West Ham United v Crystal Palace
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 20 September 2025, 3pm BST
Callum Wilson makes his full West Ham United debut and Alphonse Areola makes his 100th Premier League appearance in Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace at London Stadium.
The England international’s inclusion is one of two changes from the team which started last weekend’s derby with Tottenham Hotspur, with Areola recalled in goal by Head Coach Graham Potter.
Wilson replaces the suspended Tomáš Souček, who serves the first game of a three-match ban after being sent-off against Spurs.
The striker will lead the forward line, with Lucas Paquetá likely to move into a midfield role after playing up front a week ago.
Areola replaces Mads Hermansen between the sticks and makes the 100th Premier League appearance of his career and his 64th for West Ham. The other 36 were made for Fulham in 2020/21.
The France international has kept two clean sheets in four career appearances against Crystal Palace, one for Fulham in February 2021 and the second in the Hammers’ 2-0 win at Selhurst Park in August last year.
The back four remains the same as lined up against Tottenham, with Kyle Walker-Peters at right-back, El Hadji Malick Diouf at left-back and Dinos Mavropanos partnering Maximilian Kilman in the centre.
The midfield will see Paquetá – West Ham’s leading scorer this season with three goals – line up alongside James Ward-Prowse and Mateus Fernandes.
Ward-Prowse faces Crystal Palace for the 27th time in his career – more than he has faced any other opponent. He has enjoyed eleven victories over the Eagles, scored three goals and assisted three more.
Captain Jarrod Bowen will patrol the right wing, with Crysencio Summerville on the left and Wilson playing through the middle.
Bowen scored in the aforementioned 2-0 win at Selhurst Park last season, and also registered an assist in a 3-2 away victory over the Eagles in January 2021, when his corner was headed in by Craig Dawson.
Wilson has faced Crystal Palace 16 times in his career for AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United, scoring three goals and registering three assists.
Hermansen is named on the substitutes’ bench alongside defenders Igor Julio, Jean-Clair Todibo and Ollie Scarles, midfielders Soungoutou Magassa, Guido Rodríguez, Andy Irving and Luis Guilherme, and forward Niclas Füllkrug.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka misses the game due to a stomach problem.
West Ham United: Areola, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Diouf, Ward-Prowse, Fernandes, Paquetá, Bowen ©, Summerville, Wilson
Subs: Hermansen (GK), Igor, Todibo, Scarles, Magassa, Rodríguez, Irving, Luis Guilherme, Füllkrug
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Munoz, Lacroix, Guehi, Richards, Mitchell, Wharton, Hughes, Kamada, Pino, Mateta
Subs: Matthews (GK), Clyne, Sosa, Canvot, Lerma, Devenny, Uche, Cardines, Nketiah
Referee: Tony Harrington
