Gianluca Scamacca scored a brilliant but controversial goal as West Ham made it three victories in a week by beating Fulham 3-1.
Italy striker Scamacca, a scorer against Wolves last Saturday and at Anderlecht in Europe in midweek, showed his growing composure in front of goal with an audacious chip over Bernd Leno.
VAR studied the replays for a hint of handball but the goal was given, prompting a touchline meltdown from Fulham boss Marco Silva, who was booked for his angry protests.
Fulham had led through Andreas Pereira’s first goal for the club but when he foolishly gave away a penalty, Jarrod Bowen levelled from the spot.
Scamacca’s strike then put the Hammers in control before substitute Michail Antonio added a third in stoppage time.
Pereira has not exactly set the world alight since swapping Manchester United for Fulham in the summer, but he was the central character in a back-and-forth first half.
He gave his side the lead from out of nothing in the fifth minute after a mix-up between Declan Rice and Bowen in the Fulham half.
Neeskens Kebano fed Pereira and, with right-back Thilo Kehrer caught upfield and Kurt Zouma too slow to get across, the Brazil midfielder was free to lash an angled drive past Lukasz Fabianski and high into the net.
Hammers goalkeeper Fabianski was beaten again in the 14th minute but Daniel James’ 20-yard effort clipped the crossbar.
West Ham eventually got into their stride with Lucas Paqueta and Scamacca – their two big-money summer signings – beginning to combine encouragingly.
First Scamacca’s header from Paqueta’s cross was brilliantly saved by Leno, before the frontman pulled a shot wide after being played in by his Brazilian team-mate.
Moments later Scamacca was free again to meet Aaron Cresswell’s cross but he headed too close to Leno, who made another fine reflex save.
But when Craig Dawson and Pereira repeatedly clashed at a corner, earning more than one telling-off from referee Chris Kavanagh, West Ham were gifted an equaliser.
A wound-up Pereira bafflingly pulled the Hammers defender over to concede a penalty which Bowen converted, sending Leno the wrong way.
Leno was called into action again at the beginning of the second half to claw away Paqueta’s low shot.
But the German goalkeeper was left stranded by a piece of superb improvisation from Scamacca, who brought the ball down just inside the area almost in slow motion and then chipped it into the net.
Scamacca barely celebrated, suggesting he felt something was amiss, but the goal survived an initial VAR check for offside and then a second, lengthy review of the ball appearing to brush the striker’s fingers after he controlled it.
However, the replays proved inconclusive and the goal stood to the obvious frustration of Silva, who had to watch his side condemned to back-to-back defeats when Antonio broke clear to tuck in the third.
Crystal Palace 2-1 Leeds: Eberechi Eze hits winner to complete comeback
Eberechi Eze fired in a second-half winner to lift Crystal Palace to a 2-1 victory over Leeds at Selhurst Park.
Pascal Struijk opened the scoring early on for the visitors, who dominated the opening exchanges.
But Odsonne Edouard nodded in a fine Michael Olise delivery to send the sides into the break level.
The equaliser fired up the hosts, who returned a transformed side after the restart to snap a four-match winless run and walk away with all three points.
Leeds had the better of the early chances when Brenden Aaronson’s attempt rolled just wide of the right post.
Moments later Aaronson drove into the area and pinged an effort off the left post, his rebound falling into the path of Struijk, who pounced and fired past Vicente Guaita into the left corner.
The Palace keeper was called into action again when Patrick Bamford latched onto Tyler Adams’ long pass and was through on goal but his effort was blocked and, this time, the hosts were able to clear the rebound.
The Eagles responded on the 24-minute mark when Olise sent a fine free-kick into the box from the right for Edouard to nod in the equaliser. The goal was checked for a potential offside and stood after the review.
Olise, looking for a goal of his own, fired at Leeds keeper Illan Meslier, who held on at the near post to deny the hosts an advantage before the break.
Patrick Vieira was dealt a scare late in the first half when Jordan Ayew and Robin Koch bumped heads in a collision. Koch quickly stood up but Ayew lay on the pitch.
A lengthy delay saw him attended to by staff, who determined he was able to carry on but wrapped a bandage around the attacker’s head.
Soon after the restart, Palace worked the ball to Wilfried Zaha, who forced a low diving stop from Meslier at the near post.
The hosts got another chance when a neat pass from Olise slipped in Eze, who found Ayew in the box, but he was brought down by Rasmus Kristensen before he could get a shot in.
Palace piled on the pressure, Edouard sending a header over the crossbar before Zaha saw another effort stopped.
Ayew was brought down again, this time in midfield, and was pulled off the pitch, Tyrick Mitchell coming on in a double substitution that also saw Luka Milivojevic come on in place of Cheick Doucoure.
Palace, who looked a transformed team in the second half, found their breakthrough on 76 minutes when Zaha picked out Eze in the centre of the area.
Eze wasted no time and wove through two white shirts before giving Meslier no chance as he fired a rocket into the bottom-left corner, and Guaita saved a last-gasp attempt in stoppage time to seal the three points.
