West Ham managed to keep their two‑point advantage over Tottenham and stay clear of the relegation zone with a goalless stalemate against Crystal Palace, a result that also sealed Wolves' demotion from the Premier League after eight seasons in the top flight. The match, played at Selhurst Park, ended 0-0 and confirmed that Wolves are the first club this season to be consigned to the Championship.
Tottenham endured a challenging weekend, but the draw for West Ham keeps their survival hopes alive as they prepare for an upcoming clash with the already‑relegated Wolves on Saturday. For the Hammers, the point earned at Palace extends their stay outside the drop zone by another week, yet many observers will argue that they missed a genuine opportunity to create a larger cushion, especially after seeing Nottingham Forest and Leeds United secure victories and watching Spurs make noticeable progress in their own performance. According to Opta, West Ham now face the toughest run of fixtures among the teams fighting relegation.
Their remaining schedule includes matches against Everton, Brentford, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Leeds United – all clubs with ambitions either for European qualification or, in the case of Arsenal and Newcastle, a title challenge. This demanding itinerary means that every point earned from here on will be crucial.
In the second half, Nuno Espírito Santo's side struggled to generate a clear opening, and a late scare materialised when Ismaila Sarr appeared to have scored, only for the goal to be disallowed after a review determined that Palace substitute Jean‑Philippe Mateta had handled the ball in the build‑up. The decision left West Ham feeling the sting of a missed chance. Earlier in the first half, West Ham’s Taty Castellanos unleashed an acrobatic strike that seemed destined for the net, but Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix – who had returned from an injury concern to start the match – cleared the ball.
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson had initially mis‑timed a punch, leaving the goal wide open, but he quickly redeemed himself with a fine reflex save to deny Konstantinos Mavropanos later on. Mavropanos, who had netted twice in West Ham’s earlier win over Wolves, headed a cross that was arguably too close for the keeper to intervene safely.
Former Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson, who has yet to find the net since his £35 million transfer in January, squandered a golden opportunity to put Palace ahead. Unmarked inside the box, he headed wide of the target, a miss that could have altered the complexion of the match. Despite speculation that Palace might lose momentum after their celebrations in Florence – where they reached the Europa Conference League semi‑finals – Oliver Glasner’s side finished the game strongly, extending their unbeaten run to four matches and climbing to 13th place in the league table. The official line‑ups reflected the tactical battle: Crystal Palace fielded Dean Henderson, Luis Munoz, James Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Jaydee Canvot, Jordan Mitchell, Conor Hughes, Pablo Lerma, Brennan Johnson, João Pino and Strand Larsen, with substitutes Kamada, Sarr, Mateta and Devenny on the bench.
West Ham started with Alvaro Hermansen, Aaron Walker‑Peters, Konstantinos Mavropanos, William Disasi, Diouf, Soucek, João Fernandes, Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Pablo, Declan Summerville and Castellanos, while Wilson and Kante were available as replacements. Jaydee Canvot earned the Player of the Match award for his defensive contributions.
West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen told Sky Sports that the result was a mixed bag. He praised Palace’s home strength and acknowledged the difficulty of breaking down a side riding high after a European semi‑final.
Bowen believed West Ham had created chances that could have been goals on a different day, but he also stressed that a point was still a positive outcome given the circumstances. Former Hammers striker Dean Ashton echoed a similar sentiment, describing the match as a “tiny opportunity missed” for West Ham. He highlighted the number of chances the Hammers had inside the box and noted that winning at Selhurst Park is never easy, so securing a point should be viewed as a favourable result. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo reflected on the performance, describing his team as organized and compact but admitting that the attacking combinations lacked the final touch.
He praised Palace for being a well‑structured opponent that is difficult to break down, especially on the counter‑attack, and warned that the battle for survival will continue fiercely until the season’s end. Oliver Glasner, Palace’s manager, stressed that his players needed to answer the challenge themselves, emphasizing focus, commitment and hard work.
He believed his side delivered the answer by staying disciplined and resisting any expectation of fatigue. Sky Sports analyst Zinny Boswell cautioned that whether West Ham truly missed a chance will only be clear on the final day of the season, especially if Nuno’s prediction about a tight race holds true. He noted that timing is crucial in a relegation scrap; while Spurs failed to win, they showed signs of improvement before Brighton’s late equaliser.
A win for West Ham would have extended their lead to four points and placed Spurs in a historically precarious position, but the draw keeps both clubs within striking distance of safety. Looking ahead, Tottenham travel to Wolves – already relegated – in what could be their best opportunity to claim a league win in 2026.
West Ham, meanwhile, face Everton, a side chasing European competition, making both fixtures on Saturday pivotal. West Ham’s schedule remains the toughest, with the next three opponents all fighting for top‑half positions, and all eight of their victories this season have come against teams currently in the lower half of the table. Predicting Tottenham’s performance is fraught with uncertainty, but a win would lift a weight off their shoulders. West Ham now hope that Spurs secure those three points elsewhere, preserving their own slim margin in the fight to stay up.