Key Takeaways
- West Ham earned a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace, keeping them two points above the relegation zone.
- The point sealed Wolves’ fate, sending them down after eight seasons in the Premier League.
- Spurs now have a clear route to escape the bottom three when they face the already-relegated Wolves next.
A goalless stalemate at Selhurst Park has kept West Ham United just clear of trouble, but it has pushed Wolverhampton Wanderers into the Championship.
The Hammers defended doggedly against a Palace side fresh from their European high, yet they rarely looked like snatching victory. Dean Henderson’s smart second-half stop from Konstantinos Mavropanos was the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock.
Ismaila Sarr thought he had won it for the hosts in stoppage time, only for the goal to be chalked off after Jean-Philippe Mateta handled in the build-up.
The draw lifts West Ham two points above the drop, but with daunting games against Everton, Brentford, Arsenal, Newcastle and Leeds still to come, their schedule is the hardest of the strugglers.
For Wolves, the maths finally caught up. The Midlanders, who have been in the top flight since 2018, will start next season in the second tier.
Meanwhile, Tottenham – winless in the league since New Year’s Day – travel to Molineux on Saturday knowing a first victory of 2026 would vault them out of the bottom three at West Ham’s expense.
Jarrod Bowen admitted his side had hoped for more. “We came to win, but Palace are tough on their own patch and are flying after Europe. A point is not the end of the world,” the captain said.
Former Hammer Dean Ashton felt the visitors left an opening out on the pitch. “With the chances they had, especially early on, West Ham may regret not taking all three,” he told Sky Sports.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner praised his players for shaking off Thursday’s Conference League celebrations and extending their unbeaten run to four matches.
Nuno Espírito Santo, the West Ham manager, expects nerves to jangle until May. “It will go to the wire,” he warned. “Every point is precious and we must keep fighting.”
The fight resumes on Saturday when West Ham visit Everton and Spurs head to Wolves. For the Hammers, the pressure is still on.
