Super Eagles and Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi expressed disappointment despite his two-goal performance in Fulham’s 3-2 defeat to West Ham United in a thrilling London derby on Wednesday night.
The match, which delivered excitement for local fans, saw Fulham undone by defensive errors, with mistakes from Bernd Leno and Andreas Pereira gifting two goals to Graham Potter’s Hammers.
Speaking to Fulham TV after the game, Iwobi lamented his side’s defensive lapses but encouraged his teammates to regroup ahead of their next match against Leicester City.
“We’re all disappointed, especially with the way we lost the game; it was just mistakes. But everyone makes mistakes at the end of the day. If we had nullified that, we could’ve won the game today,” Iwobi said.
“There’s a game around the corner. We can’t dwell on it. We have to analyze it, dust ourselves up, and go again.”
Iwobi also reflected on Fulham’s missed chances, noting that their inability to capitalize on opportunities and defend as a team cost them the game.
“We created so many chances and hit the woodwork twice. We felt like we could have gotten a few more goals, but if you don’t defend as a team, if you make these mistakes, then in the Premier League, everyone can punish us.
“We just have to work on that, try to cut out the mistakes, and I’m sure we’ll be able to beat teams like West Ham,” he added.
Iwobi scored both of Fulham’s goals in similar fashion, floating crosses into the box that confused the defense and found the back of the net. Despite the goals, he admitted his intention was to create chances for his teammates rather than shoot.
“It doesn’t matter who scored. The main thing is to try and get the three points. I’ll just take the two goals if they’re mine. Of course, I won’t say I took a shot. I was aiming for both of them (Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson),” Iwobi explained.
“I was just trying to make sure I was creating chances for my teammates, I wasn’t trying to score. Whether I’m scoring or I’m creating, as long as we get the goals, I’m easy,” he concluded.
The loss sees Fulham drop to 9th place in the Premier League standings. The Cottagers will look to bounce back on Saturday when they travel to the King Power Stadium to face Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City, featuring fellow Nigerian international Wilfred Ndidi.
