West Ham United salvaged a late 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday, thanks to a stoppage-time equaliser from substitute Danny Ings.
Fulham controlled much of the match, taking the lead after 24 minutes through Raúl Jiménez.
The goal came from a well-worked move as Emile Smith Rowe kept Sasa Lukic’s ball in play before cutting it back to the Mexican forward, who fired home with precision.
Despite being outplayed for large parts of the game, West Ham improved after the interval, largely due to manager Julen Lopetegui’s changes at half-time.
However, it was Ings who made the decisive impact, netting a crucial goal after being teed up by Jarrod Bowen.
A point away at Fulham is certainly a positive result for the East London side, especially considering the circumstances. But there were some worrying signs, particularly in the performances of several key players.
Among them was Tomas Soucek, whose display was nothing short of disappointing. The 29-year-old, signed for £19 million, was a surprising inclusion in the starting XI, but his performance justified Lopetegui’s decision to withdraw him at half-time.
Soucek, who was deployed in a more advanced midfield role, struggled to influence the game. He was at fault for the build-up to Jiménez’s goal, with his misplaced pass gifting Fulham possession.
The Czech midfielder managed just 15 touches in his 45 minutes on the pitch, losing possession six times. He completed only half of his passes, failed to win any ground duels, and made just one clearance.
Given this poor showing, Soucek’s place in the first team is now in question, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Lopetegui opts to drop him for future matches.