West Ham Vs Crystal Palace

Two Premier League sides, each looking to secure consecutive victories, will face off at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon as West Ham United welcome Crystal Palace. The match is set to be an exciting clash, with both teams eager to continue their positive runs, but with different motivations behind their quests for success.

For Crystal Palace, the upcoming game represents a chance to seek retribution after their 2-0 loss to West Ham in the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park in August of the previous year. The Eagles will undoubtedly be keen to make up for that setback and put in a strong performance, especially after a string of positive results in recent matches.

As for West Ham, they come into the match on the back of a vital 3-2 win against Fulham at the London Stadium, a result that helped them break a losing streak and provided some much-needed breathing space in the Premier League standings. This victory came just days after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in the FA Cup, but West Ham’s Premier League performance against Fulham served to lift spirits within the squad. With manager Graham Potter marking his Premier League debut for the club in that game, the win against Fulham was crucial in boosting the team’s confidence and morale.

Despite the nervous finish to the match, with Fulham’s Alex Iwobi scoring a brace in the second half to make it a tense affair, West Ham held on to secure the three points. Carlos Soler, Tomas Soucek, and Lucas Paqueta all found the back of the net for West Ham, helping the team move into 13th place in the Premier League table. Although there are still nine points separating the Hammers from the top seven, they are now 10 points above the relegation zone, which is a far more comfortable position than they were in before the victory over Fulham. 

Potter, however, has been cautious in his optimism. While he acknowledged that the win was “stressful” at times, he emphasized that the team cannot afford to become complacent. The match saw several players step up, with the attacking trio of Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio, and Niclas Fullkrug all sidelined due to injury. Despite the absence of these key figures, West Ham was still able to showcase resilience and creativity in attack, with several important contributors stepping in to fill the void left by the injured players. 

Potter was particularly pleased with the team’s overall application and the fact that they were able to score three goals. The win over Fulham was especially significant given that West Ham has struggled to win back-to-back Premier League games since February and March of 2024. As such, the challenge ahead for West Ham will be to maintain their momentum and aim to achieve a top-flight double over Crystal Palace. This would be the first time they have accomplished such a feat since the 2016-17 season, and it would be a major boost to their campaign. 

One area where West Ham has consistently impressed against Palace is in their ability to score goals. The Hammers have scored in each of their last 21 Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace, marking their longest scoring streak against any opponent in top-flight history. This provides a solid foundation for their ambitions going into Saturday’s match, as they will feel confident in their ability to breach the Palace defense once again. 

On the other hand, Crystal Palace’s recent form has also been impressive, with the team currently on a five-match unbeaten run in all competitions. Their most recent triumph came on Wednesday night when they secured a 2-0 victory away at Leicester City. The second-half goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marc Guehi helped Palace to extend their unbeaten run to six away games, a feat that has not been matched by the club since February 1992. 

Manager Oliver Glasner was particularly pleased with the response from his players after a challenging first half against Leicester. Following a “louder” halftime discussion, the team came out rejuvenated and was able to deliver a strong second-half performance to seal the three points. The result helped Palace maintain their position in 15th place in the Premier League standings, leaving them eight points clear of the relegation zone. This is a solid position for Palace, and they will be looking to build on this momentum when they travel to the London Stadium. 

While Palace’s overall form has been strong, particularly in away matches, their record in London derbies has been less than stellar. In fact, they have won only one of their last 22 away matches against London clubs in the Premier League, with 11 draws and 10 losses during that period. Their sole victory in this stretch came in November 2022, when they beat West Ham 2-1 at the London Stadium. Since then, however, the Eagles have failed to register a victory in their last 13 away London derbies, making Saturday’s match even more important for them. 

Despite this less-than-ideal record in London derbies, Crystal Palace can take heart from their recent performances against West Ham. They have remained unbeaten in their last five away games against the Hammers, which is a significant achievement for a club that has struggled to get positive results in these types of matches. In fact, this five-match unbeaten run at the London Stadium is the longest such streak they have ever had against any top-flight opponent, with only their run against Tottenham Hotspur (seven matches unbeaten between 1990 and 2004) surpassing it.

The fact that Palace has been able to maintain this impressive record against West Ham will give them confidence heading into the game. With both teams in relatively strong form and motivated by their respective goals, the match at the London Stadium promises to be a closely contested and hard-fought encounter. 

In conclusion, this upcoming Premier League clash between West Ham United and Crystal Palace is shaping up to be a thrilling contest, with both teams coming into the match on the back of positive results. West Ham will be looking to build on their hard-fought victory against Fulham and secure a rare back-to-back Premier League win, while Crystal Palace will aim to continue their unbeaten run in 2025 and finally end their long winless streak in London derbies. With both sides possessing key players capable of making a difference, it will be interesting to see which team comes out on top when they meet at the London Stadium on Saturday.