Jarrod Bowen in action against Crystal Palace

Match Report | West Ham's home discomfort continues

West Ham United 1-2 Crystal Palace
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 20 September 2025, 3pm BST

 

Oliver Glasner returned to haunt West Ham United again as his Crystal Palace side ran out 2-1 Premier League winners at London Stadium on Saturday.

The Austrian coach, whose Eintracht Frankfurt side defeated the Hammers in the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League semi-finals, saw his Eagles continue their unbeaten start to the season in Stratford.

A first-half header from Jean-Philippe Mateta and second-half volley from Tyrick Mitchell were enough to see off the Irons and render Jarrod Bowen’s equaliser nothing more than a consolation goal. 

A third straight home defeat leaves Graham Potter’s side in the bottom three ahead of a trip to face David Moyes’ Everton a week on Monday.

In truth, West Ham created next to nothing in the first half, with the hosts’ sole goal attempt seeing Dinos Mavropanos’s header from a James Ward-Prowse corner saved by Dean Henderson.

That corner was won following a burst down the left from Crysencio Summerville, whose direct dribbling looked the most likely way to break down Crystal Palace’s solid defence.

Another raid from the Dutchman created a chance for Callum Wilson on the stroke of half-time, only for the striker to delay his shot and lose possession to Yéremy Pino.

In between, the Eagles won seven corners of their own and scored from the sixth of them.

Daichi Kamada saw one delivery tipped over by Alphonse Areola and a follow-up shot from Pina blocked by Wilson inside the opening ten minutes.

Palace settled into their preferred and efficient playing style of ceding possession and then aggressively and quickly getting into the final third when they win the ball back, and it paid dividends.

First, Marc Guéhi, Daniel Muñoz and Pino combined to set up Kamada, who headed a yard past the far post, then Adam Wharton saw a shot blocked, then Palace scored.

Pino’s volley bounced behind off Kyle Walker-Peters’ shoulder, Kamada delivered, Guéhi headed down, the ball bounced off Maximilian Kilman’s back, hit and the crossbar and dropped for Mateta to head in from close range.

There was still time for Muñoz to head over from his team’s seventh corner and Wilson to miss an opportunity to level, with Pino injuring his ankle making the tackle to stop West Ham’s No9.

Palace won their eighth corner a minute into the second half and hit the crossbar again, this time through Maxime Lacroix’s powerful header, and fortunately this time the ball dropped to safety.

Within three minutes, West Ham levelled from a fourth corner of our own. Bowen won the set piece, Diouf delivered and the unmarked captain guided his header through the bodies and inside the far post.

Having levelled, the home side’s general play improved immediately. Ward-Prowse saw a deflected shot held by Henderson, who then scrambled Bowen’s low strike around the near post and punched Muñoz’s wayward header out from under his own crossbar.

Richards then cleared Paquetá’s header, Henderson held Walker-Peters’ shot and the right-back headed past the post as the Irons continued to press.

At the other end, the Eagles’ threat from set pieces remained as Mateta headed Wharton’s free-kick over.

But it was from open play that the Eagles retook the lead. Wharton crossed, Mavropanos headed up rather than out under pressure from Kamada and Mitchell lashed the dropping ball past Areola.

Palace then took control, with Mavropanos blocking Muñoz’s shot, Areola saving Jefferson Lerma’s low strike and Mitchell, Lerma and Justin Devenny all firing over.

West Ham were unable to fashion a second equaliser in the seven added minutes and the final whistle signalled another disappointing matchday in East London.

 

West Ham United: Areola, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Diouf, Ward-Prowse, Fernandes (Magassa 78), Paquetá, Bowen ©, Summerville (Luis Guilherme 78), Wilson (Füllkrug 59)
Subs not used: Hermansen (GK), Igor, Todibo, Scarles, Rodríguez, Irving

Goal: Bowen 49

Booked: Kilman, Diouf
 

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Muñoz, Lacroix, Guehi, Richards, Mitchell, Wharton (Nketiah 75), Hughes (Lerma 65), Kamada, Pino (Devenny HT), Mateta
Subs not used: Matthews (GK), Clyne, Sosa, Canvot, Uche, Cardines

Goals: Mateta 37, Mitchell 68

Booked: Mitchell, Lerma, Henderson

 

Referee: Tony Harrington

Attendance: 62,455

 

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