West Ham United will be hurting after falling in the Europa League against Bayer Leverkusen but must now fix their full focus on defeating Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
The Eagles will be buoyed by their incredible 1-0 win at Anfield last weekend and will look to punish any complacency from the Hammers, but David Moyes will have hammered home the importance of securing three points and fighting for a European-qualifying spot.
Eighth in the standings with just five matches left to contest, West Ham must get the job done, especially with fixtures against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City still forthcoming.
West Ham team news
Top scorer Jarrod Bowen is a fitness doubt after Moyes revealed that the England international fought through pain with injections to play against Xabi Alonso's newly-crowned Bundesliga champions, so he might miss out for this one.
Centre-backs Nayef Aguerd and Konstantinos Mavropanos will both be assessed, while shot-stopper Alphonse Areola and on-loan midfielder Kalvin Phillips will be assessed.
After missing out in midweek, influential playmaker Lucas Paqueta should return from the outset, alongside left-back Emerson Palmieri, who could be the key to victory.
Why Emerson Palmieri could be so important
Emerson has been a huge part of West Ham's success over the past few seasons and has been superb in his defensive performances this season, playing 42 times in all competitions.
In the Premier League, as per Sofascore, the 29-year-old has completed 83% of his passes, averaged 2.9 tackles, 2.4 clearances and 4.2 ball recoveries per game while winning 5.1 duels per fixture at a success rate of 60%.
1.
Tyrick Mitchell
Crystal Palace
91
2.
Emerson Palmieri
West Ham United
90
3.
Pedro Porro
Tottenham Hotspur
82
4.
Antonee Robinson
Fulham
81
5.
Diogo Dalot
Manchester United
69
As per FBref, the Italy international ranks among the top 8% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles per 90, highlighting the defensive fortitude that has led his Hammers teammate Flynn Downes to gush over his "unbelievable" qualities.
While he will likely be pitted against a dangerous opponent in Eagles right-winger Michael Olise, the £95k-per-week defender has showcased his ability and then some since joining West Ham from Chelsea in a £13m deal in 2022 and will bring the robust, tough-tackling approach needed to quiet his adversary.
Indeed, Olise is regarded as “one of the best wide playmakers in Europe" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and while he has caught the eye with his goalscoring this season, bagging six times from just nine starts, he has also averaged 1.9 key passes, 2.3 dribbles and 6.2 successful duels per game.
He will present a tough test, but Emerson's return to the starting line-up will provide Moyes' side with the mettle needed to secure victory, providing a base for the likes of Paqueta – who boasts 15 goals and assists this season in all competitions – up ahead to find holes and send the away end into rapture.
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