Premier League basement club Crystal Palace entertain West Ham United for the first time in the top flight for over 15 years on Tuesday.
The last five meetings between these two London clubs have come in the Championship with Palace winning the 2004 playoff final. Tony Pulis knows as he prepares for his Eagles home debut that his side have only ever won three league games against the Hammers. Sam Allardyce's West Ham are one of a clutch of sides hovering three points above the relegation zone. Victory in this capital city derby will take his team up to 11th place for time being. It would be a precious time for Palace to pick up their third win of the campaign and move off the bottom. Their form, however, gives fans little festive cheer. The Hammers meanwhile ended a winless run stretching five matches with victory over Fulham at the weekend.
Team News
Eagles boss Pulis is likely to keep faith with the bulk of the side that lost at Norwich City on Saturday. That means Marouane Chamakh and Cameron Jerome are set to continue in attack. Palace captain Mile Jedinak has pledged his future to the club by signing a new three-and-a-half year contract at Selhurst Park. Big Sam meanwhile is set to start the substitutes that helped seal West Ham's home win in their last outing. Carlton Cole and Ravel Morrison are both expected to get spots in the XI. George McCartney will be rested after making his first start in a year against Fulham. Struggling striker Modibo Maiga and former Wolves winger Matt Jarvis should make way for the Hammers. Utility man Joey O'Brien will deputize again at left back with Romanian Razvan Rat sidelined. Source: BBC
Likely Line-Ups
Palace: 1 Julian Speroni, 2 Joel Ward, 19 Danny Gabbidon, 27 Damien Delaney, 21 Dean Moxey, 13 Jason Puncheon, 8 Kagisho Dikgacoi, 15 Mile Jedinak, 46 Barry Bannan, 30 Cameron Jerome, 29 Marouane Chamakh 4-4-1-1 West Ham: 22 Jussi Jaaskelainen, 20 Guy Demel, 5 James Tomkins, 19 James Collins, 17 Joey O'Brien, 15 Ravel Morrison, 16 Mark Noble, 21 Mohamed Diame, 4 Kevin Nolan, 23 Stewart Downing, 24 Carlton Cole 4-2-3-1 Got a score prediction for Palace v West Ham? Share it with us below!
Jamie Clark is a qualified Web Journalist after undergoing professional training at the University of Sheffield. A prolific and accredited sports writer, he also enjoys classic comedy, historic fiction, 80s music and heritage.
