West Ham United 1-2 Crystal Palace
Premier League, London Stadium, Sunday 6 November 2022
West Ham United fell to 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace at London Stadium.
While Saïd Benrahma marked his 100th Claret and Blue appearance with a goal, West Ham United were unable to hold the lead the No22 gave his side with twenty minutes played in east London.
Wilfried Zaha equalised in the first half, while Michael Olise struck an injury-time winner to decide what was until that point an even London derby.
The Irons had earlier seen a penalty award overturned by VAR, but were ultimately unable to stretch their unbeaten home run to eight games thanks to that late Palace winner.
An even first half at London Stadium brought chances at both ends. Palace saw an early free-kick from Eberechi Eze call Łukasz Fabiański into action, with the former Poland keeper down to his right to deter the Palace No10, before he was then alive to grasp the ball at the second attempt.
In response, a lovely move from David Moyes’ men saw Benrahma combine with Aaron Cresswell, before a cross from the full-back found Jarrod Bowen, whose volley was struck wide.
But the Algerian’s creativity would soon bring the opening goal with 20 minutes played. Lucas Paquetá found Benrahma, who controlled the ball neatly off the wet turf, and then struck a fierce effort past a helpless Vicente Guaita and into the top corner. The No22 has now netted in consecutive home league outings for the Hammers.
A second goal for West Ham might have followed when Lucas Paquetá picked out Gianluca Scamacca, but the No7 could not find Benrahma, who had broken free from the Palace defence as the Irons continued to threaten on the counter-attack.
But despite the opportunities to double the lead, the visitors would equalise five minutes before the interval. Eze pinched the ball from Thilo Kehrer, who was caught in possession, and found Zaha. The Palace No11 then held off Craig Dawson and found the bottom corner to pull his side level at half-time.
Ahead of the second 45 minutes, Moyes replaced Scamacca with Michail Antonio, although it was the visitors who had the better immediately after the restart at London Stadium.
Dawson made a vital block as Palace flooded the Irons’ penalty area, while Eze saw his shot deflect wide of the post and Olise later saw his effort fade just off target. Zaha was also denied his second of the afternoon by a perfectly timed challenge from Dawson.
Moyes continued to turn to his bench to try and grasp control of the match, with Flynn Downes and Manuel Lanzini introduced for the departing duo of Benrahma and Tomáš Souček. The move almost paid off, but Kehrer could not generate enough power to beat Guaita, while Rice later struck wide of the net from the edge of the area.
Ten minutes from time, the Irons looked to have been awarded a penalty. Lanzini found Antonio, who turned Joachim Andersen on the halfway line and drove towards the Palace penalty area. A neat trick saw the No9 bundled over by Marc Guéhi. But whilst a penalty was awarded on the field, referee Paul Tierney overturned his original decision after being sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR.
Later, a cross deflected off Dawson and would have found the bottom corner had Fabiański not reacted instinctively to spring to his left and tip the ball wide.
But as the Hammers looked to secure the win in the closing moments when Antonio broke free of the Palace defence they were caught out by a masterfully executed counter-attack from the visitors.
Olise darted down the right and found the top corner – with the aid of a slight deflection off Cresswell – as the Irons fell to a first home defeat since 21 August.
West Ham United: Fabiański, Kehrer, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell, Souček (Downes 64), Rice (c), Lucas Paquetá (Fornals 90+3), Benrahma (Lanzini 64), Bowen, Scamacca (Antonio 46)
Subs not used: Areola, Coufal, Aguerd, Ogbonna, Downes, Emerson
Goal: Benrahma 20
Booked: Dawson
Crystal Palace: Guaita, Clyne, Andersen, Guéhi ©, Mitchell, Schlupp, Doucouré (Milivojević 77), Eze, Olise, Ayew, Zaha
Subs not used: Johnstone (GK), Whitworth (GK), Ward, Tomkins, Riedewald, Hughes, Ebiowei, Mateta
Goal: Zaha 41 Olise 90+4
Booked: Ayew
Referee: Paul Tierney
Attendance: 62,451
