Graham Potter: West Ham have set a foundation after riding luck to beat Fulham | OneFootball

Graham Potter admitted West Ham rode their luck as they secured a 3-2 victory over Fulham in his first home match in charge.

Goals from Carlos Soler, Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta made it a winning start in the Premier League for new boss Potter, who took over from the sacked Julen Lopetegui last week.

However, they were helped by some horrendous Fulham defending, with goalkeeper Bernd Leno in particular having a night to forget.

They also let Alex Iwobi score twice with crosses which flew straight in, to maintain their average of conceding two goals a game this season, while Fulham hit the crossbar twice as well.

“I’m very happy with the result,” said Potter.

“The performance was one of high effort, high togetherness, understanding we have to suffer at times.

“It was far from perfect long term, but as a start point it’s a foundation. There’s lots to do, but a great start.”

Fulham dominated the first 20 minutes, but West Ham’s fortunes changed on the half-hour mark thanks to an ill-judged pass across his own penalty area by Andreas Pereira.

With Leno out of position, Soler calmly placed his first-time shot into the back of an empty net, and three minutes later Soucek swept home the second.

Six minutes into the second half Fulham pulled one back when Raul Jimenez went to prod in Iwobi’s cross.

Although the Mexican did not get a touch, it was enough to put off Hammers keeper Lukasz Fabianski as the ball drifted into the net.

Yet Fulham gifted a two-goal cushion back to West Ham when Leno, under pressure from substitute Danny Ings, played the ball straight to Paqueta who rolled it into an empty net.

“They were gifts, but from our pressure,” added Potter.

“They were errors but I think we forced the errors. We rode our luck at times.

“But where we are at, and with the players we have missing, and after an intense FA Cup game at Aston Villa on Friday, I’m delighted with three points and three goals and the win.”

As Potter will quickly learn, nothing is ever simple with West Ham, and he had an anxious final 15 minutes after another Iwobi cross, this time towards Harry Wilson, flew straight inside Fabianski’s far post.

But in stoppage time young substitute Ollie Scarles blocked on the line from Sasa Lukic and Adama Traore skied the rebound.

“We were penalised by our own mistakes,” said Fulham boss Marco Silva, whose side had 21 shots to West Ham’s four.

“The way we started the game we were so dominant until we conceded the first goal. We hit the crossbar and West Ham were not near our box at all.

“But we made a mistake and they scored, and three minutes later we lost the second goal.

“When they scored for 3-1 we gave them another goal. That’s the reality. It’s clear the result did not reflect the teams on the pitch. The best team did not win the game.”