OPINION
West Ham United came through a tough test to overcome Crystal Palace in a 3-2 win at the London Stadium on Saturday, and there were plenty of talking points to take away from the game.
The visitors took an early lead through James MacArthur and managed to hang on to that advantage until the break, but the Hammers hit back through Robert Snodgrass, Javier Hernandez and Felipe Anderson, with Jeff Schlupp netting a second for Palace.
This is Futbol have rounded up three things we learned about West Ham v Crystal Palace below.
Rice just gets better and better
The development of 19-year-old midfielder Declan Rice has been nothing short of astounding for West Ham, and his march to the top of the game shows no sign of letting up. Rice actually made a pretty poor error in the build-up to the opening goal for Palace, but the way in which he brushed it off to put in another storming display illustrates the kind of character he has. Every week he seems to improve and show something different about his game, and he is clearly one of the club’s best players at the moment. It is a miracle then that the Irons have not sorted out a new contract for Rice, with that stand-off still ongoing as fans become more and more impatient with the situation.
Anderson showing his worth
Much was expected of Felipe Anderson when the Hammers shelled out a club-record £35million to sign him in the summer, and his early performances were not quite up to scratch. His recent displays have however been much-improved, and fans are beginning to understand exactly why Manuel Pellegrini was so keen to sign up the 25-year-old Brazilian. Anderson’s goal on Saturday against Palace was an absolute peach, and the effort also made it five goals in six games for the dazzling winger, which is about the same amount as he scored all season for Lazio in 2017/18. The 5’9″ forward [Transfermarkt] is really beginning to prove his worth at the London Stadium, and has put his doubters to bed with another storming display.
Hernandez can ease Arnautovic worries
The loss of Marko Arnautovic for a month to six weeks is a huge blow for the Hammers, with the Austria international having been their key player for the last season or so. Many thought that Pellegrini would be unable to replace Arnautovic’s goals from within his current squad, but one player who has stepped up in recent weeks is Javier Hernandez. The £140,000-a-week striker has endured a tough time of things at the London Stadium but has begun to prove himself again under Pellegrini. His finishing ability is second-to-none within this squad and his instinctive goal against Palace illustrated his strengths. If there is one player who will step up in Arnautovic’s absence it looks to be Chicharito.