Crystal Palace vs West Ham
Premier League 2018-19
Venue: Selhurst Park
Date: Saturday, February 9, 2019
Kick-off: 3pm GMT
Crystal Palace secured some much-needed breathing space by beating struggling Fulham 2-0 at Selhurst Park last week, with only a third home league win of the season lifting Roy Hodgson's side to 14th and four points clear of the relegation zone.
The manager admitted after watching his team battle for only a second Premier League victory in six outings courtesy of goals from Luka Milivojevic and Jeffrey Schlupp that these were "anxious times" for the Eagles, who are back in SE25 this Saturday to contest a third London derby in four matches against West Ham.
The visitors ended a run of three successive ugly defeats by claiming a point against leaders Liverpool on Monday evening, with Michail Antonio netting to restore parity soon after a Sadio Mane effort that left Manuel Pellegrini fuming at a botched offside decision.
That result saw West Ham remain 12th in the table but level on points with Leicester - and six ahead of their next opponents - as they look to push for a top-half finish.
Crystal Palace team news and predicted line-up
Palace remain without Pape Souare after the Senegal full-back underwent surgery on a dislocated shoulder in January, while Cheikhou Kouyate missed that win over Fulham after playing on with a twisted ankle in the 1-1 draw at Southampton.
Star man Wilfried Zaha has served his one-match ban for sarcastically applauding referee Andre Marriner at St Mary's, though could yet face further punishment as he challenges an FA charge for improper conduct.
Deadline day loan signing Michy Batshuayi could make his full debut after enjoying a swift impact from the bench last weekend. It was his initial shot that was saved in the build-up to Schlupp's late goal.
Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, Van Aanholt, Townsend, McArthur, Milivojevic, Schlupp, Ayew, Benteke
West Ham team news and predicted line-up
Injury-plagued West Ham are expected to be boosted by the return of Marko Arnautovic, who was absent against Liverpool due to a foot issue that forced him off at Wolves.
Samir Nasri could also be available after a calf problem suffered before the FA Cup loss to AFC Wimbledon, but Jack Wilshere (ankle), Andriy Yarmolenko (achilles), Winston Reid, Fabian Balbuena, Carlos Sanchez and Manuel Lanzini (all knee) all remain sidelined.
West Ham XI: Fabianski, Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Rice, Noble, Anderson, Snodgrass, Antonio, Arnautovic
Score prediction: Crystal Palace 1-1 West Ham
Palace will be desperate to have Zaha available, though they showed against albeit weak opposition in Fulham that they may finally be capable of performing without him.
The return of Arnautovic would provide West Ham with a similar boost and it is easy to see these two teams battling to a hard-earned draw.
Crystal Palace vs West Ham tickets
To check ticket availability, click here to head to Crystal Palace's website.
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change
Match odds
- Crystal Palace to win: 11/10
- Draw: 12/5
- West Ham to win: 14/5
First goalscorer odds
- Javier Hernandez 11/2
- Marko Arnautovic 7/1
- Christian Benteke 7/1
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TV channel and live stream, and online coverage
The match will not be available to watch live in the UK.
But you can follow all the action with Standard Sport's LIVE blog.
Head to Head history and results (h2h)
Crystal Palace and West Ham have met on 15 previous occasions in the Premier League, with the Hammers winning seven and the Eagles four with four draws.
In their last clash at London Stadium in December, Robert Snodgrass, Javier Hernandez and Felipe Anderson all scored after James McArthur had put Palace ahead early on. Schlupp's late header set up a nervy finish, but West Ham held on to win 3-2.
