Crystal Palace vs West Ham United

Selhurst Park forms the backdrop for an all-London Premier League match-up between Crystal Palace and West Ham United.

Complacency seems to be catching up with Crystal Palace as they’ve gone from winning three straight league matches at the start of Roy Hodgson’s second managerial stint to drawing a blank in their last two outings (D1, L1). However, Hodgson may have already done enough to put Palace’s relegation fears to rest, moving the ‘Eagles’ eight points clear of the red zone. The hosts won’t let that distract them from pursuing only a third Premier League double over West Ham following a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture at the London Stadium. That could be easier said than done, though, with Palace managing just one win in their last seven league meetings with the ‘Hammers’ on home turf (D2, L5), including a pair of 3-2 defeats in their two most recent H2Hs at Selhurst Park.

On the other hand, West Ham’s promising run of three unbeaten Premier League games (W2, D1) ended abruptly at the hands of Liverpool in midweek league action (1-2), leaving the visitors only five points clear of 18th-placed Leicester City at the start of this round. But David Moyes’ men seem to have discovered a winning formula on the road, winning their last two top-flight away matches – as many victories as on their previous 21 Premier League travels (D4, L15). With both those triumphs coming ‘to nil,’ the ‘Irons’ are now looking to win three consecutive away league fixtures without conceding for the first time since 2007. But since they’ve capitulated at least twice in four of their last five league visits to Palace, that feat could prove hard to achieve.