Pablo Felipe's First Goal for West Ham in Defeat to Fulham
Pablo Felipe finally had his West Ham United moment – but it arrived on the wrong night.
The 22-year-old Brazilian struck his first goal for the club on Tuesday, drilling in from a tight angle on his 22nd appearance to haul the Hammers level at 2-2 in their Carabao Cup third-round tie with Fulham. The roar inside the ground told its own story. So did what followed.
Almost as soon as West Ham had dragged themselves back into it, Oscar Bobb silenced the home crowd with a late winner for the visitors, sealing a 3-2 defeat and knocking the Hammers out of the competition.
It had been a wild game. Rodrigo Muniz put Fulham in front, only for summer signing Morato to hit back and make it 1-1. Cesar Palacios restored Fulham’s lead, West Ham responded again through Pablo, and then Bobb landed the decisive punch.
For Pablo, the night ended with a strange blend of relief and frustration. He had been waiting a long time for this.
"I was very anxious to get that first goal, and it’s just a shame we didn’t get the result," he admitted afterwards. The smile of a drought finally broken sat alongside the sting of elimination. The forward made it clear he was not interested in personal milestones at the expense of team progress.
He stressed that the display against Premier League opposition still mattered. The level, the intensity, the way West Ham traded blows with top-flight players – all of it, he said, has hardened belief in a squad pushing hard at the top of the EFL Championship.
"We’re not going to lower our heads. We have to keep working and fighting so that we come out better in our next game," Pablo said, underlining a dressing room mood that has been shaped by four straight league wins.
Because there is no time to dwell. Not this week.
Derby Day at The Den
The defeat drops West Ham out of the cup and straight into one of the most charged fixtures on their calendar: Millwall away on Saturday, at The Den, under all the old noise and needle that comes with it.
It is the first competitive meeting between the clubs since February 2012, when West Ham edged a 2-1 victory. A lot has changed since then, but the rivalry has not softened.
West Ham travel across the capital sitting four points clear at the top of the Championship, their promotion charge gathering pace. Protecting that cushion in a derby cauldron will test their nerve as much as their football.
Pablo made it clear that nobody in the dressing room is underestimating what awaits.
He said the squad fully understands what this game means to the supporters and insisted West Ham will arrive at The Den with one intention only – to take three points and keep their grip on the summit.
Having joined the club in January, this will be his first real taste of the Millwall rivalry. The timing feels significant: a first goal in claret and blue in midweek, and now a chance to etch his name into a very different kind of West Ham memory.
"I know there’s a big rivalry with Millwall," he added. "We’re going to be 100 per cent focused. We know it’s an important game, so we’re going to do everything we can to get the win."
A cup exit stings. A derby win at The Den, in the middle of a promotion push, would change the mood in an instant.
