West Ham continued their flawless start to 2021 with another impressive win to move into the top four of the Premier League.
Crystal Palace took an early lead through their returning talisman Wilfried Zaha, but David Moyes’ side were soon back on terms through Tomas Soucek and from there on in dominated.
The free-scoring Soucek added another and Michail Antonio will feel he should have had a hat-trick of his own, twice hitting the post and seeing Vicente Guaita make a wonderful reflex save to keep him out.
Craig Dawson did add the third with a routine header from a corner as Roy Hodgson’s side continued their own run of form – the mirror image of West Ham’s resurgence.
Michy Batshuayi’s late strike for the hosts took some of the shine off the scoreline for West Ham but in truth they were rarely troubled.
Three points made it six wins in a row in all competitions for the visitors, but Palace – still a healthy 11 points clear of danger – have now won one in 10.
Europe the ambition for West Ham?
The Hammers sit fourth in the table, above champions Liverpool, a scenario few would have imagined just a year ago.
West Ham were 17th in the Premier league, just one point above the relegation zone, when Moyes returned for a second spell in December 2019.
Now he may have his sights on matching the club’s best ever Premier league finish of fifth in 1999 – although he will know as well as any manager not to take his side’s form for granted in this most unpredictable of seasons.
Zaha’s brilliant early goal had the Hammers on the back foot right away but they settled well and were level when Antonio hooked a ball across for the ever dangerous Soucek to power in a header.
The Czech, a relative bargain at £19m, has had a great year under Moyes and soon added a second, controlling a deep free-kick on his thigh before smashing in at the near post.
Straight from the restart Antonio hit the post from the edge of the area and he did the same before the break, turning a miscued shot from Aaron Cresswell on to the woodwork.
His misses would not matter though, despite Batshuayi’s stoppage-time finish. Dawson’s powerful header made it five wins for Moyes in five matches at Selhurst Park, for five different teams – Preston (2001), Everton (2004), Manchester United (2014), Sunderland (2017) and West Ham (2021).
More to follow.
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Crystal Palace
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Squad number31Player nameGuaita
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Squad number2Player nameWard
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Squad number8Player nameKouyaté
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Squad number24Player nameCahill
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Squad number27Player nameMitchell
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Squad number10Player nameTownsend
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Squad number18Player nameMcArthur
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Squad number4Player nameMilivojevic
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Squad number25Player nameEze
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Squad number20Player nameBenteke
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Squad number11Player nameZaha
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Squad number9Player nameJ Ayew
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Squad number23Player nameBatshuayi
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Squad number44Player nameRiedewald
West Ham United
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Squad number1Player nameFabianski
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Squad number5Player nameCoufal
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Squad number15Player nameDawson
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Squad number21Player nameOgbonna
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Squad number3Player nameCresswell
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Squad number28Player nameSoucek
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Squad number41Player nameRice
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Squad number20Player nameBowen
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Squad number9Player nameBenrahma
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Squad number18Player nameFornals
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Squad number30Player nameAntonio
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Squad number7Player nameYarmolenko
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Squad number16Player nameNoble
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Squad number24Player nameFredericks
Line-ups
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-4-2
- 31Guaita
- 2Ward
- 8Kouyaté
- 24Cahill
- 27Mitchell
- 10TownsendSubstituted forBatshuayiat 66′minutes
- 18McArthur
- 4MilivojevicSubstituted forRiedewaldat 73′minutes
- 25Eze
- 20BentekeSubstituted forJ Ayewat 73′minutes
- 11Zaha
Substitutes
- 1Butland
- 3van Aanholt
- 6Dann
- 9J Ayew
- 17Clyne
- 22McCarthy
- 23Batshuayi
- 34Kelly
- 44Riedewald
West Ham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Fabianski
- 5Coufal
- 15Dawson
- 21Ogbonna
- 3Cresswell
- 28Soucek
- 41Rice
- 20BowenSubstituted forFredericksat 81′minutes
- 9BenrahmaSubstituted forNobleat 87′minutes
- 18Fornals
- 30AntonioSubstituted forYarmolenkoat 83′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Balbuena
- 7Yarmolenko
- 10Lanzini
- 16Noble
- 23Diop
- 24Fredericks
- 25Martin
- 31Johnson
- 45Odubeko
Live Text
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Match ends, Crystal Palace 2, West Ham United 3.
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Second Half ends, Crystal Palace 2, West Ham United 3.
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Goal! Crystal Palace 2, West Ham United 3. Michy Batshuayi (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jordan Ayew.
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Offside, West Ham United. Aaron Cresswell tries a through ball, but Andriy Yarmolenko is caught offside.
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Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Vladimir Coufal.
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Foul by Joel Ward (Crystal Palace).
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Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Substitution, West Ham United. Mark Noble replaces Saïd Benrahma.
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Attempt missed. James McArthur (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Jordan Ayew.
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Substitution, West Ham United. Andriy Yarmolenko replaces Michail Antonio.
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Attempt missed. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by James McArthur.
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Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Declan Rice (West Ham United).
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Substitution, West Ham United. Ryan Fredericks replaces Jarrod Bowen.
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Foul by James McArthur (Crystal Palace).
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Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Jordan Ayew.
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Attempt blocked. Tomas Soucek (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Pablo Fornals.
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Substitution, Crystal Palace. Jordan Ayew replaces Christian Benteke.
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Substitution, Crystal Palace. Jairo Riedewald replaces Luka Milivojevic.
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