Austute ManWest Ham United is set to face Crystal Palace in their first away match of the season on August 24, with a 3:00 pm kick-off. Julen Lopetegui, the Hammers’ new manager, will be hoping to secure his first win after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in their previous match.
Lopetegui has introduced several new faces to the team since his appointment on July 1, but Alphonse Areola is expected to retain his position in goal. The Frenchman was one of the top shot-stoppers last season, with an impressive save rate percentage.
In defense, Max Kilman, who was Lopetegui’s captain at Wolves, is expected to start alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos, Vladimír Coufal, and Emerson. Kurt Zouma, the team’s captain from last season, is unavailable due to personal reasons.
In midfield, Lopetegui is likely to opt for a three-man setup, consisting of Guido Rodriguez, Tomáš Souček, and Lucas Paqueta. Paqueta scored a penalty in the match against Aston Villa and will be looking to build on that performance.
Upfront, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, and Niclas Fullkrug are expected to start, with Fullkrug replacing Michael Antonio. Kudus was impressive against Villa, completing the most dribbles and winning the most duels.
West Ham’s recent form has been disappointing, with a poor pre-season and a defeat on the opening day of the Premier League. Lopetegui’s side will be looking to turn things around against Crystal Palace.
The Hammers have two injuries to consider, with Edson Alvarez out with a hamstring injury and Kurt Zouma unavailable due to personal reasons.
Here is the predicted lineup for West Ham against Crystal Palace:
GK – Areola
LB – Emerson
CB – Mavropanos
CB – Kilman
RB – Coufal
CM – Soucek
CM – Rodriguez
CM – Paqueta
LW – Bowen
ST – Fullkrug
RW – Kudus
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Amina Umar