West Ham Told to Tighten Up After Fulham's 3-2 Cup Win

West Ham United have been told to tighten up immediately after Fulham ended their Carabao Cup campaign with a 3-2 win at the London Stadium, leaving Nuno Espirito Santo’s Championship leaders facing a major derby at Millwall on Saturday.

Morato and Pablo, both summer arrivals, scored to bring West Ham back into the tie on two occasions, but Oscar Bobb struck the decisive goal in the 77th minute. It gave Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa his first victory away from home since taking charge.

Nuno praised the commitment shown by his players and the backing from the home crowd, but made clear that defensive errors had proved costly. West Ham’s focus now shifts straight back to the league and their attempt to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

“I feel sad because of the effort the boys put in, but we made mistakes and were punished,” Nuno said. “There is improvement to be made defensively, but there’s no time for sorrow. We have to focus on Saturday, it’s a huge week for us.”

First league derby meeting since 2012

The trip to The Den will be West Ham’s first competitive encounter with Millwall since February 2012, when the Hammers won 2-1. Harry Kane was among the Millwall substitutes that day, while Gary O’Neil was on West Ham’s bench.

West Ham go into the contest top of the Championship and keen to preserve their advantage. Millwall have lost four of their past six matches in all competitions, yet remain only four points behind the leaders despite that difficult sequence.

Nuno expects his side to meet the physical and emotional demands of one of English football’s most intense rivalries. After scoring three times against Fulham but conceding the key moments, West Ham will look to pair their attacking threat with greater defensive discipline in South East London.