West Ham's Lopetegui Era Starts with Victory at Crystal Palace

West Ham secured their first win under new manager Julen Lopetegui with a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Goals from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen sealed the deal, despite a strong start by the Eagles.

Here are the key takeaways:

• Contrasting Transfer Windows: West Ham entered the match having made nine summer signings, while Crystal Palace saw key players like Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen depart just hours before kickoff.
• Dominant First Half for Palace: Crystal Palace looked more comfortable in the first half, with Eberechi Eze hitting the crossbar late on.
• Second-Half Turnaround: West Ham came out firing in the second half, scoring two goals in five minutes. Soucek opened the scoring after a well-worked move involving Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Bowen sealed the win with a solo run and finish.
• Moment of Concern: During the celebration of Soucek's goal, an advertising hoarding fell on a ball boy sitting behind it. Luckily, Soucek and Bowen intervened, ensuring the boy was safe before stadium staff arrived.
• Player Ratings: Max Kilman impressed for West Ham, earning player of the match honors.

Manager Quotes:

• Lopetegui: "We are happy to achieve three points against a very good team... We deserve with the performance in the second half to win."
• Glasner: "For the second game, we were not the worst team so maybe we were at the same level and then small situations decide the game."

West Ham's victory under their new manager provides a promising start to their Premier League campaign. Crystal Palace will need to regroup quickly and address their defensive vulnerabilities before Friday's transfer deadline.