Gabby Agbonlahor predicts result of West Ham United showdown with Crystal Palace for talkSPORT

Sat 2 December 2023 10:10, UK

Gabby Agbonlahor has predicted that West Ham United’s four-match winning run in all competitions will come to an end when they face Crystal Palace on Sunday 3 December.

The talkSPORT pundit believes that David Moyes’ side will be unable to build upon their Europa League win over TSC Backa Topola and will taste defeat against Roy Hodgson’s team, predicting that Crystal Palace will come away 1-0 winners.

Palace have only won one of their last six Premier League matches and travel to the London Stadium off of the back of back-to-back defeats, but Agbonlahor believes the return of Michael Olise will give the away side enough to claim all three points.

“Crystal Palace are a different animal with Olise!” 🔥

“Manchester City are putting teams to the sword” 😬

Gabby Agbonlahor is here with his Premier League predictions for the key matches. ⚽️

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Speaking on talkSPORT’s Twitter account (30 November) he said: “West Ham vs Crystal Palace, Olise’s back and they’ll be a different animal Crystal Palace, they’ll be harder to beat.

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“I think I’m going to go Crystal Palace on this one, I feel like they’ve got enough to start hurting teams again, I’m, going to go 1-0 to Crystal Palace.”

Chance to build

While performances have left a lot to be desired in recent weeks, West Ham have managed to find ways to win matches both in the Premier League and Europe and they will be hoping that they can do the same again against Crystal Palace.

Hodgson’s side have been in miserable form in recent weeks and look set to be without Eberechi Eze and Cheick Doucoure after both players picked up injuries during the Eagles’ defeat to Luton Town at Kenilworth Road last time out.

Moyes may well have his own injury problems to contend with after Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio all missed the Hammers’ trip to TSC and without that attacking trio in their side the Irons could well lack some firepower against Palace.

But if the Irons want to finish in the European places again this season, these are the sort of games that they have to win, especially considering Palace’s recent miserable form. Anything less than three points will see Moyes and his side come in for criticism, especially if the performance is poor once again.

In other West Ham news, recent comments from Konstantinos Mavropanos may have increased the pressure on Moyes