West Ham held to draw at Crystal Palace as Wolves suffer relegation

The Hammers' draw at Selhurst Park has given Tottenham a glimmer of hope in their own battle against the drop, with West Ham now just two points ahead of their London rivals. West Ham had chances to win the game, with Taty Castellanos' acrobatic effort cleared off the line by Maxence Lacroix, while Dean Henderson made a fine save to deny Konstantinos Mavropanos. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten run to four games and moved up to 13th in the table. The result means West Ham face a tough run of fixtures, including games against Everton, Brentford, Arsenal, Newcastle, and Leeds, while Tottenham will look to take advantage of their upcoming match against already-relegated Wolves. West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen acknowledged that the draw was a mixed result, saying: 'It's probably a bit of both. Palace are really good at home and on a high after getting into a European semi-final. We knew it was going to be really difficult and that we'd have to defend really well.' Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton felt the draw was a 'tiny opportunity missed' for the Hammers, adding: 'They had enough opportunities in the penalty area to get that goal.' West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo remained positive, saying: 'We performed well. We were organised and compact. Tough match. Our offensive process, the combinations didn't quite go – the final ball, the final touch.' Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner was pleased with his side's response to their European exertions, saying: 'Maybe they were expecting us to be a little bit fatigued and not focused, and I told the players, 'It's you who have to give the answer'. I think, yes, they showed it.' The result sets up a crucial weekend in the Premier League, with West Ham facing Everton and Tottenham taking on Wolves. The Hammers will be hoping to avoid a repeat of their recent struggles against top-half teams, having won just once against sides currently in the top half of the table this season.