Palace Punish Hammers as Potter Feels the Heat
Crystal Palace grabbed a huge win at London Stadium, defeating West Ham 2–1 in a match that piled even more pressure on Hammers boss Graham Potter. Fan protests before and during the game only added to the tense atmosphere on a tough afternoon for the hosts.
Mateta puts Palace in front
The visitors struck first just before the break. Marc Guehi’s powerful header rattled the crossbar, and when Alphonse Areola could only parry it away, Jean-Philippe Mateta reacted fastest, nodding the rebound into the net. The away fans erupted, while the home crowd voiced their frustration.
Bowen’s response lifts the crowd
After the restart, West Ham fought back. Jarrod Bowen found space inside the area and steered a precise header beyond the keeper from El Hadji Malick Diouf’s corner. The goal fired up the home supporters, who began to believe their side could turn things around.
The Hammers enjoyed their best spell of the match after the equaliser. Lucas Paquetá saw a shot scrambled off the line by Chris Richards, and Kyle Walker-Peters missed two promising chances. But failing to take those opportunities would come back to haunt them.
Mitchell stuns the Hammers
With 20 minutes to play, Palace silenced the stadium again. Tyrick Mitchell was given too much room in the box and struck a perfect volley into the bottom corner. The visitors celebrated wildly while West Ham fans groaned in disbelief.
From there, Palace stayed composed and denied the hosts any real chance of another comeback.
Fans turn on the board – and Potter
The match was played under the shadow of fan anger. Around 3,000 West Ham supporters protested before kick-off, carrying banners and chanting against the club’s leadership. The frustration carried into the match, with loud “sack the board” chants ringing out whenever the Hammers struggled.
By the final whistle, boos echoed across the stadium, and Palace fans rubbed salt into the wound by singing “you’re getting sacked in the morning” at Potter. Some home fans even joined in.
What it means
Potter has now managed just six wins from 23 league games since taking charge in January. His points tally matches that of Julen Lopetegui, but the Spaniard reached the same number in fewer matches. The comparisons have not gone unnoticed.
For Palace, this was a statement victory. Mateta and Mitchell took their chances, while the team defended bravely under pressure. For West Ham, however, it was another miserable day that raises fresh questions about their manager’s future.
Final verdict: Palace punished West Ham’s missed chances, and with fan unrest growing, Graham Potter’s job looks increasingly fragile.
