Graham Potter is calling for improved home performances from West Ham after a series of disappointing results. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, are preparing for the match with Oliver Glasner demanding more from his players. Palace are predicted to win the upcoming match.
West Ham United manager Graham Potter has called for significant improvements in the team's home form as he faces mounting pressure. The Hammers are set to host Crystal Palace this Saturday, and Potter is desperate to turn things around at the London Stadium.
The urgency follows a disheartening 3-0 defeat to London rivals Tottenham, a match compounded by a straight red card issued to midfielder Tomas Soucek. This loss highlighted a troubling trend for West Ham, who have suffered three Premier League defeats this season by a margin of three or more goals. This unfortunate record is matched only by Bournemouth in the 2022-23 season, marking the earliest point in a campaign where a team has endured such heavy losses.
The home crowd's discontent was palpable well before the final whistle, with swathes of empty seats visible as the game drew to a close. This season, West Ham has lost both of their opening two home Premier League games for the third time in the last four seasons (also 2022-23 and 2024-25). It’s the eighth time they’ve done so overall, three more than any other side. Despite the bleak situation, Potter remains focused on identifying and building on the team's positive aspects.
"I think it’s tough, it is," Potter acknowledged. "The home form here hasn’t been good for a period of time. So that’s something we have to admit to and try to change."
He emphasized the importance of focusing on the positives, citing specific player performances as examples. "The only way we can do it is to focus on the positive things. Cry’s [Summerville] performance, I think was good considering it was his first game. I think him and Malik [Diouf] had a really good combination down the left. I thought Kyle [Walker-Peters] and Jaz [Bowen] combined well on the right. Mateus [Fernandes] and Lucas [Paqueta] linked well in the first half."
Potter conceded that the negative outcome of the second half overshadowed the positives, but he insisted on the need to build on the promising moments from the first half.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace prepared for the upcoming match with a midweek EFL Cup tie, where they edged past Championship side Millwall 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Manager Oliver Glasner opted for a much-changed lineup from their previous goalless league draw against Sunderland, giving Romain Esse a start against his former club.
However, Esse's performance failed to impress, and he was substituted at half-time by Christantus Uche, with Glasner expressing frustration over the youngster's decision-making. This isn't the first instance of Glasner's sharp reaction towards Esse, having previously substituted him in stoppage time during the final game of the 2024-25 season against Liverpool.
"If you sub somebody at half-time, then you are not pleased with his performance. You have to perform, it’s simple," Glasner stated. "Football is not so difficult. When you get your chance, you must perform and show that you can help the team win a game. If I have a feeling that a player can help the team win a game, he will get many minutes. If I have the feeling a player does not help the team win a game, he does not get many minutes. It’s up to him. He’s a nice guy and I like him as a person, but I’m no priest. I’m not getting paid to be a nice person, I’m getting paid to win games. It’s up to the player to improve. He reacted well. I don’t want to talk about Romain the whole time, I will talk to him in person. It’s up to him to show, let’s see.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
West Ham – Callum Wilson
Callum Wilson made a strong start to his West Ham career with a goal in their surprising 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. He will be eager to continue his form against Crystal Palace, an opposition he has historically performed well against in the Premier League.
The 33-year-old has been involved in five top-flight goals across his last five starts against Palace (three goals, two assists), though he has not started against the Eagles in the competition since October 2023.
Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta
Crystal Palace also boasts a striker with a penchant for scoring against West Ham in Jean-Philippe Mateta, who enters the match with one Premier League goal to his name this season.
The Frenchman has scored four goals in his last three Premier League appearances against West Ham. He has also scored each of Palace’s last four league goals against the Hammers. Only Wilfried Zaha (five) has scored more goals for Palace against West Ham in the competition.
MATCH PREDICTION: CRYSTAL PALACE WIN
Palace are unbeaten in their last six Premier League visits to the London Stadium (W3 D3), and could win back-to-back away games at West Ham in the competition for the first time since February 2015.
Glasner’s team have also been excellent on the road. The Eagles have lost just two of their last 17 away Premier League matches (W8 D7), keeping nine clean sheets in their previous 15 away from Selhurst Park. Their previous nine away clean sheets beforehand came over a spell of 51 games.
Palace are also one of two sides in the Premier League this season, along with Liverpool, yet to trail so far this campaign. Since Glasner’s first league game in charge in February 2024, only Arsenal (24) and Manchester City (21) have more clean sheets than the Eagles (19).
West Ham, meanwhile, are in need of a win at home. They are winless in their last seven home Premier League games (D3 L4), losing each of their last three by an aggregate score of 2-10. The Hammers last lost four in a row in Manuel Pellegrini’s final four home league games in charge between November and December 2019.
And their struggles have been in defence. West Ham have conceded 3+ goals in three of their four Premier League games so far. Only two sides have done so in four of their first five games of the campaign in the competition before – Everton in 2024-25 and the Hammers in 2010-11.
West Ham also have the biggest underperformance between their expected goals against (xGA) (5.5) and goals conceded (11) in the Premier League this season (-5.5), while the Hammers have failed to win any of their last 24 league games when conceding first (D6 L18).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
West Ham – 27.2%
Draw – 23.9%
Crystal Palace – 48.9%
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— West Ham United (@WestHam) September 15, 2025