West Ham 0 Crystal Palace 2: Toothless ten-man Hammers fail to muster shot on target as Mateta seals all three points
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Sponsored by. JEAN-PHILIPPE MATETA showed West Ham exactly what they are missing. The Crystal Palace striker made it four goals in his last three games to condemn Graham Potter to a first Premier League defeat as manager. One superb powerful finish and a late penalty squeezed under Lukasz Fabianski were the difference against a side desperately short of attacking clout.
![[Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates scoring a goal.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/960a19c4-6615-4a51-bf7e-e99d483a8988.jpg?strip=all&w=713)
Potter has his first three choices at striker sidelined at West Ham, as they desperately search for help this month. But Mateta looks supremely confident – giving Oliver Glasner no such worries. In tight, tedious games like this – a big man up top can make all the difference.
![[Soccer player in yellow kicking the ball past defenders.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-crystal-palaces-jean-philippe-964702146.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
West Ham did not have a single shot on target and also saw Konstantinos Mavropanos sent off. Potter claimed his first victory as West Ham manager on Tuesday, but shifted things around from midweek – to little effect. After the most complete performance of his Hammers career, Carlos Soler could only make the bench follow a knock.
![[Konstantinos Mavropanos of West Ham United leaving the pitch.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-west-ham-uniteds-konstantinos-964709834.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
That left the Hammers with Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta as their only two attacking options on the pitch as they moved to a back five to match up their visitors. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS. Danny Ings had made a good impact from the bench against Fulham, but has not played 90 minutes all season and remained amongst the substitutes.
![[Jean-Philippe Mateta taking a penalty kick.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/crystal-palaces-jean-philippe-mateta-964709940.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
While Paqueta and Kudus were combining well at times, West Ham were extremely limited across a drab first half. Palace were not much better, though crafted the only real chance of the first 45 minutes, when Lukasz Fabianski saved from Mateta’s first time shot at his near post.
![[Graham Potter, West Ham United head coach.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/120-images-no-video-emulation-964707237.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
