West Ham and Crystal Palace couldn’t be headed in more different directions. The Hammers are on fire, and after back-to-back wins, they need to stay the same.
Saying West Ham is on fire at the moment is a massive understatement. In fact, they are the hottest team in the league offensively. Like all things in football, this will cool of at some point in time, but not on Saturday afternoon.
David Moyes’ front four of Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma, Jarred Bowen, and Pablo Fornals have been tremendous on the ball and have been moving it with ease. Their freedom to move about with confidence is helped along by the midfield duo of Rice and Soucek. They are the glue to this whole operation, and after winning call-ups to play for their respective countries today, they should be ready to dominate Saturday’s match.
Speaking on the match, it’s one that certainly doesn’t receive the hype that it should. It’s a smaller London Derby, but it’s one where both sides are poised every single season. West Ham took four out of the six possible points last year, but it was never easy. David Moyes already knows what to do to make Saturday’s matchup easier because you can’t change a winning side.
West Ham’s Predicted Starting XI: You can’t change a winning side, right?
Keeping that in mind, here is The Green Street Hammers Predicted Starting XI vs. Crystal Palace:
West Ham’s Predicted Starting XI
Fabianski
Coufal – Dawson – Ogbonna – Cresswell
Rice – Soucek
Bowen – Benrahma – Fornals
Antonio
Subs: Areola, Batiste, Diop, Fredericks, Johnson, Noble, Lanzini, Coventry, and Yarmolenko
Just like last week, the only “potentially” weak link for West Ham is their back four. However, they looked outstanding last Monday against Leicester City, and their only attempt that went in came off of a bounce that was initially stopped.
In looking at the Starting XI, the only thing that could look different is the bench. It feels a bit soon, but if there is a chance Kurt Zouma is a Hammer by this time Saturday, he might make the team in some way. It might not be as fast as Vladimir Coufal’s opening match, but all things are possible. Expect a fun, energetic match, and as always, COME ON YOU IRONS!