West Ham vs Crystal Palace Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction

West Ham’s start has been ugly. A 3-0 loss to Sunderland, a 5-1 collapse to Chelsea and a 3-0 defeat at Spurs leaves the Hammers staring nervously into the future of possibly fighting for their lives. The only respite was a 3-0 win over Forest, but that felt like a proper outlier rather than a turning point.

Off the pitch, tensions are rising. Fan groups are openly critical of the board, and the mood in Stratford has soured since the Conference League high of 2023. A messy summer window only added jet fuel, with stopgap moves like re-signing Fabianski and loaning Julio hardly quelling doubts. Either way, Potter’s options are thin, and the pressure is already fully mounting when your team has conceded the most goals to date (11).

Palace remain unbeaten with the mood among supporters growing more and more flat than upbeat for a new season. The draw with Sunderland was two points dropped, pointing directly to slow build-up from the back and the absence of key men so early on in the league. Glasner’s reluctance to turn to his younger wingers creates another talking point that does not fall in his favour because the game against Sunderland was crying out for some pace. The positives? Pino looked sharp on debut, Uche made an impact, and the defence remains one of the stingiest in the league.

The story so far is simple: Palace look organised, solid, and hard to beat, but without a clinical edge, they risk drawing too many games. Supporters know the team has the tools to push on, but injuries are stalling momentum.