24 August 2024
Crystal Palace 0 West Ham 2
The Eagles welcomed West Ham to Selhurst Park for a London derby with both sides looking to get their seasons started after opening weekend defeats. Oliver Glasner’s side proved a match for most teams at home last season and will be looking to ensure that continues. The ground was full to bursting for Crystal Palace’s first home game of the season.
Despite bringing in German international Fullkrug in the summer, Lopetegui continues to start with Antonio up top. The reality is that the West Ham forward releases more podcasts than he does score goals now and you would think they could do with a more potent threat. He scored just seven goals in thirty-two starts last campaign, nowhere near good enough.
The first chance of the game came from a West Ham corner. As it was swung in, Soucek met it with his head but his effort was heading wide. Antonio was lurking at the back post but could not direct the ball on target. It was a half-chance for the visitors to take an early lead. Classic Antonio, couldn’t hit a barn door with a shovel but could critique it online in a studio.
Next it was the turn of the hosts to ask questions of the West Ham defence. Eze and Mateta exchanged a one-two on the edge of the box. As the Palace winger looked to get a shot away, it took a massive deflection and looped up over Areola. Fortunately for Hammers’ fans, it landed on the roof of the net and game remained goalless.
Mateta and Eze linked up well once again and the winger had the chance to get a shot away in the box. Areola made a great save with his feet to deny The Eagles an opening goal. It will be a concern for Lopetegui how easily his side was carved open by some simple interplay repeatedly. His back four were parting like the Red Sea which will be a concern going forward.
Without the craft and skill of Olise, Glasner has had to reshuffle the pack in his front three. For the visit of West Ham it was Eze. Mateta and Edouard. The French striker played a brilliant defence-splitting pass to his compatriot, who had space to run through on goal. As Areola came out Edouard slotted the ball past him but it narrowly went wide.
The Eagles worked a quick short corner moments later and Wharton fed the ball to Eze outside the box. He wrapped his foot around it and struck a first-time shot that rattled the crossbar and came back out into play. At this stage it was baffling how Crystal Palace were not leading this game, West Ham just could not cope with their attacking threat.
Into the second half and whatever Lopetegui had said in the interval seemed to do the trick. Wan-Bissaka got forward down the right flank and found Bowen on the edge of the box. As they tried to work a shooting chance, the ball broke to Soucek in the box as a result of a great block. He passed his shot into the bottom corner to put the visitors ahead against the run of play.
Moments later Kilman played the ball into Bowen and he had nothing on his mind other than running at the Palace defence. There are few defenders who are able to stop the attacker when in full flight, with the ball at his feet. He dropped his shoulder and checked onto his left foot before selling the keeper with his eyes and drilling his shot into the bottom corner at the near post.
Within the space of five minutes West Ham had scored two goals and given Crystal Palace a lesson in turning possession into goals. Lopetegui’s side created so little in the first half but had been clinical after the break. You could not see a way back for Oliver Glasner’s team and their defensive frailties were once again exposed at this level.
The only chance of any note The Eagles created in the second half was when Mitchell put a great cross into the box but substitute Sarr could not sort out his feet quickly enough and put his volley wide of the goal. It is worrying times for Crystal Palace fans who are left wondering whether their side has enough quality to mix it at this level once again. Should anyone come in for Eze, and the club accept the offer, it could be selling their Premier League status.
West Ham took the three points and on paper this looked like a routine victory. The truth of the matter is that it was one-way traffic for most of the first half and only the wastefulness of the hosts let them off the hook. Not that it will matter to Hammers’ fans, they have got their first win under new manager Julen Lopetegui.
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