West Ham managed to preserve their two‑point advantage over Tottenham and keep clear of the bottom three after a goalless stalemate against Crystal Palace, a result that also sealed Wolves' relegation from the Premier League. The 0‑0 draw at Selhurst Park confirmed that the Wolves, who have spent eight seasons in the top flight, are the first club this campaign to be demoted. Tottenham endured a challenging weekend, yet the point they earned against Palace opens a narrow window for Roberto De Zerbi's side in their own survival fight as they prepare for Saturday's clash with Wolves. For the Hammers, the draw buys them another week outside the drop zone, but many observers will argue that they missed a golden opportunity, especially after seeing Nottingham Forest and Leeds United secure victories and watching Spurs make a noticeable step forward in their performance.
According to Opta, West Ham face the toughest run of fixtures among all teams battling relegation. Their remaining matches include trips to Everton, Brentford, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Leeds United – all clubs with either European ambitions or strong title‑challenging credentials. This demanding schedule means that every point earned now is crucial.
In the second half, Nuno Espírito Santo's side struggled to create a clear opening and came perilously close to conceding a late goal. A potential equaliser from Ismaila Sarr was disallowed after a review showed a handball by Palace substitute Jean‑Philippe Mateta, an incident that sparked debate over the interpretation of the law. Earlier in the first half, West Ham's Taty Castellanos produced an acrobatic effort that looked destined for the net, only to be cleared by Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.
Lacroix, who had overcome a recent injury scare to start the match, made a timely intervention after Dean Henderson's punch on a cross went awry and nearly left the goal exposed. Henderson quickly redeemed himself, producing a fine reflex save to deny Konstantinos Mavropanos, whose header from a set‑piece was too close to the keeper to be a genuine threat.
Former Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson, who has yet to find the net since his £35 million move in January, missed a clear chance to give Palace an early lead. Unmarked inside the box, he headed wide, a miss that will be remembered as a squandered opportunity.
While Palace had been celebrated for their recent triumph in Florence, where they reached the Conference League semi‑finals, Oliver Glasner's side finished the match stronger, extending their unbeaten run to four games and climbing to 13th place in the league table. The match statistics listed the starting line‑ups and substitutions for both teams, with Jaydee Canvot of Crystal Palace being named Player of the Match. West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen reflected on the result in a post‑match interview: "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. We did have some chances that on another day could go in.
We came here to win, but a point isn’t the worst thing in the world." Former Hammers striker Dean Ashton echoed a similar sentiment, suggesting that West Ham had missed a small but significant chance: "They had enough opportunities in the penalty area to get that goal. Crystal Palace away is not an easy fixture, so right now, it has to be a positive result." Nuno Espírito Santo praised his team's organization and defensive solidity, while acknowledging that the attacking combinations did not click: "Our offensive process, the combinations didn’t quite go – the final ball, the final touch. The game was very balanced. It’s a tough shape to play against.
It’s brought them a lot of success. You cannot find the gaps. They are a threat on the counter‑attacks. We were solid.
It’s going to be a fight until the end. It will go all the way, for sure.
Not only at the bottom of the table but at the top. This season has been very tight." Glasner highlighted his players' focus and determination: "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’.
It’s not important what I want, it’s the players, and I think they showed it. They gave the right answer that yes, they are focused, that they are committed, that they are really willing to work hard until the end." Sky Sports analyst Zinny Boswell warned that the true impact of this match will only be known on the final day of the season, especially if Nuno’s prediction about a tightly contested finish proves accurate. The timing of points in a relegation battle is critical; Spurs’ draw at Palace, while not a win, showed clear improvement before Brighton’s late equaliser.
Had West Ham turned the draw into a win, they would have extended their lead to four points and pushed Tottenham deeper into danger – a scenario that historically has only been survived by a handful of clubs. Looking ahead, Tottenham travel to already‑relegated Wolves, a match that could finally deliver their first league win of the calendar year and lift a heavy psychological burden. Meanwhile, West Ham face Everton, a side pushing for European competition, in a fixture that could dramatically influence the Hammers’ survival hopes.
Both games kick off at 3 pm, and the outcomes will carry immense weight in the final relegation calculations. West Ham’s upcoming schedule remains one of the most challenging in the league, with opponents that are either fighting for European spots or contending for the title. Notably, all eight of West Ham’s league victories this season have come against clubs currently positioned in the bottom half of the table, underscoring the difficulty they face when stepping up against higher‑ranked opposition. Predicting Tottenham’s performance against Wolves is speculative at best, but a win would relieve pressure on the league’s lower end and potentially shift momentum away from West Ham.
The Hammers must now hope that Spurs secure their breakthrough without jeopardising the Hammers’ own safety. In summary, the 0‑0 draw at Selhurst Park was a mixed bag for West Ham: it kept them out of the relegation zone for another week but also highlighted missed chances that could have given them a more comfortable cushion.
With Wolves already consigned to the Championship, the battle now narrows to a handful of clubs where every point, every goal, and every missed opportunity will be dissected until the season’s final whistle.