West Ham United’s brilliant Carabao Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur has given them a well-deserved respite but Slaven Bilic’s job is far from finished. The Croatian gaffer has already been served an ultimatum and this upcoming match could well decide his future at the London Stadium.
The Hammers are set to visit Selhurst Park to face their London neighbour Crystal Palace in a bid to inject life into their already miserable campaign. A win for either team will see them gliding through to the safe zone so it is going to be an interesting contest between the two clubs.
Both clubs have had their ups and downs in this turbulent campaign, especially the Eagles, who have made an embarassing start to their campaign and are currently reeling at the bottom of the Premier League table.
On the other hand, the Hammers had hoped for an upturn in the form but their 3-0 loss against newbie Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, has left them reeling and Bilic will be well aware of the current situation.
Predicted 4-2-3-1 West Ham United Starting Lineup Vs Crystal Palace
Defence
Joe Hart will be looking for some redemption this weekend. The England international has faced a lot of criticism for his shaky displays and would be ready for the challenge. Aaron Creswell performed pretty well in the Carabao Cup win over Spurs and should find himself on the left side of the defence.
Slaven Bilic is destined to have a selection headache going into this game. The gaffer rang up a number of changes in the Cup game and many of them lived up to the expectations so we could see some changes in the setup. Angelo Ogbonna could make a return to the starting lineup following his heroics in the last match. He will be supported by Winston Reid in the backline.
Pablo Zabaleta will be a sure shot starter.
Midfield
Bilic could recall one his most experienced player Mark Noble in this game. Noble’s match reading ability could be important in this game. Pedro Obiang will have added responsibility as he needs to take his game a level up to match the tenacity of this match.
Attack
Manuel Lanzini led the turnaround in the last match and would be hoping for some magical moments this weekend. Marko Arnautovic needs to raise his game to make an impact from the left side. Michail Antonio will feature on the right side.
Javier Hernandez will lead the team. Here is how they might line up:
