It proved to be an unlucky 13th match in charge of West Ham United for Nuno Espírito Santo, who saw Raúl Jiménez snatch a late victory for Fulham at London Stadium, on Saturday afternoon.
With an end-to-end encounter seemingly heading towards a Stratford stalemate, the Mexican marksman headed home an 85th-minute match-winner to leave the Hammers languishing in 18th-spot, still five points adrift of safety.
“All of us are disappointed and sad because the momentum was ours and we created some good chances,” grimaced Nuno following the narrow 0-1 defeat. “Many of my players had very good games and I felt that a goal was coming but then we got punished. Basically when you don’t score everything bad can happen.”
Although Jarrod Bowen forced Bernd Leno into a smart save and Ollie Scarles had also headed wide before the break, the Hammers only began to look threatening once Callum Wilson stepped from the bench, ten minutes into the second-half.
Having named an unchanged side despite last Saturday’s three-goal defeat at Manchester City, Nuno’s decision to finally introduce an out-and-out striker brought the loudest cheer of the afternoon.
After Bowen then agonisingly clipped across the face of goal, Wilson twice unleashed efforts in his quest to add to the four goals that he has netted for the Hammers since signing from Newcastle United on a free-transfer back in the summer.
But with five minutes remaining it was the substitute’s Fulham name-sake who provided the pivotal moment of a free-flowing, festive London derby.
Harry Wilson, who had been well-shackled by 20-year-old Scarles – deputising at left-back for AFCON-absentee El Hadji Malick Diouf – whipped over a right-wing cross that was only half-cleared cleared by the airborne Jean-Clair Todibo.
The crestfallen Scarles could only muster an air-kick, giving Wilson a second chance to deliver an inch-perfect centre to the edge of the six-yard box, where Jiménez powerfully nodded beyond Alphonse Areola.
“It’s not about individuals and we stick together as a group so let’s not just focus on Ollie,” sympathised Nuno. “Mistakes are part of the game and he has our total confidence and support.”
A seventh defeat leaves Nuno with just two victories and four draws since taking over the Hammers hot-seat in late-September.
“We need to reverse the situation,” he insisted ahead of the opening of a critical January transfer window on Thursday, when the struggling Hammers can afford no mistakes sourcing vital reinforcements. “How do we win a game? That is the question that we keep asking ourselves - it’s what we want, it’s what we are all working for and it’s what the boys are all trying very hard to achieve but it’s just not happening.
“There are many reasons and we can spend hours and hours talking about all of the aspects but we must be positive and try to turn things around.
“Today has been tough but we must then start to focus on our next games,” concluded Nuno, who now faces a trio of must-win fixtures, starting with the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion tomorrow night (k.o. 7:30 pm) ahead of a trip to bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers (Saturday k.o. 3pm) and another home encounter against Nottingham Forest (Tuesday 6 January k.o. 8pm).
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