Crystal Palace 5 West Ham 1
After a huge win at Anfield last weekend, Crystal Palace welcomed West Ham to Selhurst Park for a London derby. The season has gone off the boil of late for David Moyes’ side, it may be the perfect time to play them for The Eagles. Especially with Jarrod Bowen missing.
Palace look a completely different proposition when they have their two flamboyant wingers playing. This was to prove to be the case as they combined before Olise converted Andersen’s cross. A rare headed goal for the young French winger.
The hosts almost made it two as Mitchell had a sight of goal moments later but he blazed his shot over the bar. Moyes will have been concerned with just how easily his side were being opened up by Crystal Palace in the early stages.
Olise then slotted in Mateta but his shot into the far corner was saved by Fabianski’s foot. The ball ballooned into the air and Eze scored an acrobatic volley to double the hosts’ lead. What a finish it was by the England winger.
Credit: @premierleague
It was all looking too easy for The Eagles as they were running circles around the visitors. As Hughes clipped a cross into the box, poor communication between defender and keeper saw the ball strike Emerson and end up in the back of his own net with no Palace player in sight.
With only twenty minutes of the game gone, The Hammers were three down. As Antonio lost the ball on the halfway line, it was quickly worked forward. Olise played it into the path of Mateta who slotted home to send the Palace fans into dreamland.
Forget about Jarrod Bowen, on this display, Jim Bowen would get into this West Ham side. They managed to claw a goal back just before the break when Soucek flicked on in the box and Antonio slid in to poke home for the visitors.
The Eagles almost scored again early in the second half with their wingers involved again. This time Eze received the ball in the box, sidestepped a defender before looking to bend the ball into the bottom corner. Fabianski got down well to tip it around the post to deny him.
West Ham were giving both Eze and Olise and insane amount of space in the middle of the park, despite the scoreline. They paid the price once again when Eze slotted it through a defender’s legs to Mateta who shot into the bottom corner of the goal.
At this point David Moyes must have been wondering what his chances were of getting a mobile phone contract let alone a new West Ham one. It has been a gruelling season for the manager since losing his prised asset to Arsenal in the summer.
Credit: @CPFC
Fortunately the hosts were in the giving mood. As the ball was played back to Henderson in the Palace goal, he took his eye off it and missed it completely as it headed into the back of the net. Nothing but a late consolation for the visitors.
It was an impressive win for Oliver Glasner’s side and probably secures their Premier League status for another season. West Ham will want to forget this game quickly but sadly it is not something the fans will be able to wipe from their memory so soon.
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