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Tomas Soucek opened the scoring in the 91st minute, only for Tom Cairney to win a penalty and the chance to equalise at the other end.
Ademola Lookman had the chance to be the hero from the penalty spot but his Panenka was saved by Lukasz Fabianski, condemning Scott Parker’s men to a sixth defeat in eight games.
Here’s what we learned…
Result backs up impressive run for West Ham
David Moyes’s one target since his return to east London has been consistency.
After a run of impressive performances and results against bigger sides, it was vital that the Hammers picked up three points against a Fulham outfit they were expected to brush aside comfortably.
The performance was nowhere near as free flowing or impressive as many would have hoped for, but the result - especially ahead of an international break - was all that mattered.
For so long the Hammers have failed to turn up against sides they are expected to take advantage of, and for a long time this evening it looked as if that was going to be the case once more.
But that they struck late and got the result, following on from that three-goal comeback against Tottenham not too long ago, shows Moyes is building a stronger core at West Ham.
“I think it says a lot about the players, it is a change - we're changing,” said Moyes. “We're not going to be flaky and lose the games, we're going to stick at it.”
Lookman fluffs big moment as Fulham’s penalty woes persist
Ademola Lookman has been a breath of fresh air in Scott Parker’s Fulham side since his arrival from RB Leipzig, but learned a brutal lesson here in east London.
With Aleksandar Mitrovic, Fulham’s usual spot-kick taker, having missed against Sheffield United and struggling for confidence in general, Lookman was handed the chance to claim a much-deserved late point from 12 yards with a 98th minute penalty.
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Many players and managers down the years have said how, without fail, a keeper will always dive late on if facing a penalty, meaning more often than not the best chance is down the middle. Just not like this.
Fabianski did dive, but the desperate lack of power on Lookman’s attempted Paneka meant the Pole had time to dive, pick himself back up, check CNN for Donald Trump’s latest attempt to hold on to power and then stop the chip one handed.
Lookman collapsed to the ground at full-time and was consoled by West Ham’s Fabian Balbuena.
"You decide to take a penalty like that it has to hit the back of the net, he needs to understand that,” Parker said.
West Ham shape not so impressive against lesser sides
As fireworks crackled around the London Stadium, inside things were rather more sedate up until added time. Having had so much success against seven of last season’s top eight with their switch to three at the back and playing on the counter, West Ham found themselves hindered here.
Against a far less controlling Fulham side, the Hammers lacked the presence in midfield to create and dictate, relying largely on crosses from Vladimir Coufal and Arthur Masuaku.
West Ham began with a flurry of chances in the opening minutes, but until Soucek struck late on, they had created little from open play. The shape isolated Sebastien Haller, who is not going to run and stretch like Michail Antonio, while Declan Rice and Soucek are not creative No10s.
Said Benrahma added some spark late on, but Moyes is urging patience with the Algerian.
The change in shape has brought a lot of solidity to the Hammers, something which is long needed, but whether they stick with it against lesser sides is a question worth asking before Sheffield United.
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