Are West Ham's players fearful of a lead?
Not for the first time this season, West Ham had the advantage in the game and by the end of it, they had either lost it or had to share it thanks to a draw.
Twice to Crystal Palace this season, Manuel Pellegrini's team have taken the lead early in the second half - and twice they have come away with absolutely squat.
It's not just to Palace, it's happened enough times this season that when Pellegrini's side have taken the lead, they can't hold on. Since September, the anomalies are the wins over Chelsea and Southampton but they haven't really been smooth sailing, especially the Saints game.
West Ham took the lead on Boxing Day and decided to sit back, despite the manager bringing on both Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini off the bench. If you're going to sit in, bring a defender on. The manager didn't and it cost them.
When a team is low on confidence, the natural thing to do is pass responsibility on, let someone else deal with the ball. That happened far too much on Thursday, no-one took the game by the scruff of the neck.
Football.London asked Pellegrini post-match about throwing away points and the manager said it could be either a mentality issue or a confidence issue. He's wrong - it's both.
West Ham's board has to make a big decision
Pellegrini is clinging on to his job for dear life.
The simple fact is that the next game against Leicester is just two days away and with such a short turnaround, that has probably kept the Chilean in a job because making a change now is pointless.
Three days later comes another game, so same thinking. Four days later, another game.
The manager is under immense, immense pressure now, so much so that his position is becoming untenable. Apathy towards the club, and it's owners, is rife.
West Ham's board have to make a huge choice in the next six days. Allow Pellegrini to buy his way out of trouble, or get rid and let someone else do it. Whatever is going on now, has to stop.
Fabian Balbuena outshines Angelo Ogbonna for the first time
Let's talk about what happened on the pitch on Boxing Day.
Balbuena had one of his best games of the season as he appeared to be returning close to the form that he showed for large parts of last season as he played better than his centre back partner, Angelo Ogbonna, for the first time.
But even an improved Balbuena could do nothing about the dazzling skill shown by Jordan Ayew for the Palace winner on the stroke of full time as he, Ogbonna and Declan Rice were made complete fools of.
The signs were so promising though that Balbuena, who has not been the player this season that he was last, was returning to some sort of form ahead of a busy run of crucial games.
But he, like all the other Hammers players, will have had their confidence shot to bits by the result to Roy Hodgson's side that secured the double for them over Pellegrini's men for the season.
