Pablo Felipe Scores First Goal for West Ham in Cup Loss

Pablo Felipe finally had his moment in claret and blue – but it arrived on the wrong night.

The Brazilian forward struck his first goal for West Ham United on Tuesday, a sharp finish from a tight angle on his 22nd appearance that dragged the Carabao Cup tie against Fulham back to 2-2. For a few minutes, the London Stadium buzzed. The drought was over, the comeback was on.

Then Oscar Bobb silenced it.

The Fulham man hit a late winner to seal a 3-2 victory for the visitors in the third round and dump West Ham out of the competition, turning what should have been a personal landmark into a bittersweet footnote.

Earlier, Rodrigo Muniz had put Fulham in front before summer signing Morato levelled for the Hammers. Cesar Palacios restored the away side’s lead, only for Pablo to haul West Ham back into it again. The pressure finally told at the other end, though, as Bobb settled a wild contest.

Pablo did not hide the conflict he felt afterwards. Relief at last, but wrapped in frustration.

He spoke of how badly he had needed that first goal, how long the anxiety had been building, and how the disappointment of going out of the cup overshadowed any individual joy. The forward also pointed to the level of opposition: facing a top-flight side and going toe-to-toe with them, he said, had injected belief into a squad chasing promotion.

There was no hint of self-pity. The message was about reaction, not regret.

“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,” he said, underlining the mood inside the dressing room.

That next game is no ordinary fixture.

All eyes on The Den

West Ham now spin straight back into league mode after four consecutive EFL Championship wins, and the schedule offers no time to dwell. Millwall away. The Den. A rivalry that crackles even before a ball is kicked.

It is the first competitive meeting between the clubs since February 2012, when West Ham edged a 2-1 win. The stakes this time are different but no less intense: West Ham sit four points clear at the top and know a slip in such a charged atmosphere could hand momentum back to the chasing pack.

Inside the camp, there is no need to explain what this one means. Pablo made it clear the squad understands exactly how much this derby matters to the supporters and to the club’s wider push for promotion.

He insisted West Ham will arrive at The Den with one intention only: three points. For him, signed in January, it will be his first taste of this particular London feud, and he sounded hungry to leave a mark on it.

“I know there’s a big rivalry with Millwall,” he said. “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.”

The cup exit stung. The response now comes in one of English football’s most unforgiving fixtures, with a title charge and a local score to settle all rolled into 90 minutes in South London.