West Ham United's unbeaten run in the Premier League will again be tested when Crystal Palace visit the London Stadium on Saturday.
The Hammers haven't tasted defeat since their opening day loss to Manchester City, and they have picked up three wins and three draws in the six games which have followed, and you can guarantee Manuel Pellegrini won't want to see that run come to an end on Saturday.
That form has seen them rise to fifth in the league table, ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and level on points with Arsenal. Not a bad start to the season.
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— West Ham United (@WestHam) October 4, 2019
However, Palace will likely prove to be a real threat to West Ham's run of form. The Eagles are just one point behind in the table and have already seen off Manchester United this season.
They are unbeaten in their last two games, so Palace will come into this game feeling confident of picking up a good result.
It promises to be an exciting affair and, thanks to Opta, here are some stats and facts which you need to know before the game.
Hopeful Hammers
When you look at the history between these two sides, it is West Ham who tend to come out on top.
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games against Palace (W4 D4), with their last loss coming in a 3-1 defeat in February 2015.
Palace don't usually enjoy visiting the London Stadium, having taking just one point from their three Premier League games at the ground.
But Palace Love a Road Trip
They might not have the best record at the London Stadium, but it's safe to say that Palace love playing away from home.
Since December 22nd 2018 (when they beat Manchester City 3-2 away), Palace have won 25 points in Premier League away games - only City (36) and Liverpool (30) have won more points on the road in the competition during this period. Not bad company to keep.
Mixed London Derby Form
West Ham have lost more Premier League London derbies than any other side (97), while only Fulham (19.5%) have a lower win rate in such games than Palace (22.7% - won 22 of 97).
So, neither side have the greatest track record when it comes to local clashes, but the Hammers are actually on a fairly impressive run.
West Ham have won their last three home Premier League London derbies, last having a longer such run in the competition between February and December 1997 (5).
Penalties on the Cards?
Since Palace returned the Premier League in 2013/14, no side has won more penalties than the Eagles in the competition (46).
Palace love a good penalty, so it's a good job they're going up against a side who don't often give them away...is what West Ham fans wish they could say.
West Ham have given away the most penalties in that time (39). There has been a penalty awarded in three of the last four league meetings between these sides.
Managerial Masterclass
The game may well come down to which manager gets the better of his counterpart, and history shows that Pellegrini should be confident.
Pellegrini has won all four of his home Premier League games against Palace by an aggregate score of 11-2. He has beaten a different boss every time (Tony Pulis, Neil Warnock, Alan Pardew and Roy Hodgson).
Unfortunately, Hodgson cannot boast a similar record. He has never won an away Premier League match against West Ham in six attempts (W0 D2 L4), but both teams have managed to score in each games, so it certainly promises to be an exciting game.
Source : 90min