Glasner’s Palace holds West Ham to goalless draw as relegation battle intensifies

LONDON — A tense, goalless draw at Selhurst Park on Monday night left West Ham United sweating over their Premier League survival hopes, as Crystal Palace’s disciplined defensive performance under Oliver Glasner denied the Hammers a crucial three points in their fight to avoid the drop.

The 0-0 result means West Ham remain just one point above the relegation zone with two matches left, while Palace’s hard-earned point pushes them further clear of danger and underlines Glasner’s immediate impact since taking over in February.

Palace’s resilience frustrates West Ham’s attacking thrusts

From the opening whistle, Palace set out to frustrate, sitting deep and compact in a 4-2-3-1 shape designed to limit space between the lines. West Ham, needing a win to ease the pressure, dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances against a well-organized home side.

Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio led the line for the visitors, but both were frequently isolated as Palace’s midfield duo of Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes cut off passing lanes and forced West Ham into speculative efforts from distance. Lukasz Fabianski was rarely tested, with Palace managing just two shots on target all evening.

The best chance of the first half fell to West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta in the 28th minute, when the Brazilian midfielder latched onto a loose ball inside the box but dragged his shot wide of the far post. Palace nearly snatched a winner just before halftime when Michael Olise drove into the area and fired low, only for Alphonse Areola to make a smart low save to his left.

Second half sees increased pressure but no breakthrough

West Ham came out with renewed urgency after the break, pushing higher up the pitch and forcing Palace back into their own half. Aaron Cresswell and Emerson provided width from full-back, delivering crosses that tested the Palace defense, but the visitors lacked the final touch to turn pressure into goals.

Glasner made a double change in the 65th minute, introducing Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta to add fresh impetus going forward. The substitution almost paid off immediately when Eze turned inside from the left and curled a effort just wide of the far post in the 70th minute.

West Ham’s best late chance arrived in the 82nd minute when Paqueta played a clever through-ball to Antonio, who ran onto it and fired first-time from the edge of the box — only for Vicente Guaita to get down quickly and palm the ball away for a corner. The resulting set-piece came to nothing as Palace cleared their lines with composure.

As the clock ticked down, West Ham threw men forward in search of a winner, leaving themselves vulnerable at the back. Palace almost punished them in stoppage time when Mateta broke free on the counter, but his final pass to Eze was intercepted by Kurt Zouma, preserving the clean sheet for the Hammers — if not the win they so desperately needed.

Relegation battle enters critical phase

The draw leaves West Ham on 34 points from 33 matches, just one point ahead of 18th-placed Nottingham Forest and two above Luton Town in 19th. With Everton (36 points) also in the mix and Leicester City already relegated, the fight to avoid the final drop spot involves four teams battling for two survival places over the final two matchdays.

West Ham’s remaining fixtures are daunting: an away trip to already-relegated Sheffield United followed by a home finale against Manchester United, who are chasing a top-six finish. Palace, meanwhile, travel to Brentford before hosting Aston Villa in their last game — both matches carrying significantly less pressure now that they are nine points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand over Luton.

Glasner’s side have now lost just once in their last eight league outings under the Austrian, a run that includes four clean sheets and has transformed their fortunes since his arrival. For West Ham, the failure to capitalize on a winnable game against a mid-table side raises serious questions about their nerve and creativity in the final third when the stakes are highest.

What’s next for both clubs?

West Ham return to action on Saturday, May 11, when they visit Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United in a 3:00 p.m. BST kickoff (10:00 a.m. ET). The Blades, already relegated, have nothing to play for but could still pose a threat on the counter if West Ham fail to impose themselves early.

Should West Ham win that match, they would move to 37 points and likely secure safety regardless of other results, given Luton’s difficult remaining schedule. A draw or loss, however, would leave the outcome hanging on the final day, when they host Manchester United at the London Stadium on May 19.

Crystal Palace resume their campaign on Friday, May 10, with a 7:45 p.m. BST trip to Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium (2:45 p.m. ET). Their final home match against Villa follows on May 19, rounding out a season in which Glasner has steadied the ship and delivered exactly what the board asked for when he arrived: survival with dignity.

For both clubs, the coming days will define their seasons. West Ham must rediscover the urgency and cohesion that carried them to European contention last autumn, or risk a humiliating drop that would trigger a summer of upheaval. Palace, meanwhile, can finish with pride knowing they avoided the drop under difficult circumstances — and did so under a manager who has already begun to earn the faith of the Selhurst Park faithful.

As the relegation battle enters its final, frantic phase, one thing is clear: in the fight to stay up, every point matters, every decision is scrutinized, and no team can afford to take a single minute off.

Follow Archysport for live updates, post-match analysis, and exclusive insights as the Premier League season reaches its dramatic conclusion.