EPL Index
·20 April 2026
Crystal Palace Starting XI vs West Ham: Confirmed Team News and Predicted Lineup

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Yahoo sportsEPL Index
·20 April 2026

Crystal Palace return to Selhurst Park with a quiet sense of occasion, a chance to shape a small slice of history against West Ham United while navigating the afterglow of European progress. The task is not only about maintaining momentum, but refining identity within a season that has steadily gathered purpose.
Palace have already secured successive Premier League victories over West Ham. A third would mark unfamiliar territory, a modest milestone perhaps, yet one that speaks to evolution under Oliver Glasner.
Recent weeks have offered a layered narrative. Advancement in the Europa Conference League, secured despite a second leg defeat to Fiorentina, has reinforced belief within the squad. That European journey has not distracted from league form either, with seven points taken from the last three matches.

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Selhurst Park has become a stage for control. Palace are unbeaten in six home games across all competitions, conceding just once. There is structure, there is discipline, and increasingly, there is confidence.
Yet West Ham arrive with their own resurgence. Five wins from 11 league games have lifted them clear of immediate danger, bringing a sharper edge to their approach. This meeting carries a tension shaped by competing trajectories.
Glasner’s assessment of his squad reflects cautious optimism. “Adam Wharton’s adductor problem doesn’t look serious,” he noted, although further checks remain necessary. Fitness concerns linger elsewhere, with Maxence Lacroix forced off early against Fiorentina and Evann Guessand yet to return to training.

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Rotation feels inevitable. The demands of European competition often impose subtle compromises, and Glasner may adjust accordingly.
Tyrick Mitchell, described as a “constant threat”, could be rested, while Jorgen Strand Larsen is positioned as a potential alternative in attack. These decisions point towards a balance between preservation and ambition.

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Crystal Palace predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Canvot, Richards, Riad; Munoz, Lerma, Hughes, Sosa; Sarr, Pino; Strand Larsen.
The shape suggests continuity, yet also adaptation. Wide areas remain crucial, with Munoz and Sosa expected to stretch play, while the forward line offers mobility and variation.

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Historical context adds another layer. Palace have conceded 13 goals in their last five home meetings with West Ham, while the visitors have often found ways to impose themselves at Selhurst Park. The balance between control and vulnerability remains finely poised.
For Palace, this fixture represents more than points. It is a measure of progress, a test of how far this iteration has come, and how far it may yet travel.


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