West Ham v Crystal Palace preview: Dimitri Payet missing for Hammers
Saturday 14 January 2017 16:39, UK
West Ham will be without Dimitri Payet for the visit of Crystal Palace on Saturday after the France star refused to play as he wants to leave the club.
Sky sources understand Payet is keen to return to former side Marseille, who have had a £19m offer turned down by the Hammers.
Crystal Palace, who will have new signing Jeffrey Schlupp available for selection following his £12.5m arrival from Leicester, are yet to win a match under new boss Sam Allardyce.
Allardyce's old club West Ham are struggling themselves, having lost three matches in succession without scoring a goal.
Palace are set to be boosted by the return of two key players from injury, with both Christian Benteke and Wayne Hennessey expected to be fit to play after missing the FA Cup draw at Bolton.
Team news
Payet will not be involved for West Ham while top scorer Michail Antonio did not train on Thursday due to flu so he will be assessed.
Defenders James Collins (thigh) and Sam Byram (hamstring) return to the squad after spells out but Diafra Sakho (back), Alvaro Arbeloa (calf), Arthur Masuaku and Gokhan Tore (both knee) are still injured while Andre Ayew and Cheikhou Kouyate are at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Benteke has recovered from a shoulder complaint which ruled him out against Bolton while goalkeeper Hennessey, who also missed the Wanderers game with a knock, is facing a late fitness but is likely to return.
Wilfried Zaha and Bakary Sako are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty and Connor Wickham, Steve Mandanda, Jonathan Benteke (all knee) and Pape Souare (broken leg) remain sidelined.
Opta stats
West Ham have not won any of their last four home league games against the Eagles, last beating them in October 2003 at home (D2 L2).
However, Crystal Palace have been victorious in just one of their last five league contests against the Hammers (D1 L3).
West Ham’s only win in a London derby this season came at Selhurst Park (L3) while Palace have lost all four of their London derbies this season.
Sam Allardyce has been beaten just once in his last 10 Premier League games against former side West Ham, though this was with Sunderland in February 2016 (W5 D4 L1).
Crystal Palace had won 15 points more at this stage last season (31) than they currently have after 20 games in 2016-17 (16).
West Ham had won 32 points after 20 Premier League games this season; 10 more than they have after 20 matches this season (22).
Paul Merson's prediction
Palace haven’t really clicked under Sam Allardyce yet and with no Wilfried Zaha I don’t see how they are going to hurt West Ham. I think the hosts will win, even without Dimitri Payet.
Let’s be honest, if it wasn’t for West Ham then we probably wouldn’t even know who Payet is - they put him on the map and then he treats them like this.
I’d say get rid of him, get £30m and drop him off. You don’t want people like that around who just use the club.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (10/1 with Sky Bet)
Betting
West Ham are 13/10 with Sky Bet to collect the points as Crystal Palace are given a 21/10 chance while the draw is priced at 23/10. Sam Allardyce’s men head into the weekend as 100/30 fifth favourites for relegation, while his former club are hardly deemed safe in the market at 14/1.
Andy Carroll heads the first goalscorer betting at 9/2 while Christian Benteke is rated the hosts’ main threat at 11/2.
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