West Ham United will look to make it three wins in a row in the Premier League when they host Crystal Palace at the London Stadium.
After a hat-trick of defeats in the Premier League, West Ham United have managed to bounce back with two consecutive wins and will now look to make it three in a row when they host Crystal Palace, who are currently struggling for form.
The Hammers are currently ninth in the points table, managing 20 points out of their 13 matches. They have won six, lost five and played out a draw twice. David Moyes’s team have been doing a much better job than they did last time out and will look to build on it against the Eagles.
West Ham have won their last four matches in all competitions, and they will be hoping to make it five in a row. They are heading into this fixture on the back of their 1-0 win over Backa Topola in the Europa League. They were not really in the best of forms but managed to get the desired result.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are currently 13th in the league with 15 points out of their 13 matches. They have won four, lost six and played out a draw on three occasions. The Eagles have the last four out of their last outings in the league.
They will look to end their losing streak this weekend. Palace are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Luton Town. Despite dominating the proceedings, they failed to take their chances and ended up suffering at the hands of the newly promoted team. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the outcome of this fixture.
Team News and Tactics
West Ham United
David Moyes will be without the services of Michail Antonio for this fixture. Meanwhile, the participation of Jarrod Bowen is doubtful as his fitness will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Moyes speaks on Souček's form of late 🗣️ #TalkingPoint with @LycamobileUK 📞 pic.twitter.com/OkB1P96Rh3
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 1, 2023
The availability of Vladimir Coufal, Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus is doubtful as the manager suggested that a few players missed the midweek fixture due to virus and flu. The trio were notable absentees, and they might not be fit for this fixture.
Moyes will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Alphonse Areola will be in goal. Ben Johnson and Emerson Palmieri will be the full-backs. They will provide support to skipper Kurt Zouma who will pair up with Nayef Aguerd in the heart of the defence.
James Ward-Prowse and Edson Álvarez will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will look to shield their back line and also dictate the pace of this game by controlling the majority of the ball.
Pablo Fornals will start alongside Lucas Paqueta on the flanks. The duo will look to provide width to their attack and create chances for their striker. Meanwhile, Tomas Soucek will be the attacking midfielder. He will be running the show and will look to give Danny Ings the best possible opportunities to get on the scoresheet.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Johnson, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson; Alvarez, Ward-Prowse; Fornals, Soucek, Paqueta; Ings
Crystal Palace
Eberechi Eze and Cheick Doucoure were subbed off because of injuries last week. The duo has joined Dean Henderson, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Rob Holding on the sidelines. Meanwhile, James Tomkins’s participation in this fixture is doubtful.
The Eagles will go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where Sam Johnstone will be in goal. In the heart of the defence, Joachim Anderson will start alongside the highly sought-after Marc Guehi. The duo will look to keep a clean sheet and will have the support of Joel Ward and Tyrick Mitchell who will feature as the full-backs.
Jefferson Lerma will start alongside Jeffrey Schlupp and Will Hughes in the centre of the park. The trio will look to dominate possession and dictate the pace of the game. They will try to ensure West Ham midfielders do not get too much freedom on the ball.
Michael Olise and Jordan Ayew will provide width to their attacks, they will look to stretch the opposition and cut inside at every possible opportunity. Meanwhile, Odsonne Edouard will be leading the line for the Eagles.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Johnstone; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Lerma, Hughes, Schlupp; Olise, Edouard, Ayew
Key Stats
- West Ham United have won 25 out of their 66 matches against Crystal Palace while the Eagles only have 18 wins to their name.
- The Hammers have lost their last two Premier League outings against Crystal Palace, that’s the same number of defeats that they had suffered in their last 14 games preceding this run.
- Crystal Palace have not lost any of their last four away matches against West Ham.
- Heading into this fixture, the Eagles will aim for consecutive away wins against the Hammers for the first time since 2015.
- Since the start of last season, Crystal Palace have won two out of their last 16 London derbies in the Premier League. Interestingly both wins came against the Hammers.
Player to Watch
Tomas Soucek
Soucek seems to have taken his game to another level in the ongoing season. He has featured in multiple roles and has delivered irrespective of the position he has played in. In his 19 outings in all competitions, he has found the back of the net on seven occasions and also has an assist to his name.
The defensive midfielder is loving the freedom that he has had this season, and he is doing the job for David Moyes’s team. His impressive form suggests he could end up being the difference between the two teams.
Prediction
West Ham United 3-1 Crystal Palace
West Ham have won their last two outings and will be heading into this fixture feeling confident about their chances. They have played some quality football this season unlike what they did last term, and they will be hoping for three more points against the Eagles.
Crystal Palace have lost their last two outings. They have not been at their best and will be hoping to turn things around against the Hammers. But, it won’t be easy to go past David Moyes’s team that too in his own backyard. On the back of the recent form of both teams, The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the Hammers at home.
