East London rivals West Ham and Crystal Palace have had contrasting type heading into their fixture on Saturday.
A 3rd house London derby in simply the fifth league sport of the season might be not what West Ham would have wished proper now, as they’ve thus far been a bit too hospitable when the neighbours have popped spherical this season.
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The Hammers’ defensive generosity noticed them ship a mixed complete of eight targets when internet hosting and – add that to the three they let in at on the opening day of the season, and it’s no shock they’ve conceded probably the most targets within the 2025-26 Premier League thus far.
However the worrying factor for the Hammers, who spent near £100m on defensive gamers over the summer season, isn’t just the overall, it’s the method through which they’ve conceded these 11 targets, which have come regardless of them having an xG of simply 5.5.
Six targets have been let in from corners, which is twice as many as some other top-flight staff have allowed, and solely two fewer than West Ham conceded from corners in the entire of final season.
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The London Stadium trustworthy have seen 9 targets this season, however just one has been scored by their staff. They haven’t witnessed a house win since February so it’s no shock persistence is carrying skinny with head coach Graham Potter, who has now misplaced 11 of his 22 league video games at West Ham.
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Crystal Palace warmed up for this derby encounter with a match-up towards one other native rival, seeing off in an EFL Cup penalty shootout in midweek.
It was a sixteenth match unbeaten for the Eagles, who’re additionally on the present longest unbeaten run within the Premier League, a stretch of 10 video games. It’s their greatest such streak within the prime flight since 1990.
They haven’t misplaced on their previous six visits to West Ham, and have misplaced simply two of their final 17 away Premier League matches, maintaining 9 clear sheets of their final 15 on the highway. Their one league aim conceded thus far this season is matched solely by and Tottenham.
That pragmatic strategy could clarify why they’ve had 12 0-0 attracts within the Premier League for the reason that begin of 2022-23, at the least two greater than some other staff in that point.
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However Palace followers is not going to care a few lack of targets – they’ve come a good distance prior to now 12 months. Eleven months in the past they have been within the relegation zone and and not using a win within the league, however two trophies since then have turned Oliver Glasner from a supervisor below strain right into a membership hero.