West Ham 1 Crystal Palace 1
The Hammers were delighted to welcome back Jarrod Bowen for the visit of Roy Hodgson’s side for this London derby. The visitors were missing one of their key players as Eberechi Eze picked up an injury in their last game.
West Ham made the perfect start to the game as their first chance on goal ended up in the visitor’s net. Ward-Prowse played a sublime pass out wide for Coufal to find Kudus in the box who duly slotted the ball past Johnstone.
Questions could be asked as to whether the Palace keeper should have done better and not been beaten at his near post so easily. It was a sweeping move by David Moyes’ side and showed just how important the summer signing was becoming in this side.
Ayew won a free kick for The Eagles, although the replay showed he may have tripped himself up trying an elaborate flick. Andersen struck the ball and it deflected off the wall, looped in the air and missed the far post by inches with Areola rooted to the spot.
Credit: @WestHam
The second half started with many seats in the ground empty, the West Ham fans must have still been enjoying their half-time jellied eels. They almost missed a goal as Kudus’ cross beat everyone including the Crystal Palace keeper.
Despite not touching the ball, it was disallowed as Soucek was stood in an offside position, right in front of Sam Johnstone. The Hammers felt aggrieved as he had not scored it but not through a lack of trying that is for sure.
Olise won a free kick when a heavy challenge from Paqueta was penalised. He clipped it into the box and Guehi knocked the ball across the box but somehow Edouard directed his effort over the bar when it seemed a goal was certain.
The Hammers hit the self-destruct button when Mavropanos under-hit a pass straight to Edouard who ran through on goal and found the bottom corner of the net despite not connecting with his effort cleanly.
Palace got the equaliser they had been threatening but with a huge assist from West Ham in the process. Not that Roy Hodgson will have been complaining how the goal came about, it was The Eagles’ pressure that created the defensive error.
David Moyes’ side tried to find a winner as Paqueta clipped a ball over the top of the Palace defence which Emerson got on the end of with a perfectly-timed run. The finish was not one to write home about as the defender volleyed the ball high and wide.
Credit: @CPFC
As the hosts tried desperately to score, Fornals did some good work down the right wing and his cross picked out Bowen in the box but his header was straight at Johnstone. Either side of the keeper and The Hammers would be celebrating the win.
The points were shared at the London Stadium, probably a fair result on reflection, but both managers will feel that their side should have won this game. The result leaves West Ham in the top half of the table while Palace are nine points clear of the bottom three in mid table.
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