Palace scores 4 goals in opening 31 minutes on way to 5-2 thrashing of West Ham
Crystal Palace's Michael Olise celebrates scoring their first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in London, Sunday April 21, 2024. Credit: AP/Steven Paston
LONDON — Crystal Palace scored four goals in the first 31 minutes to set up a 5-2 victory in the Premier League over West Ham, whose ambitions of qualifying for Europe next season were dented on Sunday.
Palace, which had not previously scored more than three goals in a league match this season, opened the scoring with Michael Olise's header before Eberechi Eze made it 2-0 with a bicycle kick. Emerson intensified West Ham's woes when he turned the ball into his own net before Jean-Philippe Mateta made it four.
Michail Antonio clawed one back for the visitors before the break but Mateta grabbed his second in the 64th minute to re-establish the four-goal advantage.
Just as it looked to be the exclamation mark on a thumping victory, Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson was caught out and allowed Tyrick Mitchell’s back pass to skip past his foot and into the hosts’ net.
The defeat left West Ham in eighth place, two points adrift of Newcastle and Manchester United which both have two games in hand.
