Sunday’s mid-table Premier League showdown at the London Stadium pits West Ham United and Crystal Palace against each other in the penultimate match ahead of the upcoming World Cup break.
Inspired by Pablo Fornals’ double, David Moyes’ side thrashed Romanian outfit FCSB 3-0 in midweek Europa Conference League action to cap off a routine Group B campaign (W6).
Despite thriving in Europe this season, the Hammers have suffered a lot in the Premier League, with last week’s 1-0 defeat at Manchester United leaving them only three points clear of the relegation zone.
However, you don’t have to look beyond West Ham’s six-game winning home streak, the feat they last achieved a decade ago, to understand why a return to the London Stadium comes in handy.
Standing between the Irons and four consecutive Premier League home victories for the first time since 2002 are mid-table Palace, who eked out a 1-0 home win over Southampton last weekend.
Odsonne Edouard’s first-half winner completed the Eagles’ see-saw form across their opening 12 top-flight outings (W4, D4, L4), helping them bounce back from a devastating 3-0 loss at Everton.
But playing outside Selhurst Park has been a genuine issue for Patrick Vieira’s side this season, as they’ve failed to win any of their five away league games thus far (D3, L2).
While it’s hard to expect Palace to upset the odds in this all-London match-up, a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on their first league travel of the season suggests they are unlikely to go down without a fight.
Match Preview
West Ham United
West Ham haven’t lost any of their last four Premier League London derbies against Palace (W2, D2), including an action-packed 3-2 victory at Selhurst Park in their most recent top-flight clash.
Looking to post back-to-back league wins over this opposition for the first time since 2017, the Hammers need to overcome a disappointing nine-game top-flight H2H form at the London Stadium (W2, D4, L3).
Flying out of the traps would be a welcoming boost, yet Moyes’ men have netted a measly three first-half goals in the Premier League this season, suggesting a cagey entry could be on the cards.
Crystal Palace
The top priority on Vieira’s assignment list is to make Palace more competitive on the road after overseeing an underwhelming seven-game winless way league run (D4, L3).
Goals have been in short supply for the Eagles, as they’ve drawn a blank on their last three Premier League travels, their worst scoreless away run since June 2020.
Then it comes somewhat surprising that Vieira’s men have clocked up a league-high nine points from losing positions this season, winning three out of five Premier League games after conceding first (L2).
West Ham United vs Crystal Palace Potential Line-ups
West Ham United (4-2-3-1): Alphonse Areola; Thilo Kehrer, Craig Dawson, Kurt Zouma, Aaron Cresswell; Tomas Soucek, Declan Rice; Jarrod Bowen, Flynn Downes, Said Benrahma; Gianluca Scamacca.
Crystal Palace (4-3-3): Vicente Guaita; Joel Ward, Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, Tyrick Mitchell; Jeffrey Schlupp, Cheick Doucoure, Eberechi Eze; Jordan Ayew, Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise.
How to Watch?
West Ham vs Crystal Palace, alongside all other fixtures in England’s top flight, is available to watch online via live Premier League streams.
West Ham United vs Crystal Palace Prediction
West Ham will be hellbent on giving home fans something to cheer about amid a frustrating Premier League start.
Palace’s poor form away from home suggests this could be a prime opportunity for the hosts to get their stuttering domestic season up and running.
So we expect the Irons to win by a slim margin.
West Ham United 2-1 Crystal Palace
