Match ends, West Ham United 3, Crystal Palace 0.
Andy Carroll scored with a stunning volley as West Ham beat Crystal Palace at London Stadium.
The 28-year-old met Michail Antonio's cross in mid-air to hit a left-footed effort that tore past Eagles keeper Wayne Hennessey to make it 2-0.
Sofiane Feghouli had put the hosts ahead from close range earlier in the second half for his first Premier League goal.
Manuel Lanzini sealed victory late on with a sublime chip over the advancing Hennessey to leave Palace boss Sam Allardyce still searching for his first win.
Relive the action from London Stadium.
Reaction to all Saturday's Premier League games.
The result moved West Ham up into 12th place, while Palace only stay out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
Palace had looked comfortable in the first half, but they did not force West Ham keeper Darren Randolph into making a meaningful save until the dying minutes of the match.
'My best goal' - Carroll
Carroll admitted afterwards that he had tried something similar to his brilliant goal in training during the week, but that his effort had hit the post that time.
The old adage about never leaving your best on the training ground seems apt here.
Carroll told BBC Sport: "It's been a while in the making - I've been trying for a couple of years. It's got to be the best goal I've scored."
Carroll's attempts at scissor kicks in practice had left manager Slaven Bilic more than a little worried.
"With his history of injuries I go a bit crazy when he does that in training because you don't want him to get hurt," admitted the West Ham coach, while his Palace counterpart had nothing but admiration for the goal and its execution.
"It's a terrific finish from Andy Carroll and he's always had that in his locker," said Allardyce. "The volley was outstanding."
The goal also impressed Chris Sutton and Martin Keown on BBC's Final Score, with former striker Sutton describing it as a "contender for goal of the season."
Keown compared Carroll's effort favourably with Olivier Giroud's 'scorpion' goal, also scored against Palace.
"There's a lot of instinct involved, but he knows what he's doing. Is it better than Giroud's scorpion? There was an element of chance with Giroud but Carroll knows exactly what he's doing," he said.
Match of the Day pundit Ian Wright, who played for both West Ham and Palace, said: "The Carroll goal was as good as I've seen - better contact than Wayne Rooney's against Man City (in 2011)."
Bilic's tweak puts Payet out of the picture
Much of the build-up to this match had revolved around West Ham's Dimitri Payet, who manager Slaven Bilic had revealed "does not want to play" for the club any more.
Bilic omitted the French midfielder from his matchday squad altogether, and his side looked to be lacking the kind of spark needed to break down a resilient Palace defence.
But a tactical switch from the Hammers boss, which saw Sam Byram replace Angelo Ogbonna at half-time, reaped dividends with a host of chances coming thanks to the rejigged four-at-the-back formation.
Antonio menaced the Palace backline throughout the second half, and Lanzini popped up where Payet may have been had he played, but the errant midfielder will have slipped out of many minds following this fine second-half display by Bilic's side.
Problems for Palace
Allardyce had to deal with speculation over Christian Benteke's future prior to the game, stating that the Belgian international was "not for sale" and had a "big part to play" following rumours that the 26-year-old could leave a mere five months after he moved to Selhurst Park.
The striker made his presence felt, catching West Ham defender James Collins with his arm in the first half, and could have put his side ahead if their best chance had fallen to him rather than James Tomkins.
The ex-West Ham player stabbed the ball across the goal rather than on target from close range in what turned out to be the closest the Eagles came to scoring.
The south London side, who have now gone seven games without a win and are level on points with Hull City, look in need of fresh blood during the current transfer window.
Man of the match - Andy Carroll
'Let's talk about who did play today instead'
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "Payet is a great player so you are losing quality, but the team showed it is about the team and not individuals. This is a great example for that.
"So let's talk about Carroll, or Darren Randolph, or Mark Noble. Michail Antonio had flu and a temperature of 38.4C last night. He showed brilliant determination, brilliant quality. That's what I want to talk about."
Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce: "We don't have the capability to make sure we don't lose. That's the first thing to put right at a struggling club and at the moment we don't know how to get that result.
"Today after 70 minutes we didn't look in any real trouble, but once we gifted them the first goal we lost our shape and our discipline.
What happens next?
West Ham travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday, 21 January at 15:00 GMT, while Palace have two games in the next week. They replay Bolton Wanderers at home in the third round of the FA Cup on Tuesday, 17 January at 20:00, then host Everton next Saturday at 15:00.
Antonio is Mr Assist - the stats you need
- Michail Antonio is the first West Ham player to provide three assists in a Premier League game since Paolo Di Canio vs Coventry in April 2000.
- Crystal Palace lost their fifth consecutive Premier League London derby, equalling their worst such run in the competition (five games, last done in March 1998).
- Andy Carroll has scored five goals in his last three home Premier League London derbies for West Ham.
- Manuel Lanzini has scored a goal in each of his four Premier League appearances against Crystal Palace; double the amount he's scored against any other Premier League club.
- Antonio has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other West Ham player this season - 11 (8 goals, 3 assists).
- Indeed, Antonio recorded his first Premier League assists since April 2016 (v Arsenal) and it's the first time he has bagged three in an English league game.
Line-ups
West Ham
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Randolph
- 19Collins
- 2Reid
- 21OgbonnaSubstituted forByramat 45'minutesBooked at 70mins
- 30AntonioSubstituted forFletcherat 89'minutes
- 16NobleBooked at 34mins
- 14Obiang
- 3Cresswell
- 10LanziniBooked at 87minsSubstituted forFernandesat 87'minutes
- 7Feghouli
- 9CarrollBooked at 42mins
Substitutes
- 13Adrián
- 22Byram
- 24Fletcher
- 28Calleri
- 31Fernandes
- 35Oxford
- 36Quina
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 13Hennessey
- 5Tomkins
- 6Dann
- 27Delaney
- 2WardBooked at 90mins
- 18McArthurSubstituted forLeeat 70'minutes
- 16LedleyBooked at 38minsSubstituted forSchluppat 81'minutes
- 10TownsendSubstituted forRémyat 70'minutes
- 7Cabaye
- 42Puncheon
- 17Benteke
Substitutes
- 1Speroni
- 4Flamini
- 8Rémy
- 14Lee
- 19Fryers
- 31Schlupp
- 34Kelly
- Referee:
- Neil Swarbrick
- Attendance:
- 56,984
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home44%
- Away56%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away1
- Corners
- Home2
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away14
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, West Ham United 3, Crystal Palace 0.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Sam Byram (West Ham United).
Post update
Attempt missed. Loïc Remy (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Jeffrey Schlupp.
Post update
Foul by Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace).
Post update
Andy Carroll (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Booking
Joel Ward (Crystal Palace) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Joel Ward (Crystal Palace).
Post update
Sam Byram (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, West Ham United. Ashley Fletcher replaces Michail Antonio.
Post update
Offside, Crystal Palace. Yohan Cabaye tries a through ball, but Christian Benteke is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, West Ham United. Edimilson Fernandes replaces Manuel Lanzini.
Booking
Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration.
Goal!
Goal! West Ham United 3, Crystal Palace 0. Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Michail Antonio following a fast break.
Post update
James Tomkins (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Andy Carroll (West Ham United).
Post update
Foul by Loïc Remy (Crystal Palace).
Comments
Join the conversation
It was good to see Feghouli start to show why people were after his signature, out of all the players we signed in the last window the only he and Fernandes looked decent
are you useless or good?
make your minds up.
"Payet being a bit of a mercenary will have the Brexit Xenophobic pond life in full voice.
What a nasty little country this is."
Idiot.
Well done West Ham.
I will keep everyone posted how I get on or will see you at the job centre next week
What would he have said about West Ham - are they pants, mediocre or good ?
What I do know is that Carroll's overhead was more than decent - unlike Rooney's shin against Man C
Dimitri Payet.
I just don't think he understands,
You have to earn your pay,
It's a privilege to play.
We hate Dimitri Payet.
So you think west ham fans are xenophobic for disliking a player who has gone on strike whilst we still pay him from our own pockets, as he makes out he has an injury? & we don't support any of our other foreign players? Lanzini, Randolph, Ogbonna, Reid, Collins, Feghouli, Obiang, You haven't really thought this out have you? Aren't stereotypes great for the uninformed?
When he was appointed Sunderland managed he struggled at first - thumped away at Everton- but slowly, his influence and coaching saved Sunderland and the same will happen with Palace.
Often you have to go backwards before you can move forward.
Up the Hammers!