Five African players – Jordan Ayew, Wilfried Zaha, Jeffrey Schlupp, Eberechi Eze and Nayef Aguerd, where all on target as Crystal Palace defeated West Ham United 4-3 in an entertaining London derby in Saturday’s Premier League early kick off.
The Eagles’ impressive start under Roy Hodgson came to an end in midweek when they lost 2-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers while the Hammers surrendered an early lead at home to Liverpool and lost 2-1.
It was West Ham who took the lead in Saturday’s derby in the ninth minute through Tomas Soucek. It didn’t take to long for Palace to respond with Ayew slotting in a low shot six minutes later after receiving a fine pass from Anglo-Nigerian Michael Olise.
Hodgson’s men would go on to establish a 3-1 lead courtesy of the returning Zaha who missed the last four games due to a groin injury, and Schlupp who won the ball from Soucek before putting it between the legs of veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
West Ham reduced to deficit in the 35th minute after Soucek found Jamaican forward Michail Antonio only for Anglo-Nigerian Eze to increase the tally in the 65th minute from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Aguerd.
The Moroccan centre-back would go on have the last say in the game in the 72nd minute with a header from a Soucek corner.
Goals on the menu at Selhurst Park ⚽️#CRYWHU pic.twitter.com/HuW0FPkUcM
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 29, 2023
The victory saw Palace jump above Chelsea into 11th place and reach the 40 point mark which traditionally guarantees survival. That however is not mathematically sealed yet as 11 points them and 18th-placed Leicester City with four games left to play.
West Ham meanwhile sit in 15th position, five points away from the drop zone.
