Full TimePosted at 90’+6′ Second Half ends, Crystal Palace 4, West Ham United 3.Post updateAttempt missed. Michail Antonio (West Ham United) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Vladimir Coufal with a cross following a corner.Post updateCorner, West Ham United. Conceded by Jordan Ayew.Post updateAttempt blocked. Michail Antonio (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Vladimir Coufal.Post updateAttempt saved. Michail Antonio (West Ham United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Vladimir Coufal with a cross following a corner.
Crystal Palace deservedly won a thrilling seven-goal encounter against West Ham to reach the 40-point mark targeted by manager Roy Hodgson and leave the Hammers in relegation trouble. Former England boss Hodgson has led Palace to four wins in six games since returning as manager last month, and they are now 11 points clear of the bottom three, almost certainly securing their Premier League status.
The match got off to a delayed start due to an issue with the turnstiles, but there was no shortage of action once it got underway. Tomas Soucek punished Michael Olise’s failure to clear a corner to give West Ham an early lead, but Palace responded emphatically with three goals in a 15-minute spell. Jordan Ayew levelled within six minutes with a first-time finish at the end of a slick move, before Wilfried Zaha finished from Eberechi Eze’s pass across the six-yard box and Jeffrey Schlupp added a third after dispossessing Soucek.
Michail Antonio then headed in at the back post to reduce the deficit for West Ham before the break, but Eze’s penalty restored Palace’s two-goal advantage midway through the second half. Aguerd made amends for conceding the penalty as he and Antonio combined at the back post to bundle in after Soucek’s flick-on, but Palace held on to earn a victory they deserved to all but secure their Premier League status. West Ham remain five points above the relegation places with five games remaining.
Eberechi Eze was awarded Player of the Match with an average rating of 7.38.