West Ham United delivered a dismal performance in their 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace at the London Stadium on Saturday. Despite a handful of individual efforts, the Hammers struggled to make an impact in a match dominated by their opponents.
First-Half Struggles
The opening 45 minutes were largely uneventful from West Ham’s perspective, apart from goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański making crucial saves to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix. Lucas Paquetá had the Hammers’ sole opportunity late in the half, but his effort lacked the precision to threaten.
A Poor Second Half
Palace capitalized almost immediately after the break. Mateta surged forward and drilled in the opener after Max Kilman hesitated to challenge him, allowing the forward time and space to finish in the 48th minute.
West Ham’s woes were compounded when Konstantinos Mavropanos received a second yellow card in the 79th minute, leaving his team to battle on with 10 men. Although Fabiański managed to keep the scoreline respectable with saves from Eddie Nketiah and Justin Devenny, the game slipped further away when Fabiański fouled Nketiah in the box. While Mateta’s penalty was far from convincing, it was enough to sneak past the Polish shot-stopper and seal a deserved Palace victory.
Player Ratings
Łukasz Fabiański – 5
A mixed evening for the veteran goalkeeper, who made several key saves but ultimately conceded a penalty. Injured in the first half, he soldiered on and kept the Hammers in the game until Palace’s decisive second goal.
Konstantinos Mavropanos – 1
A disaster class. Solid in the first half, Mavropanos faltered after the interval. Booked for dragging down Mateta, his evening worsened with a reckless challenge that saw him sent off late in the game.
Max Kilman – 2
Struggled defensively throughout the match. His hesitant approach allowed Mateta to score, though he did manage a vital block to prevent a second Palace goal late on.
Aaron Cresswell – 5
Provided some attacking intent early on but failed to capitalize on opportunities. Substituted after 56 minutes as the Hammers shifted strategy.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 6
One of the few bright sparks, Wan-Bissaka displayed energy on the right flank, creating opportunities and defending well. His deliveries, however, lacked end product.
Guido Rodríguez – 4
Had a few bright moments in midfield, including a clever turn to escape pressure, but a costly turnover typified his inconsistent showing. Withdrawn at halftime.
Edson Álvarez – 4
Despite showing grit and physicality, Álvarez lacked the cutting edge in a tough midfield battle. Booked for dissent and replaced in the closing minutes.
Emerson – 5
Faced challenges defensively but avoided significant errors. Subbed off early in the second half as West Ham searched for inspiration.
Tomáš Souček – 4
Barely involved, other than an unsuccessful penalty appeal after minimal contact in the Palace box. Largely anonymous throughout.
Lucas Paquetá – 4
Lacked support and struggled to influence the game, with poor passing decisions compounding his frustrations. Missed the Hammers’ best first-half chance.
Mohammed Kudus – 3
Drifted in and out of the match, dropping deep to retrieve the ball and often isolated up front. His lack of impact left the Hammers devoid of attacking options.
Substitutes
Carlos Soler – 4
Introduced at halftime but failed to make any meaningful contributions to change the game.
Danny Ings – 5
Injected some presence into the Hammers’ attack but had little to work with. One blocked effort was his only notable contribution.
Ollie Scarles – 6
Energized the team with a committed performance, chasing down opponents and lifting the crowd momentarily.
Lewis Orford – 6
Made his senior debut and showed glimpses of promise, coming close to connecting with a Wan-Bissaka cross.
Luis Guilherme – N/A
Came on late with little time to influence proceedings.
A Night to Forget
This was a performance to forget for West Ham, with too many players underperforming in key areas. While Fabiański and Wan-Bissaka put in decent shifts, the collective lack of quality and discipline handed Crystal Palace a comfortable victory. Mavropanos’ needless dismissal and Kilman’s defensive lapses epitomized the Hammers’ struggles.
Unai Emery must find answers quickly to get his team back on track and avoid further setbacks in the Premier League campaign.