Crystal Palace 0 West Ham 2 (two)
It seems a strange team selection from Lopetegui, with the gaffer selecting the same side that lost to Aston Villa. The bench looks stronger than the first team, featuring new signings Fullkrug, Summerville, Todibo, Wan-Bissake and the returning Alvarez.
Kudus fires just wide early on after a surging run from Bowen, but Palace have the better of the first half. Areola makes a good low save with his foot from Eze. Wharton sends Edouard clear but the striker scuffs it wide. Considering West Ham were 4-0 down after 30 minutes last season it's a great relief to be level at the half-hour stage, with Kilman having a very solid game at the back. Before the interval Eze fires a languid shot against the bar from a corner routine.
The Irons improve after the interval, particularly when Wan-Bissaka and Fullkrug come on. The breakthrough arrives after 67 minutes. Palace old boy Aaron Wan-Bissaka wins the ball and hurdles two tackles before racing over the half-way line and cleverly flicking to Bowen with the outside of his foot. Jarrod finds Paqueta whose effort is blocked. Fullkrug competes for the loose ball and it falls to Super Tomas Soucek to stroke home.
Tomas, who is making himself undroppable, wheels away doing his trademark twirling celebration and dreaming of potato salad. As he does so in front of the celebrating West Ham fans an electronic hoarding collapses and a Palace ball boy is almost flattened under the weight of several big blokes from Billericay. Luckily Soucek and Bowen act quickly to rescue the boy and prevent him turning into Flat Stanley. Super hero Jarrod even gives the lad his shirt after the game.
It gets better as Max Kilman wins a tackle, advances past two Palace players and plays a lovely ball out to Bowen on the right. Jarrod cuts inside his man and fires home, running to the away fans tapping his captain's armband.
Theres still time for Sarr to rather fortunately deflect the ball with his thigh on to Areola' s post but the Irons see out the game fairly comfortably. A great away win and the first clean sheet since winning at the Emirates at the end of December.
Perhaps Lopetegui does know what he's doing and integrating the new signings slowly has worked. To some extent we've been lucky in that Palace have sold the influential Olise, Andersen and Ayew, but it's still a massive improvement on last season at a ground where we normally struggle. This victory was quite Moyesian in feel in that WHU only had 41 per cent possession, but the defensive resilience and speed on the counter was impressive.
Another 37 points and we're safe. Irons!
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