In a twist of fate for West Ham fans, a star player from their London rivals, Crystal Palace, who had just defeated them, further added insult to injury.
Facing Crystal Palace was already going to be a challenging task for West Ham over the weekend, especially considering the circumstances surrounding the club. Oliver Glasner, who had led Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League victory after defeating West Ham in a fierce semi-final clash, has proven to be immensely successful with the Eagles, even amidst the departure of several key players from the squad.
West Ham had to part ways with Mohammed Kudus in the summer due to PSR concerns raised by the club’s owners. This, coupled with their recent 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace marking their fifth defeat in six games this season, sparked protests from disillusioned West Ham fans against the ownership ahead of the match.
Crystal Palace arrived at the London Stadium on the back of a remarkable 16-game unbeaten streak, a streak that was comfortably extended to 17 following their victory over a lackluster West Ham side that displayed a worrying lack of spirit and determination on the pitch.
Off the pitch, the situation at West Ham is equally significant, with fans vehemently expressing their discontent towards club owners David Sullivan, Karren Brady, and the rest of the board. While Crystal Palace fans are known for their vocal support of fellow supporters and for their stance against injustice in football, their antics during the match at the London Stadium, where they taunted the West Ham board, added fuel to the fire of the protests.
Reflecting on the fan uproar against the ownership, Crystal Palace superfan Dan Cook of HLTCO exemplified solidarity by highlighting why rival fans, including Palace supporters, should support Hammers fans in their activism against the owners. During the match itself, the Palace faithful continued to back the cause, taunting Sullivan and Brady amidst the brewing tension at the stadium.
Despite the seriousness of the situation at West Ham, Crystal Palace star Dean Henderson couldn’t resist a light-hearted dig at the protesting West Ham fans. Henderson humorously pointed out a gaffe made by the Hammers faithful, who inadvertently welcomed the Crystal Palace team bus with cheers instead of supporting their own team.
While the banter between Henderson and the West Ham fans adds a moment of levity to the situation, the underlying concern lies in West Ham’s on-field performance, particularly the warm reception of Palace’s players by the Hammers’ defense during the match.
