A penalty from Mark Noble earned West Ham United a point against Crystal Palace, who took the lead through Christian Benteke on Tuesday night.
Below are four talking points from the London Stadium.
1. West Ham dig deep to pick up a point
A lengthy injury list forced David Moyes to do without a number of his first-team regulars for this midweek encounter, which saw Pablo Zabaleta deployed in midfield and Joao Mario and Cheikhou Kouyate in nominal wide roles. The hosts started strongly before being penned back for much of the first half, but they still went into the break on level terms after Noble’s spot-kick cancelled out Benteke’s opener.
This was far from a vintage display from West Ham, but Moyes will have been pleased with his team’s character and resolve in difficult circumstances. He will also hope to have a few more bodies available for Saturday’s visit to Brighton and Hove Albion – both in terms of current squad members returning to fitness and new signings made before the transfer window closes on Wednesday.
2. Palace lack cutting edge
Roy Hodgson’s side controlled large chunks of this encounter and finished the game with 60.5 per cent of possession, but they struggled to turn territorial dominance into scoring opportunities. Benteke’s bullet header came from a quick transition featuring a Luka Milivojevic pass and an Andros Townsend cross, but that was one of the few occasions Palace fashioned a clear-cut chance.
Wilfried Zaha is so often a source of inspiration for Hodgson’s men but was largely quite here, and while the introduction of Yohan Cabaye in the first half helped Palace keep hold of the ball, the enforced departure of Bakary Sako robbed them of attacking thrust in the final third. A draw at West Ham is a decent result, but Hodgson will perhaps be a little disappointed that his team were not able to pick up maximum points.
3. Joao Mario shows flashes of quality
This was Joao Mario’s maiden Premier League appearance after joining the Hammers on loan from Inter last week. Deployed as an inside forward in Moyes’ 3-4-2-1 formation, the Portugal international frequently cut infield onto his stronger right foot and looked to pick up possession in central areas.
Although he gave the ball away on a few occasions and was outmuscled in a couple of physical challenges, there were plenty of positives to take from Joao Mario’s performance. His passing was generally good and he also worked hard, getting back behind the line of the ball when required and ensuring West Ham kept a compact shape out of possession. Irons supporters will look forward to seeing more of the same between now and the end of the campaign.
4. Palace need more attacking options
Palace’s injury list is not quite as bad as West Ham’s, but it is telling that Hodgson has made only two substitutions in his team’s last three games – and one of those, Cabaye’s introduction for Sako here, was enforced. The former England manager clearly does not feel he has enough quality options in reserve; although recent acquisitions Jaroslaw Jach and Erdal Rakip will provide more depth at the back and in midfield, Palace still require at least two more bodies in attacking areas.
Lee Chung-yong is on the verge of departing Selhurst Park, and there is still no natural replacement for Benteke at centre-forward. With Sako limping off at the London Stadium, the Eagles’ need to go into the market on Wednesday has only been heightened.
