Saturday 15 October 2016 16:44, UK
Crystal Palace and West Ham, who are at contrasting ends of the form table, meet at Selhurst Park on Saturday evening.
The Eagles are unbeaten in five Premier League games (W3 D2 L0), their longest run without defeat since December 2015 while West Ham are without a win in their last five top-flight games (W0 D1 L4), their longest winless streak in the competition since December 2015.
West Ham will be hoping Dimitri Payet, who has scored just once in the league this season, rediscovers his best form against a team he scored twice against last campaign.
Crystal Palace's Scott Dann remains unavailable for the hosts.
The captain and central defender is still recovering from a hamstring strain, so James Tomkins is expected to start against his former club alongside Damien Delaney.
Manager Alan Pardew hopes Dann will be fit for next Saturday's trip to Leicester, but beyond him his only absentees are Pape Souare, who fractured his thigh and jaw, and Jonathan Benteke, who has an injured knee.
Aaron Cresswell is in the West Ham squad for the first time this season.
The left-back is fit after recovering from a knee injury sustained in pre-season, and he is joined by midfielder Havard Nordtveit and striker Jonathan Calleri who have shaken off minor niggles.
Summer signing Gokhan Tore (thigh) and right-back Sam Byram (hamstring) have replaced them in the treatment room while Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew, Arthur Masuaku and Diafra Sakho are still unavailable.
Crystal Palace have won just one of their last four top-flight meetings with West Ham, drawing one and losing two.
West Ham have won on each of their last two top-flight visits to Selhurst Park; they've never won three in a row away to Crystal Palace in the league.
There has been a sending off in each of the last three top-flight clashes between these two sides (Kouyate in Apr 2016, Gayle in Oct 2015 and Murray in Feb 2015).
Manuel Lanzini also scored in both West Ham's games against the Eagles last season (two goals in total); with Palace the only side he has scored more than one against in the top flight.
Since Christian Benteke's Premier League debut in September 2012, only Olivier Giroud (also 19) has scored as many headed goals in the competition as the Belgian striker.
Crystal Palace have now gone seven games without a London derby win in the Premier League (W0 D2 L5), the longest run of any current top-flight club.
West Ham have picked up just four points from their opening seven Premier League games; their worst points tally in a top-flight season at this stage since 1988-89 (also 4 - and they were relegated at the end of that campaign).
Since the start of last season, Dann has netted seven goals in the top-flight, more than any other defender.
Jason Puncheon has created more goalscoring chances than any other Premier League player in the opening seven matchdays of the 2016-17 season (24).
Benteke should be unplayable. He is tall, strong, quick and great in the air, and it was just a lack of confidence at Liverpool. He's got that back now and has been great for Palace.
In contrast, West Ham are struggling and their confidence is shot, so if Alan Pardew's side start quickly I can see them running away with it.
It is a concerning time for the Hammers because it took an unbelievable piece of magic by Payet to get a draw at home to Middlesbrough.
They have played Watford, Bournemouth, Southampton and Boro at the London Stadium and only have one win. All the big boys are still to come.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-1 (Sky Bet odds 14/1)
A Saturday evening London derby at Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace are 11/10 with Sky Bet to inflict another defeat on struggling West Ham. The Hammers are 12/5 for their second Premier League win of the campaign, with the same price available on the draw.
Benteke has scored in Palace's last two games and netted a hat-trick for Belgium against Gibraltar: he's a clear 4/1 favourite to net the opening goal in this one.
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