Crystal Palace Match Preview

It’s another set of two fixtures in five days for West Ham United as they hope to build on the crucial home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers ten days ago by climbing further up the Premier League table and earning another three points when they face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park tonight.

After having the advantage of playing the opening game in the last round of fixtures, it’s a different story this time around as Nuno Espírito Santo’s men play in the last encounter of the weekend. Due to Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-2 home draw with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, they will spend at least another five days outside of the relegation zone.

Meetings between the two teams have often followed a trend in which the visitors are victorious but since Oliver Glasner has been in charge of the Eagles, tonight’s hosts have had the measure of their opponents. The only exception to this was when the Hammers made the trip here at the start of last season, as then Head-Coach Julen Lopetegui saw his side triumph 2-0. Espírito Santo is hoping he can replicate that outcome and help his team achieve a fifth success of the season on the road.

The fact that they have had so long to prepare for this match may be an advantage to the East Londoners, as the home side were in European action four days ago and have now booked a UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final place after edging past Serie A outfit ACF Fiorentina, despite losing the second-leg in Italy.

After they emphatically denied Rob Edwards and his team a first away win of the season in Stratford in their last game, Espírito Santo may name an unchanged side although Jean-Clair Todibo and Soungoutou Magassa are in contention for selection. Aaron Wan-Bissaka returned to the matchday squad for the 4-0 home win last time out and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be in the starting line-up against his former club.

The match is an 8pm kick-off and for those supporters not making the journey to South London, it will remarkably be the seventh consecutive televised game to involve the Irons!!! The referee is Darren England.