Potter demands home improvements from West Ham after tough stretch

Graham Potter is hoping West Ham United can rediscover their winning form on home soil as the under-pressure Hammers boss prepares to face Crystal Palace this Saturday. 

Potter watched on as his West Ham team were thumped 3-0 by London rivals Tottenham, in a game that also saw midfielder Tomas Soucek receive a straight red card. 

Indeed, West Ham's three defeats in the Premier League this season have all been by a 3+ goal margin after, the joint earliest a side has lost three games by a 3+ goal margin in a season in the competition, level with Bournemouth in 2022-23.

The home supporters made their feelings known even before full-time, with the London Stadium home to thousands of empty seats before Jarred Gillett blew the final whistle. 

West Ham have now lost both of their opening two home Premier League games for the third time in the last four seasons (also 2022-23 and 2024-25). It's the eighth time they've done so overall, three more than any other side, but Potter was keen to focus on the positives. 

"I think it's tough, it is," Potter said. "The home form here hasn't been good for a period of time. So that's something we have to admit to and try to change.

"The only way we can do it is to focus on the positive things. Cry's [Summerville] performance, I think was good considering it was his first game.

"I think him and Malik [Diouf] had a really good combination down the left. I thought Kyle [Walker-Peters] and Jaz [Bowen] combined well on the right.

"Mateus [Fernandes] and Lucas [Paqueta] linked well in the first half.

"Because of how the second half went everything feels negative, but I think we have to focus on the positives from the first half."

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, were involved in EFL Cup action in midweek, needing penalties to edge past Championship side Millwall 4-2 following a 1-1 draw in normal time. 

Oliver Glasner named a much changed line-up from their goalless draw with Sunderland in their last league fixture, with Romain Esse starting against his former club. 

But in a game where Esse was looking to prove himself, he was replaced at half-time by Christantus Uche, with Glasner frustrated by the youngster's decision-making. 

It is not the first time the Palace boss has reacted sharply towards Esse, having brought the forward on for the final 10 minutes on the last day of the 2024-25 season away to Liverpool, only to withdraw him in stoppage time. 

"If you sub somebody at half-time, then you are not pleased with his performance. You have to perform, it's simple," Glasner said. 

"Football is not so difficult. When you get your chance, you must perform and show that you can help the team win a game.

"If I have a feeling that a player can help the team win a game, he will get many minutes.

"If I have the feeling a player does not help the team win a game, he does not get many minutes.

"It's up to him. He's a nice guy and I like him as a person, but I'm no priest. I'm not getting paid to be a nice person, I'm getting paid to win games. It's up to the player to improve.

"He reacted well. I don't want to talk about Romain the whole time, I will talk to him in person. It's up to him to show, let’s see."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

West Ham – Callum Wilson

Wilson got his West Ham career up and running with a goal in their surprise 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, and he will be full of confidence ahead of facing one of his more favoured opposition in the Premier League. 

Indeed, the 33-year-old has been involved in five top-flight goals across his last five starts against Palace (three goals, two assists), though he has not started against the Eagles in the competition since October 2023. 

Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta

But Palace also have a striker who loves playing against West Ham in Mateta, though he comes into the clash with just one goal to his name in the Premier League this season. 

The Frenchman has scored four goals in his last three Premier League appearances against West Ham. He has also scored each of Palace's last four league goals against the Hammers. Only Wilfried Zaha (five) has scored more goals for Palace against West Ham in the competition.

MATCH PREDICTION: CRYSTAL PALACE WIN

Palace are unbeaten in their last six Premier League visits to the London Stadium (W3 D3), and could win back-to-back away games at West Ham in the competition for the first time since February 2015.

Glasner's team have also been excellent on the road. The Eagles have lost just two of their last 17 away Premier League matches (W8 D7), keeping nine clean sheets in their previous 15 away from Selhurst Park. Their previous nine away clean sheets beforehand came over a spell of 51 games.

Palace are also one of two sides in the Premier League this season, along with Liverpool, yet to trail so far this campaign. Since Glasner's first league game in charge in February 2024, only Arsenal (24) and Manchester City (21) have more clean sheets than the Eagles (19). 

West Ham, meanwhile, are in need of a win at home. They are winless in their last seven home Premier League games (D3 L4), losing each of their last three by an aggregate score of 2-10. The Hammers last lost four in a row in Manuel Pellegrini's final four home league games in charge between November and December 2019.

And their struggles have been in defence. West Ham have conceded 3+ goals in three of their four Premier League games so far. Only two sides have done so in four of their first five games of the campaign in the competition before – Everton in 2024-25 and the Hammers in 2010-11. 

West Ham also have the biggest underperformance between their expected goals against (xGA) (5.5) and goals conceded (11) in the Premier League this season (-5.5), while the Hammers have failed to win any of their last 24 league games when conceding first (D6 L18).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

West Ham – 27.2%

Draw – 23.9%

Crystal Palace – 48.9%