Graham Potter is eager for West Ham United to regain their winning ways at home as they prepare to face Crystal Palace this Saturday. The Hammers' recent 3-0 defeat to Tottenham highlighted their struggles, with Tomas Soucek receiving a red card. This marked West Ham's third Premier League loss by a margin of three or more goals this season, equalling Bournemouth's record from the 2022-23 season.
The atmosphere at the London Stadium was tense, with many fans leaving before the final whistle. West Ham have lost both of their opening home games in the Premier League for the third time in four seasons. This has happened eight times overall, more than any other team. Despite these setbacks, Potter remains optimistic about improving their home form.
Potter acknowledged the challenges but emphasised focusing on positives. "I think it's tough, it is," he said. He praised Cry Summerville and Malik Diouf's performance on the left and noted Kyle Walker-Peters and Jaz Bowen's effective combination on the right. Mateus Fernandes and Lucas Paqueta also linked well in the first half.
New week of work beginspic.twitter.com/cAkjCb4u2r West Ham United (@WestHam) September 15, 2025
Crystal Palace recently advanced in the EFL Cup by defeating Millwall on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Manager Oliver Glasner made several changes from their previous league match against Sunderland. Romain Esse started against his former club but was substituted at halftime due to poor decision-making, frustrating Glasner.
Glasner has been critical of Esse before, having substituted him shortly after bringing him on in a previous match against Liverpool. "If you sub somebody at half-time, then you are not pleased with his performance," Glasner stated. He stressed that players must seize their opportunities to help the team win games.
Key Players to Watch
For West Ham, Callum Wilson is a player to watch after scoring in their surprising 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Wilson has been involved in five goals in his last five starts against Crystal Palace but hasn't started against them since October 2023.
On Crystal Palace's side, Jean-Philippe Mateta enjoys playing against West Ham, having scored four goals in his last three appearances against them. Mateta has netted each of Palace's last four league goals against West Ham.
Match Prediction: Crystal Palace Win
Crystal Palace have an impressive record at the London Stadium, remaining unbeaten in their last six visits (W3 D3). They could achieve back-to-back away wins at West Ham for the first time since February 2015. Under Glasner's leadership since February 2024, only Arsenal and Manchester City have kept more clean sheets than Palace.
West Ham are desperate for a home win as they haven't won any of their last seven home league games (D3 L4). Their defensive issues are evident, conceding three or more goals in three of their four Premier League matches this season. The Hammers have also struggled when conceding first, failing to win any of their last 24 league games under such circumstances.
The Opta win probability suggests a challenging match for West Ham with only a 27.2% chance of victory compared to Crystal Palace's 48.9%. A draw stands at 23.9%, indicating that Crystal Palace are favoured to continue their strong away form against West Ham this weekend.
