A London derby will kick off Matchday 34 on Saturday afternoon, as Crystal Palace host West Ham in a game that is likely to have little impact on the relegation battle or European places with both sides just floating around the wrong side of the mid-table.
Little intensity is expected from the meeting in south London. West Ham, who moved past Gent 5-2 on aggregate in the Europa League conference quarter-finals, are now fully focused on their European ambition. While Roy Hodgson aims to see out the season without any hiccups during the closing stages of the season. Although a third straight game without a win for Palace might make the situation a bit edgy for the experienced Englishman’s liking. The home side currently sit eight points clear of the bottom three and three points ahead of West Ham, having played a game more.
Last 5 games
Palace have slowed down a bit after hammering Leeds United 5-1 away from home early in April, and it seems they used all their luck in front of the goal at Elland Road. Since that game, the Eagles have scored just two goals in the last three games, failing to score in two straight outings at Everton and Wolves.
The visitors, meanwhile, are enjoying a good run of form in the final third, at least. Having seen West Ham score four goals in a game twice in their last five, as well as two goals against Arsenal, David Moyes’ worries instead lie in the other direction. The Hammers have kept just one clean sheet during the same run. They scored the first goal against Liverpool during mid-week, but their leaky backline allowed Jurgen Klopp’s men to come back into the game and take all three points through Cody Gakpo and Joel Matip.
Crystal Palace: 12th
Loss: 0-2 vs Wolves
Draw: 0-0 vs Everton
Win: 2-0 vs Southampton
Win: 5-1 vs Leeds United
Win: 2-1 vs Leicester City
West Ham: 14th
Loss: 1-2 vs Liverpool
Win: 4-0 vs Bournemouth
Win: 4-1 vs Gent
Draw: 2-2 vs Arsenal
Draw: 1-1 vs Gent
Head to Head
Palace took all three points in a dramatic manner away from home in their last meeting in London in November. Wilfried Zaha cancelled out Said Benrahma’s 20th-minute opener and Michael Olise scored a 94th-minute winner on the break to complete Palace’s comeback.
The late win is Palace’s only success against West Ham in the last five meetings in the league. The Hammers, on the other hand, have won two games – both with a 3-2 score-line.
Even their manager’s record is better against Hodgson, with Moyes losing just two of his last 12 league games against teams led by the 75-year-old. The Scot is unbeaten in the last six games against sides managed by Hodgson. In Palace’s 2-1 win earlier in the season, Hodgson wasn’t in charge. He replaced Patrick Vieira at the helm in March.
Team News
Question marks remain over Zaha (groin) and Joachim Andersen’s (undisclosed) availability. The latter was hooked off at half-time in the side’s 2-0 defeat at Wolves.
For West Ham, apart from Gianluca Scamacca (knee), everyone is available for the game. The Italian recently underwent surgery and is unlikely to feature again this season.
Predicted Lineups
Crystal Palace: 4-3-3
Goalkeeper – Johnstone
Defenders – Richards, Ward, Guehi, Mitchell
Midfielders – Sambi Lokonga, Milvojevic, Hughes
Forwards – Olise, Ayew, Eze
West Ham: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper – Fabianski
Defender – Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell
Midfielders – Soucek, Rice, Paqueta (10)
Forwards – Bowen, Antonio, Benrahma
Where Will The Game Be Decided?
Both sides are coming into this game on the back of defeats, as such an opening goal from any of the two would go a long way in relieving pressure for the scoring team. In Zaha’s absence, West Ham’s defensive job will be easier than many teams have had to deal with at Palace. He scored the opener and created the winning goal in their win in the reverse fixture. For now, Olise is the only reliable threat at Hodgson’s disposal, and if Rice and company can find a way to keep the 21-year-old quiet, they should do just fine.
If Antonio can replicate his European form – four goals in three games – in the league tomorrow, it’ll be a long day for Palace. Rice has proven to be an ever-reliable presence in the middle of the park and has lately also made a difference in the final third, scoring twice in the last five appearances. Expecting him to once again have a big say in the outcome, one way or another.
Predictions
Not much is on the line, as such it’s hard to see any side going all-out for a result. But considering Moyes’ and West Ham’s recent record against Palace and their gaffer, it’s safe to predict a narrow win for the east Londoners. Crystal Palace 0-1 West Ham.
Kick-off Time
The kick-off is at 11:30 GMT Saturday at Selhurst Park Stadium.
