West Ham United v Crystal Palace
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 20 September 2025, 3pm BST
West Ham United host a London derby for the third time in our opening three home Premier League fixtures, with FA Cup and FA Community Shield holders Crystal Palace the visitors on Saturday afternoon.
The Hammers will be seeking an improved performance and result when the Eagles visit London Stadium, having come up short against Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the opening two top-flight games in E20.
The Eagles remain unbeaten this season, having conceded just one Premier League goal and defeated local rivals Millwall to reach the Carabao Cup fourth round in midweek.
With Palace also managed by former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner, whose German team denied the Irons a place in the 2022 UEFA Europa League final, there is plenty of incentive for Graham Potter and his players to return to winning ways, but the south Londoners will be a tough nut to crack.
Here is all the essential pre-match information you need ahead of Saturday's East versus South clash in Stratford...
Tickets…
Tickets have sold out, but you can still be there as Season Ticket Holders who cannot attend relist their seats for other supporters to buy.
Click HERE to check availability, with prices starting at £35 Adults and £26 Concessions.
Supporters are urged to arrive early at London Stadium on Saturday as security and ticket checks will be in place at all entry points.
Travel…
There are minimal planned disruptions to TfL Underground services on the Piccadilly, Waterloo & City, though the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Elizabeth line, are scheduled to run as normal. Supporters using these services are highly recommended to check their routes before departure.
On Greater Anglia mainline services, speed restrictions will be in place between Shenfield and Southend Victoria, meaning journey times will be longer than normal. Elsewhere, buses replace trains between Ipswich/Harwich Town and Colchester and between Cambridge North and Audley End.
c2c and Southeastern services will run as normal.
Stratford and Stratford City Bus Stations are located in close proximity to Stratford Station. Buses that run to these stations are numbers: 25, 86, 97, 104, 108, 158, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 425, 473, D8.
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.
There is no parking available at London Stadium. Restrictions will be in place and enforced in the local area.
How To Follow…
Saturday’s 3pm kick-off will not be broadcast live in the UK. If you live outside the UK, click HERE for details of Premier League listings in your territory.
You can follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app, and across our social media channels. We will also have a match report, highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle on our website and social media.
Live audio commentary will be available in the UK on BBC Radio London, and worldwide on our official website and app.
We Are West Ham. United...
West Ham United has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. Equality, equity, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the Club and we are committed to ensuring that everyone feels welcome to attend our fixtures in a safe environment.
Any form of discriminatory behaviour or chanting is unacceptable; it has no place in football and has serious criminal consequences. West Ham United will take the strongest possible action against any individual found to be engaging in such behaviour, including potential lifetime bans and referral to the police.
The Club can also face disciplinary action if any of its supporters are found to have engaged in this behaviour, which is not representative of the West Ham United fanbase and will not be tolerated by the Club.
West Ham United provides a number of support mechanisms on matchday to ensure that supporters can report any incidents discreetly and in confidence. To report any incidents during a match, you can speak with the nearest steward or Supporter Liaison Officer, or text our new reporting number on 07701 401966.
You can also contact West Ham United at [email protected]. Please provide as much information as possible, including the stand, row, seat number, description of the offender and incident.
We believe that the overwhelming majority of West Ham United supporters share these values and will work with us to continue to protect the Club’s status as an equity leader in the Premier League, a position recognised and acknowledged through our award and continuous retention of the Advanced level Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard - the League’s highest accolade attainable in this area. Anyone attending matches who does not share these values, does not share the diverse and inclusive values that West Ham United and our community stand for.
View our Supporter Conduct Charter for more information by clicking HERE.
Matchday Information...
West Ham United would like to make supporters aware that enhanced security measures will be in place for Saturday’s match against Crystal Palace. This includes additional checks at turnstiles, restrictions on half-and-half scarves or items illustrating the colours/crests of both clubs and steps to ensure home areas remain for West Ham United fans only.
We would like to kindly ask all supporters for patience when entering the stadium to allow our staff to perform these checks, especially during the busiest times in the 45 minutes ahead of kick-off.
Supporters can read the full guidance, including how to report issues on a matchday, by clicking HERE.
Official Programme…
Up to an incredible 132 pages for the whole of the fresh campaign, the publication remains the largest in English football, while once again each Premier League issue also comes with an eight-page pullout, complete with an eye-catching poster, a competitions page and plenty of games for our younger Hammers.
Our fourth issue of the season is led by an extensive interview with summer signing Callum Wilson, who discusses his rise from non-league to Premier League, his ambition to score 100 Premier League goals, to make his mark in a West Ham shirt and targeting a return to the England squad.
We have Jarrod Bowen’s captain’s column and words from Head Coach Graham Potter, exciting new features with the skipper and Kyle Walker-Peters, a chat with MasterChef: The Professionals winner Alex Webb and West Ham fan Jo Jarvie, and the third instalment of Steve Blowers’ new series marking 40 years since the success of 1985/86, in which he speaks to former Irons midfielder Geoff Pike.
Click HERE to purchase your copy!
Team News…
Boss Graham Potter will be without Tomáš Souček, as the Czechia midfielder begins a three-match ban for the red card he was shown in last weekend's defeat by Spurs. Otherwise, Potter has a full squad to choose from.
Opposition…
If you had told a Crystal Palace supporter on New Year’s Day what their club would achieve in 2025, they would surely not have believed you.
The Eagles began the year 15th in the Premier League table and out of the Carabao Cup, having been defeated by Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
Under Austrian manager Oliver Glasner, however, the south London club hit top form, winning nine and losing just four of their final 19 matches to finish 12th, just two points behind AFC Bournemouth in ninth.
It was in the FA Cup, though, that the real magic happened, as Palace defeated Stockport County, Doncaster Rovers, Millwall, Fulham and Aston Villa to set up a final showdown with Manchester City.
Despite their upturn in form, Palace were considered outsiders against Pep Guardiola’s side, but Eberechi Eze’s first-half goal at Wembley Stadium secured an historic win, the club’s first major trophy and a place in Europe.
Three months later, Palace returned to the Home of Football to take on Premier League champions Liverpool in the FA Community Shield. Again they were outsiders and again they won, this time on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw.
The elation was reduced slightly when Palace were demoted from the UEFA Europa League league phase to UEFA Conference League play-off round due to an administrative issue, but an aggregate win over Norwegian Cup winners Fredrikstad means they will play at least six more matches in continental competition.
The elation was reduced further when Eze was sold to Arsenal, then rekindled when captain Marc Guéhi’s proposed transfer to Liverpool collapsed, and Palace supporters will still no doubt enjoy their 2025/26 campaign regardless.
Despite losing one of their best players, Palace’s future looks assured under the ownership of American businessmen Woody Johnson, Hosh Harris and David Blitzer, who have a proven track record of running American sports teams, while long-serving Chairman and lifelong fan Steve Parish continues to provide passionate leadership.
As the only Premier League club in south London, a strong Academy and a large catchment area, the potential for Palace to continue to grow on and off the pitch is huge.
For now, though, the Holmesdale Fanatics and their fellow fans have a European tour to embark on, two trophies to put on display and a team they can be proud of..
Previous Meetings…
West Ham and Crystal Palace have met 70 times in all competitions to date.
The Hammers edge the overall head-to-head record, with 26 wins to Crystal Palace’s 20, including the 2-0 win secured by Tomáš Souček and Jarrod Bowen goals at Selhurst Park at the end of August last year, in addition to 24 draws.
However, the Eagles boast a good run of form when visiting east London, having lost only two out of their nine Premier League fixtures at London Stadium, with our last home win against Palace coming in December 2018 when Robert Snodgrass, Javier Hernández and Felipe Anderson netted in a frantic 3-2 win.
Palace won this fixture last season, with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring both goals for the Eagles in a 2-0 win in January.
The Irons’ record win over Crystal Palace came back in March 1923, when we were 5-1 victors on the road..
Match Officials…
Referee: Tony Harrington
Assistant Referees: Steven Meredith and Alex James
Fourth Official: Michael Salisbury
VAR: Nick Hopton
Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis
Tony Harrington has been confirmed as the referee for West Ham United’s Premier League derby with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
One of the newest top-flight referees, who was promoted to Select Group One ahead of the 2021/22 season, Harrington takes the whistle for his fourth Hammers fixture and first this season.
Harrington refereed West Ham twice last season. The first was the opening-day home fixture against Aston Villa last August, and the second a 1-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 1 April this year.
Prior to that, Harrington refereed our 2-1 top-flight win at Wolves in April 2024. He has also taken charge of four Crystal Palace fixtures since first refereeing in the Premier League in December 2021.
In all, Hartlepool-based Harrington has refereed 38 Premier League matches, in addition to 199 in the EFL Championship.
He took charge of two Wembley finals in the space of a week in May 2021. First, he officiated the FA Trophy final between Hereford and Hornchurch, then he returned for Blackpool's League Two Play-Off final victory over Lincoln City.
Assistant Steven Meredith has huge experience, having run the line in nearly 400 senior matches, including 75 in the Premier League and over 250 in the EFL.
On the opposite touchline, Alex James makes his Premier League debut as an assistant, having ascended all the way from the National League. He has assisted 127 EFL matches in between, including Carlisle United’s League Two Play-Off final win over Stockport County at Wembley Stadium in 2023.
The fourth official will be former PE teacher Michael Salisbury, who has been part of the Select Group of Referees since the 2022/23 season. Lancastrian Salisbury has officiated matches in the Premier League, EFL and Carabao Cup already this term.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties will be overseen by Nick Hopton. An experienced VAR, Hopton has been at Stockley Park for 40 Premier League matches, including West Ham’s 1-0 win at Arsenal last season.
He will be assisted by Sian Massey-Ellis. One of England’s highest-profile female match officials, Massey-Ellis has been an assistant referee for matches in the Premier League and EFL, UEFA Women's Champions League, FIFA Women's World Cup and UEFA Europa League The 39-year-old was Assistant VAR in last season’s Carabao Cup final between Newcastle United and Liverpool.
