AFCON 2025
Crystal Palace secured a 2-0 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday, with Jean-Philippe Mateta netting both goals in the second half.
The first half was uneventful, with limited goal-scoring opportunities for both sides. However, just three minutes into the second half, Palace launched a swift counter-attack from their own box.
Eberechi Eze delivered a precise pass to Mateta, who advanced and struck a low shot past goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to open the scoring.
West Ham’s situation worsened in the 80th minute when defender Konstantinos Mavropanos received a second yellow card for a high boot to Mateta’s face, reducing the hosts to ten men. Shortly after, Fabianski fouled Eddie Nketiah in the box, leading to a penalty. Mateta stepped up and converted the spot-kick, sealing the 2-0 win for Palace.
This victory propels Crystal Palace to 12th place in the Premier League standings with 27 points from 22 games, while West Ham drops to 14th with 26 points.
The win marks an end to Palace’s winless streak in London derbies, their first since defeating West Ham in November 2022. Additionally, Palace extended their unbeaten away run to seven matches, showcasing their resilience on the road.
