Surging Crystal Palace grabs late, late win at West Ham

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Said Benrahma had put West Ham ahead but Wilfried Zaha equalized in the first half and Palace always looked more dangerous going forward.

Both teams had chances to go ahead and West Ham were awarded a penalty kick which was then overturned by VAR after referee Paul Tierney went to the pitch-side monitor.

Olise’s deflected shot in stoppage time sent Patrick Vieira and Palace’s players and fans wild, as they have 19 points for the season and have won three of their last four and have back-to-back wins for the first time this campaign.

West Ham have 14 points and have lost the of the last four.

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Vieira’s boys get what they deserve: They have played really well throughout this season and they sit in ninth place on 19 points but they could be even higher. Vieira’s side haven’t been as clinical as they should be but they got the win they deserved at West Ham, their first victory on the road this season. There is a lovely balance to this team and this young side is really fun to watch. What a job Vieira has done and the penalty decision being overturned by VAR was correct and the deflection on the winning goal gave Palace the win they deserved.

West Ham struggling to replicate energy: Similar issues keep cropping up for the Hammers and Moyes will be scratching his head. On paper they have a much stronger squad than last season but they keep making big mistakes and the way they were caught playing out of the back to concede the first goal summed that up. They are just two points above the relegation zone but they should be okay this season. Their European exploits have no doubt impacted their energy levels in the Premier League and West Ham’s success over the last few seasons is built on counter-attacking and snapping into tackles.

Both teams set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation but it was Palace who always looked more creative and fluid, especially in the final third. The way Zaha stretched West Ham’s defense allowed Olise, Eze and Ayew to support him and push forward and the Hammers never had that at the other end of the pitch. Bowen and Scamacca in particular were isolated and West Ham never had control of this game.

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Wilfried Zaha: Got his goal in the first half and was at the heart of everything good Palace were doing. Despite reports about his future, he’s having a superb campaign.

Michael Olise: Got the winner and has a great understanding with Olise and Eze. That trio hold the key to Palace pushing for a top 10 finish.

West Ham host Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup on Wednesday, Nov. 9 and then host Leicester City in the league on Saturday, Nov. 12. Palace head to Newcastle on Wednesday in the League Cup, then travel to Nottingham Forest next Saturday in the PL.

Zaha with the equalizer at the London Stadium!

????: @USA_Network #MyPLMorning | #WHUCRY pic.twitter.com/E4ST613zLh

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) November 6, 2022

Said Benrahma with the ROCKET! ????

????: @USA_Network #MyPLMorning | #WHUCRY pic.twitter.com/97vM22xZkG

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) November 6, 2022

West Ham breezed through the group stage of the Europa Conference League without dropping a single point, while also navigating a loaded Premier League fixture list on short rest a half-dozen times. Though they have won just one of their last four PL games, the Hammers were only beaten by Liverpool and then Manchester United, both by the narrowest of 1-0 margins. Even when the results aren’t perfect, the performances are encouraging and improving all the time, but they won’t make the leap to the next level until someone steps up as a consistent goalscorer (no one has scored more than 2 PL goals through 13 games).

Crystal Palace, on the other hand, are producing both results and performances these days, with Patrick Vieira’s side going 3W-1D-1L in their last five PL fixtures. Wilfried Zaha (5 goals) remains the main man at Selhurst Park, but this season he’s getting a bit more help than usual, with Odsonne Edouard scoring three in the last six games and Eberechi Eze chipping in with two of his own in recent weeks.

OUT: Maxwel Cornet (calf)

Our starting XI v Crystal Palace ⚒️

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OUT: Chris Richards (leg), James McArthur (groin)

COME ON YOU PALACE ????#CPFC | #WHUCRY

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) November 6, 2022

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