Crystal Palace defeated West Ham in a seven-goal thriller to surpass the 40-point plateau desired by manager Roy Hodgson and put the Hammers in danger of relegation.
Since taking over management of Palace again last month, the former England manager Hodgson has guided the Eagles to four victories in six games, putting them 11 points clear of the bottom three and almost surely on their way to safety.
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Due to a problem with the turnstiles, kickoff in south London was delayed by 15 minutes; nonetheless, once the game began, there was no lack of action.
Although Tomas Soucek gave West Ham an early advantage for failing to clear a corner, Michael Olise, Palace turned the game in their favor with three goals in an impressive 15-minute span.
Within six minutes, Wilfried Zaha scored off an assist from Eberechi Eze’s pass across the six-yard box, and Jeffrey Schlupp added a third after dispossessing Soucek. Jordan Ayew then equalized with a first-time goal at the end of a smooth play.
Crystal Palace destroy Leeds to boost survival bid
When West Ham once more took advantage of a corner, Michail Antonio headed in at the back post to cut the deficit before halftime, adding another twist to an excellent first half.
Nayef Aguerd was found to have fouled Eze in the penalty area midway through the second half, restoring Palace’s two-goal lead. However, the Hammers defender made amends when the visitors recovered with a shaky third goal from yet another set-piece.
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West Ham, who still have five games left, are still five points above the relegation zone despite David Moyes’ team’s inability to score a late equalizer to improve their chances of avoiding the drop.
