
In the night's other Carabao Cup Third Round ties involving London clubs, Spurs were eliminated from the competition by Liverpool after a 3-1 defeat at Anfield. Alexis Mac Allister scored after 21 minutes and Cody Gakpo added a second on 54 minutes. Conor Gallagher pulled one back, but Dominic Szoboszlai added a third in injury time for the Reds.
Arsenal's fringe players got a look-in at Ipswich and took full advantage. Max Dowman needed only seven minutes to find the net at Portman Road and Noni Madueke doubled the lead after 16 minutes. Dowman netted again after the break and Mikel Merino made it 4-0 on 58 minutes. Anis Mehmeti and chuba Akpom scored consolation goals for the Tractor Boys.
Callum Wilson nabbed his second goal for Brentford - he netted in the 6-1 rout of Birmingham in the previous round - as the Bees took a first-half lead at League One Reading. Fabio Calvalho made it 2-0 just before half-time. Paudie O'Connor pulled one back for Reading on 72 minutes.
Hammers: (4-4-2) Herrick - Walker-Peters, Mavropnanos, Kilman, Morato (Scarles 83) - Engels, Orford (Piroe 83), Kante, Mukasa (Bowen 51) - Pablo (Castellanos 64), Ajala (Solomon 51)
Whites: (4-2-3-1) Lecomte - Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson - Reed (Charles 63), Larsson (Angel 63) - Kevin (Bobb 69), Smith Rowe (King 69), Palacios - Rodrigo Muniz (Garcia 69)
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