Last season, the Selhurst Park leg of the 2023/24 Premier League Crystal Palace vs West Ham United match was a blur.
Travelling West Ham fans could not believe what they witnessed.
Having taken over just weeks before, Oliver Glasner turned Crystal Palace into an efficient team that passed the ball around and carried it up the pitch with the precision of American Navy SEALS. At some point, it must have felt like watching Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona team from the late 2000s and it did not help that both clubs wear similar home colours.
The game ended 5 – 2. There and then, it was decided that David Moyes wouldn’t continue as West Ham manager with the announcement made later in the season.
That match is still very fresh in the Hammers’ memories and now, they could be reliving it months later as they travel to Selhurst Park once again for the first of the two clashes between both teams in the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Julen Lopetegui will be leading the Hammers this time around. It remains to be seen what the Spaniard can do against the football that we witnessed back in April 2024.
Keep reading for match ticket information, team news, match previews and predictions for the game.
Ticket information
Crystal Palace vs West Ham United tickets are already on sale online for fans of both clubs to purchase. Priority access to them will be given to registered fans of both clubs, which leaves visiting fans and football tourists who want to witness a London rivalry with only one time-saving option: purchasing their tickets from a trusted ticket reselling platform.
The tickets are available on seatsnet.com where fans go to sell their tickets for fair prices to other fans, and organisations go to sell excess tickets to cut their losses. A search for Crystal Palace vs West Ham United tickets should turn up multiple ticket options for fans who want to buy.
It is important to note that Premier League tickets sell fast on these platforms.
The game will be played on Saturday, August 24 at 3 PM UK time. It will not be broadcast live for fans at home.
Team news
Crystal Palace are yet to replace Michael Olise since his move to Germany to play under Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich. Daichi Kamada was brought in from Lazio at the behest of Oliver Glasner and is expected to fill the Frenchman’s boots at Selhurst Park, but both players have very different qualities.
This means Eberechi Eze, Palace’s other creative powerhouse, will be carrying a heavy load on his shoulders this season except Glasner can manage to unlock further facets to the game of young midfielder Adam Wharton. Both Eze and Wharton are courting interest from several clubs, however, with Eze more likely to leave the club before the important West Ham match.
West Ham, on the other hand, has already seen a bid for N’Golo Kanté turned down by Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. They could also be battling with Barcelona for the French midfield enforcer after reports emerged that Barcelona are looking to add the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner to their ranks. Seeing Kante in West Ham’s Claret and Blue would be a real experience.
The Hammers are also looking for a striker to challenge Michail Antonio while looking closely at replacing Lucas Paquetá whose betting scandal is still being investigated.
Meanwhile, Crysencio Summerville is currently in talks with the London club over a move after reports of him moving to Liverpool cooled down. Should he become a Hammer, he will join Luis Guilherme and Max Kilman as the first signings of the Julen Lopetegui era.
This is how both teams could line up come to their clash at Palace’s Selhurst Park on 24 August 2024:
West Ham United: Areola; Emerson, Kilman Zouma, Coufal; Alvarez, Souček; Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Bowen; Antonio.
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Guehi, Andersen, Richards; Mitchell, Wharton, Lerma, Muñoz; Eze, Mateta, Ayew.
Match preview
Crystal Palace vs West Ham United will be played at Selhurst Park at 3 PM UK time on 24 August. Being the first home game of the season for the Eagles, the stadium is expected to be chock-full with an atmosphere that will embolden both clubs’ players to give their all ahead of the season.
Glasner’s run from February until the end of the season came as a surprise for other Premier League managers. His style, which sees his team play with the goalkeeper positioning himself between the centre-backs, setting up a box midfield where the attacking midfielders start their runs from deep was almost novel in the league. He was able to achieve that with no prep time and now, he will have six to eight weeks of pre-season with his team before coming into the new season.
Lopetegui will also have a good pre-season with his side ahead of the match with Glasner. As a Spanish manager, the 4-3-3 is his preferred formation, which is probably why he is looking to sign Kanté. He can still achieve this with his current side but as a pragmatic manager, he will want to have as many of his best players on the pitch in a crucial away match.
The physicality will be something to watch, especially in the middle of the park where pressing monsters like Alvarez, Lerma and Souček will operate. Both Crystal Palace and West Ham have very physical defenders which means both sets of attackers have their work cut out for them.
Prediction
Both Glasner and Lopetegui are not rookies, but they are being watched by the rest of the Premier League. Their reputations precede them: Both of them are Europa League-winning coaches while Lopetegui also has a track record with the Spain national team (multiple youth tournament winner and senior team manager). Tickets are selling fast for this clash in the capital. Hurry over to the club websites or to seatsnet.com to claim yours now. The victor of this match will emerge with a slim margin of victory after 90 minutes of intense football.
Crystal Palace 2-1 West Ham United