Crystal Palace 2-3 West Ham
by Gene Sylvester at Selhurst Park

Selhurst Park saw the New Year in with a London derby which saw south pitted against east with Crystal Palace hosting West Ham in a pulsating game where the visitors ran out eventual 3-2 winners.

It had seemed at half-time that West Ham’s victory would be much more comfortable with the score standing at 3-0 after the first 45 minutes, but a late fightback from the home side had put the result in the balance right up until the final whistle.

“The game turned out to be a bit close for comfort but we take what we can get at this time of year” stated a relieved David Moyes following the full time whistle.

It was ultimately VAR that decided the game with West Ham’s winner coming from the spot after Palace captain Luka Milivojevic had been adjudged to have handled the ball just inside his own penalty area.

Following referee Darren England’s consultation with the VAR monitor, the official pointed to the spot, allowing the impressive Manuel Lanzini to claim his second goal of the game dispatching his penalty low to Palace keeper Vicente Guaita’s right to give David Moyes’s men a 3-0 lead.

The Italian’s first goal of the evening was a thing of beauty.

Declan Rice, playing the 150th game of his career, picked up the ball within his own half and was allowed to travel a full 40 yards before laying a pass inside to the West Ham number 10.

Lanzini’s first touch took him away from the oncoming challenge of Jacob Andersen, before rifling a wicked left-footed volley high into the palace net beyond the flailing arms of Guaita.

The Italian’s performance did not go unnoticed by his manager.

“Lanzini has given us something slightly different and is chipping with his goals. With Said off to the African Nations, he will have a big part to play.”

It was only two minutes prior to Lanzini’s first that Michail Antonio had opened the scoring following a wicked inswinging cross from Said Benrahma. The West Ham striker was quickest to react in the box as the Palace defence stood rooted, allowing Antonio to prod home from six yards out.

The home side’s belated fightback was sparked by the 68th minute introduction of Michael Olise who came on for the ineffective Christian Benteke.

The summer signing’s first telling contribution came in the 82nd minute after an Andersen ball down the left found the Palace winger in space down the right. 

Coming inside on his left foot he then curled in a delightful cross which was poked past the diving keeper by Edouard to provide the home fans with some hope of a possible late fightback.

That optimism increased in the 89th minute when Olise’s inswinging free kick from the right evaded everybody in the box, including Fabianski, to end up in the West Ham net.

A late Jean-Philippe Mateta overhead effort almost sealed a dramatic comeback for Viera’s men but his spectacular effort following a lofted ball into the area from Jeffrey Schlupp whistled just past the post in injury time.

Following the final whistle, despite his team’s loss, Viera was still able to find positives in his team’s performance.

“I thought we were the better team and thought that we created enough chances to win the game. I’m happy with the team’s performance against a strong West Ham team who sit in fifth place in the league.”