MY ACCOUNT
– West Ham have kept two clean sheets in their last three home league games
– Crystal Palace have failed to score in each of their last three away PL matches
– Recommended Bet: West Ham to keep a clean sheet
West Ham will aim to displace Crystal Palace in the top half of the table when they play host to the Eagles in a London derby on Sunday afternoon.
David Moyes’ side returned from Bucharest with the midweek victory that ensured they finished as the Europa Conference League’s only perfect participant — just a few days after tasting defeat again at Old Trafford.
The Hammers have been excellent at London Stadium of late, winning three games in a row, and could be boosted by the return of their club-record signing Lucas Paqueta from injury.
Palace equalled their club record of three consecutive home wins in the Premier League when dispatching Southampton 1-0 at Selhurst Park last Saturday.
But away points have proven elusive for Patrick Vieira’s men, who have taken just three from six road trips so far this season.
Team news
Paqueta has returned to training after a shoulder injury and is ready to be part of the squad to face Palace.
Moyes is unsure if the Brazilian, who has missed the Hammers’ last five games, will be fit enough to start.
The Scottish manager was able to give 14 senior players, including Jarrod Bowen, Declan Rice, Kurt Zouma and Michail Antonio, the night off on Thursday as a youthful Hammers side earned a 3-0 win over FCSB.
Moyes will recall all his big guns for Sunday’s contest with the possibility that Flynn Downes or Said Benrahma miss out.
Lukasz Fabianski, who was forced off at half-time against Manchester United with a sore knee and missed the Europa Conference League game, is likely to return between the posts.
Moyes has indicated Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd will not play in either of the Hammers’ Premier League matches ahead of the World Cup.
Palace duo Cheikhou Doucoure (unspecified) and Odsonne Edouard (knock) will both have their injuries assessed in training on Saturday with Vieira prepared to give both every chance of proving their fitness.
Luka Milivojevic, who replaced Doucoure when he was suspended against Everton and continued to deputise last week, would drop out if the Mali international returns.
Nathan Ferguson played 45 minutes for the Under-21s on Monday and will continue to build-up his fitness before returning to first-team duty.
The stats
Vieira is the fourth Palace manager to reach 50 games in the Premier League with the club.
The Frenchman has picked up 64 points in that time — a mark bettered only by Alan Pardew’s 68 — and lost 16 of those games, fewer than any of his predecessors with a half century of matches.
Palace have scored 13 goals — only three of which have come on their travels — in their 12 league games this term, five fewer than they had done at this stage last season.
West Ham have scored just three goals in the first half of Premier League games this season, fewer than any other side in the division.
Moyes’ men have been behind at half-time in seven of their games so far in this Premier League campaign; the most in the division along with Bournemouth.
Prediction
Goals could be at a premium in this London derby, despite the attacking boost that any minutes Paqueta was able to play would give the hosts.
Both sides are fundamentally solid in defence with the Hammers’ midfield potentially holding the edge in terms of how much further protection they can provide.
Unbeaten in their past four Premier League games against the Eagles and with more rest than they have become accustomed to, West Ham could ensure they grab a fourth home win on the bounce.
But there may not be many goals flying in at London Stadium with West Ham grinding out a win to nil looking favourable, given Palace have failed to score in their last three away games.
A third Hammers clean sheet in their fourth home league game of the autumn is available to back at 7/5 at LiveScore Bet.
