Battling draw for Hammers in lacklustre game at Palace

Crystal Palace 0 West Ham 0

I'm at my sports book group eating pizza in Kings Cross for the first half of this fixture, while fellow-season ticket holder Nigel is at the theatre, which prompts Mystic Matt to suggest the game has gone. 

In the first half Brennan Johnson sends a free header hopelessly wide and then curls a better effort just past the post. For the Irons Castellanos has an overhead effort blocked on the line by Lacroix. The best chance comes when Diouf curls in a delicious cross and the Greek Bloke meets it with a towering header. Somehow Dean Henderson manages to claw it away with one hand. That would have been Dinos's fourth goal in four games.

For the second half I've made the Mabel Tavern, unfortunately sitting next to a Spurs supporter. It's attritional stuff with both sides breaking without much end product. Bowen and Summerville can't find the final ball, Pedro lumbers around without looking like scoring, as the Palace centre backs look very secure.

One good bit of skill from Jimmy Summerville almost sets Castellanos away only for him to be blocked in the box. When Sarr does get the ball in the net for Palace the goal is correctly disallowed for handball by Mateta. Sub Kante makes a great last-minute burst into the box to win a corner but again it comes to nothing.

So it ends nil-nil and it's two clean sheets in a row. It's not been a fluid performance but the team spirit does seem excellent. Fernandes has been very busy. Disasi and Mavropanos are both very impressive at the back and Diouf gets in some good clearances, with Walker-Peters, keeping AWB out, also doing his bit. Credit to Hermansen too, who has kept another clean sheet.

Earlier this season we would have lost this match so it's not a disaster. A win would have put WHU four points clear of Spurs and you could argue Palace must have been tired after playing in Europe. On the other hand a point away sees us two points ahead of Spurs, so it's as you were. It could be two points dropped though it could also be the point that keeps us up. The next five games will tell as we hit squeaky bum time.

Hammers storm Palace

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!

Hammer horror show at Palace

Crystal Palace 5 West Ham 2

We knew the side might be tired after Thursday's efforts against Leverkusen but there was no excuse for this. Had to turn off the radio after 31 minutes when it was 4-0. West Ham are a goal down after seven minutes when Fabianski comes and doesn't get Hughes' cross allowing Olise to head home. The second comes after a poor pass out of defence by Zouma leads to Mateta getting behind Ogbonna. Fabianski does well to save with his leg but Eze scores from the rebound with a brilliant overhead kick.

Number three is a comedy own goal from Emerson as Fabianski and Emerson leave the ball to each other. Number four sees Mateta tap home way too easily having got between Zouma and Ogbonna. The Hammers have no answer to Eze and co in midfield, though Antonio does bag a consolation after Soucek wins a header from Coufal's cross.

Moyes looks disgusted on the touchline and could substitute all 11 players, but opts to replace Ogbonna and Soucek at half-time with Johnson and Cresswell. The fifth goal is another embarrassment as Eze nutmegs Zouma to set up Mateta for his second. Thankfully Palace don't make it eight or nine as the game becomes a training exercise. Palace even gift the Hammers a second when Mitchell's back pass is missed by Henderson for another comedy own goal.

David Moyes was at least honest in his post-match apology, saying he was ashamed of the performance. This was absolutely not good enough and the defence is conceding as many goals as the bottom three clubs. We're either very good or very bad. West Ham are not playing like a Moyes side, he is normally capable of making a side resilient and difficult to break down. 

The lack of squad depth and the age of the players is showing, with a big rebuild needed in the summer. And if the side keep playing like this it may well be under a new manager. A big reaction is required against Liverpool.

Defensive lapses prove costly at Palace

Crystal Palace 4 West Ham 3 

The kick-off is delayed by 15 minutes thanks to dodgy season ticket readers and in the first half it seems West Ham's defence might have failed to get in too. It's another goal in the first 15 minutes for the Irons when Olise heads a corner across his own box and Soucek slams home for his first league goal since August.

But then there's a defensive collapse. Zouma isn't quite tight enough on Ayew who slots home with a good finish. Kurt is injured trying to tackle and goes off to be replaced by Ogbonna. While the defence is regrouping a cross from Emerson's flank isn't cut out and Zaha mishits home having got away from Coufal at the far post. 

The Hammers just can't cope with the flair of Eze, Olise and Zaha, aided by the team play of Ayew, and concede a catastrophic third. Aguerd foolishly gives the ball to Soucek in a dangerous position. Tomas has his pocket picked by Schlupp, who calmly slots it past Fabianski.

At least the Irons keep at it and pull one back from another corner. Soucek flicks on and Antonio heads in at the back stick. 

At the break Moyes brings on Benrahma and Cresswell for Fornals and Emerson, though the Hammers never get any passing going in midfield and the extra day's rest Palace have had proves crucial. Palace go 4-2 up with a dodgy penalty scored by Eze. Aguerd's arm was out but he barely touched Eze.

West Ham only ever look like scoring from a corner and sure enough, Soucek gets his head to another corner and his looping header is just about turned in by Aguerd. An eventful afternoon for Tomas who has scored one goal and made three assists, two for West Ham and one for Palace. 

We have eight minutes of added time, but Palace deserve the points and Benrahma's final wayward cross sums up the afternoon. Very disappointing to score three goals away from home and lose. Assuming we lose at City, WHU need to get something from the Man United game now.

Hammers raid Palace for three points

Crystal Palace 2 West Ham 3

West Ham start badly in south London. Palace should be 1-0 up after a couple of minutes as Ayew crosses and Schlupp scuffs his shot against the base of the post. Yet after surviving the early Palace pressure it's West Ham who strike. Johnson is getting crosses in from the left and Guaita has already had to make a fine double save from Antonio and Benrahma. After 22 minutes Said Benrahma whips in a wicked low cross that is so good might have come from the boot of Kevin De Bruyne. Antonio simply has to deflect it past the keeper.

The Irons go two goals up after a typical Rice surge finds Lanzini, who takes three brilliant touches and half-volleys it into the roof of the net. Manuel is back... Benteke goes close and Edouard hits the bar, to remind us all that Palace are not playing badly. 

But just before the break West Ham benefit from a silly handball by Milivojevic and a VAR decision for a penalty. Lanzini strokes it home and 3-0 at the break looks unassailable.

Strangely Moyes decides to replace Johnson with Masuaku at the break. The Hammers don't have such a good second half, sitting back on their lead, though Antonio does go close with a spin and shot. It gets more worrying when Olise comes on and Arthur doesn't know what to do with him. The promising youngster crosses for Edouard to score on 83 minutes. Then Diop gives away a stupid free kick. Fabianski, like the Clash, doesn't know whether to stay or go, and Olise's free kick sails straight in. Palace almost equalise at the death when Mateta's brilliant overhead kick goes just wide.

But WHU hold out and it's still another away win. The side's tiredness in the second half is perhaps understandable after so many games in December and Diop and Dawson have been asked to play a lot of games together on the spin. We're back to fifth and one point behind Arsenal after 20 games. Reinforcements are still needed, but the race for fourth spot is still on. Irons!

Champions League? We're having a laugh!

Crystal Palace 2 West Ham 3

It looks like the usual WHU return to earth after a good run when Zaha puts Palace ahead after three minutes. The Hammers' midfield has stood off and Benteke has flicked the ball to Zaha who scores from the edge of the area.

But the Irons' response is excellent. In the ninth minute Fornals plays a clever ball in to the byline, Antonio flicks it across the goal and Soucek powers home a header. It gets better: Antonio is fouled by ex-Iron Kouyate and Cresswell's free-kick is controlled on his thigh and then shot into the net by Soucek again. Potato salad all round! 

West Ham nearly score a third from the kick-off as Kouyate miscues and Antonio hits the inside of the post. Rice and Soucek are dominating the midfield and Fornals is working tremendously hard. Soucek shoots from distance to force a save from Gaita and then after great work from Benrahma Cresswell's mishit shot is re-directed on to the post by Antonio again. A bonus in the first half is hearing Cresswell call the ref a "bellend" on live TV as a throw-in is moved.

SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT

It's worrying that WHU haven't killed the game off in the first half and Palace nearly equalise at the start of the second half when Fabianski has to make a fine one-on-one stop against Zaha. 

Benrahma is having his best game yet for the Hammers, gliding past players and always looking to create something. A great dribble sets up Antonio whose shot is brilliantly parried by Gaita. Another great Said run and pass finds Coufal whose shot is blocked.

Thankfully the game is put to bed when Dawson, who is proving a really useful addition in both  boxes, heads home Bowen's corner. Next Coufal's shot is redirected past the post by Antonio who beats the ground in frustration. Michail could and probably should have had four goals — he's having one of those games where he couldn't hit a palatial door. 

With the game won Moyes brings on Fredericks, Yarmolenko and Noble to play out time. Somehow the ref adds on six minutes of extra time and it's a shame that sub Batshuayi gets ahead of Cresswell to score a consolation with the last kick. It should have been 5-1 rather than 3-2.

This has been a very impressive attacking away performance and the sense grows that Moyes is building something special. Even better is the fact that the Hammers go up to fourth place having won six games in a row. Michael the Whovian takes to Whats App to write that we are five points from safety. Next up is crisis club Liverpool. Irons!

Another car crash at Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace 2 West Ham 1

Oh well, just another Christmas at West Ham. Boxing Day arrives with news that Michail Antonio has crashed his Lamborghini into a bin shed while dressed as a snowman on Christmas Day, as you do. Seems like he drives like he plays, lots of acceleration but sometimes let down by a lack of control. 

Antonio makes the line-up at Palace though minus his snowman costume and Zabaleta replaces the suspended Fredericks. Roberto also returns with Fabianski and Martin both still not fit. To be fair to the maligned Hammers' keeper, he makes a couple of decent stops from Ayew and Wickham and isn't at fault for the goals.

Ayew goes close for Palace but a goalless first half offers hope. Even more so when against the run of play the Irons take the lead. Antonio makes a powerful run inside and finds Snodgrass with a great through ball, which the Scotsman finishes really well. Maybe Michail should crash his car before every game.

But as so often this season the Hammers panic after taking the lead. As the side sit back Ayew's header is volleyed home by none other than Cheikhou Kouyate. To give him credit he doesn't celebrate and you do wonder why he was sold without a better replacement being signed than Wilshere or Sanchez. 

Snodgrass has a goalbound effort blocked, but it's almost inevitable that West Ham concede a 90th minute winner. It's a great solo run from Ayew, though he skips past Rice, Ogbonna and Balbuena with far too much ease. Roberto can't be faulted for the chip over him, which is a classy finish. With the Hammers needing a late equaliser it's strange that Pellegrini has subbed Haller, though at least Lanzini gets some minutes.

But it's a depressing result and the Hammers slump to fourth from bottom again with Pellegrini still in danger of a Christmas sacking. Leicester tomorrow and Bournemouth on New Year's Day will surely hold the key to his future.

Welcome point after Palace storming

Crystal Palace 1 West Ham 1

Listened to the second half of this on Radio London and it sounded like the Irons were getting battered as they tried to hang on for a plucky away win. Seems like we had the better of the first half though, and Mark Noble coolly dispatched his penalty after keeper Guita brought down Antonio. Snodgraas and Fredericks also got to work the keeper with Anderson excelling on the break.

In the second half Palace had a relentless stream of corners and McArthur missed a great chance when he fired wide of a gaping goal. When Zaha did equalise after 75 minutes it had an element of luck as his shot deflected off Issa Diop. Zaha would, of course, have been suspended if Palace hadn't appealed against his two-game ban for sarcastically applauding the ref.

The commentators were scathing about the body language of sub Marko Arnautovic, though to be fair he always looks lethargic before often doing something special. Obiang and Zabalata came on to shore things up and despite the nervy finale — including an excellent save by Fabianski from Zaha — in the end it was a decent away point against a solid Crystal Palace side. Irons!

Palace party as Hammers blow two-goal lead

Crystal Palace 2 West Ham 2

"Six minutes, six bloody minutes!" I find myself declaring in the style of Michael Palin in Ripping Yarns, while sitting with a drink at the Amble Inn in Harpenden, having completed stage two of the Lea Valley Walk with Nicola and Paula. "I'll just assume we concede a last-minute equaliser in added time to avoid unnesessary stress." 

Sure enough, with seven minutes of added time gone, Zaha equalises with the last kick of the game. Antonio has chosen to cross it into the middle rather than hold it up in the corner and 22 seconds later Zaha scores, having turned inside Kouyate too easily and with Rice not getting tight enough. It's not the despair I can't take…

It's cruel on the Hammers and Bilic who looked so close to a second away win in four days. Hernandez finished cleverly with the outside of his foot to convert Cresswell's cross. Then Ayew dribbled from the half way line before firing in a rocket off the crossbar. Why hasn't he done this more often? Now his confidence is up Ayew looks like he might finally justify his £20m fee.

ANTONIO WOE
But Hart has already made one fantastic double save from Tomkins and Schlupp in the first half and early in the second an Ogbonna foul gifts Palace a penalty. Cresswell and Fonte depart injured. To be fair to Palace they deserve something from the game, as Cabaye hits the post, Hart produces a great stop to deny the Frenchman's free kick and then the 'keeper produces a stunning save to tip Tomkins' header on to the bar. 

After the game Hart complained about the side being "unprofessional" at the end, and West Ham really have to learn to hold on to two-goal leads against bottom-placed sides. Hart's heroics and a steely resolve to cling on to an away victory could have turned WHU's season. But then came Antonio's aberration (has he been taking lessons in game management from Lionel Scaloni?) and as Slaven said, it felt like a defeat. 

Though on reflection most of us would have taken a point before the game and a win and a draw against Spurs and Palace should be enough for Bilic to retain the confidence of the board. Yes, the Hammers have gained a point on Swansea and Bournemouth. But it could have been so much more.