Rice

Team News: Rice hits landmark, as Emerson and Fornals recalled

Declan Rice is set to make his 200th Premier League appearance as West Ham United make two changes for our trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime.

Emerson and Pablo Fornals are recalled to the starting XI, with the Hammers otherwise unchanged from the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday evening. 

As a result, Aaron Cresswell and Saïd Benrahma drop to the bench, with the skipper set to bring up a memorable milestone.

Rice will become the ninth youngest player to reach 200 Premier League games and becomes only the sixth Hammer to reach the landmark.

Things have happened so quickly but it’s amazing to reach 200 Premier League appearances!
Declan Rice

Looking for three straight away wins over the Eagles, Łukasz Fabiański retains his spot between the sticks, with Emerson the only change to a settled back four.

Alongside the Italy full-back, Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, and Vladimír Coufal seek the Hammers' straight Premier League clean sheet on their travels following a 4-0 win at AFC Bournemouth and a 1-0 victory at Fulham.

Skipper Rice is joined by Tomáš Souček and Lucas Paquetá in midfield. The Brazil creator could net for the fourth consecutive game having struck against KAA Gent, AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool.

Pablo Fornals, meanwhile, makes his first Premier League start since our win at Craven Cottage in early April and is joined by Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio in attack. The No9, West Ham’s all-time Premier League top-scorer, seeks his 13th goal in all competitions this season.

Pablo Fornals

Alphonse Areola leads a strong substitutes’ bench in south London, one that also seats Cresswell, Benrahma, Maxwel Cornet and Flynn Downes.

Scorer of a brace on West Ham’s last visit to Selhurst Park on New Year’s Day 2022, Manuel Lanzini is also included in the matchday squad alongside Angelo Ogbonna, Danny Ings and Thilo Kehrer.

 

Crystal Palace: Johnstone, Mitchell, Guéhi, Andersen, Ward, Schlupp, Doucouré, Eze, Ofise, Zaha, Ayew
Subs: Guaita (GK), Milivojevic, Tomkins, Lokanga, Mateta, Hughes, Édouard, Richards, Riedewald



West Ham United: Fabiański, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson, Souček, Rice ©, Paquetá, Bowen, Antonio, Fornals
Subs: Areola (GK), Cresswell, Lanzini, Downes, Cornet, Ings, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Kehrer


Referee: Craig Pawson

 

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