Crystal Palace 0-2 West Ham: Jarrod Bowen on target as clinical Hammers down hosts

Two goals in the second half secured Julen Lopetegui his inaugural victory as the manager of West Ham United, as the Hammers triumphed over Crystal Palace with a score of 2-0 at Selhurst Park. This marked West Ham's first win in five encounters against their rivals.

Both teams had suffered 2-1 defeats in their opening Premier League matches, prompting the managers to seek to avoid consecutive losses.

West Ham nearly took an early lead within the first five minutes when Michail Antonio was found from a corner kick, but the Jamaican international directed his header off target.

The visitors maintained their strong start as captain Jarrod Bowen advanced down the left flank and set up Mohammed Kudus, whose shot narrowly missed the post.

Crystal Palace gradually found their rhythm and began to create opportunities, with Eberechi Eze coming close to scoring after being assisted by Adam Wharton. However, Alphonse Areola was quick to intervene and deny the forward.

As the first half progressed, Palace continued to assert themselves, and Eze once again threatened to score after receiving another pass from Wharton. This time, his curling shot struck the crossbar, leaving the teams level at halftime.

Lopetegui’s squad resumed the match in the second half with the same intensity, threatening early on through Kudus and Emerson Palmieri, although both attempts lacked a decisive final touch.

The Hammers maintained their momentum after the break, with Tomáš Souček presented a prime opportunity to give his team the lead, but he failed to connect with Antonio’s delivery into the box.

Nevertheless, the Czech midfielder soon found his moment, seizing on a loose ball in the penalty area to score in the 67th minute.

The Czech international quickly seized the opportunity to strike, capitalizing on a loose ball in the penalty area to score in the 67th minute.

Eagles manager Oliver Glasner would have expected a reaction from his squad; however, the Hammers extended their advantage just five minutes later when Bowen penetrated the box and executed a precise finish past Dean Henderson.

Palace's lackluster performance in the second half did not improve, allowing West Ham to secure a comfortable victory and earn their first three points of the season. Glasner's Eagles remain in search of their first point and will face a challenging encounter in another London derby against Chelsea next week.