🏏 Sun, 18 Oct 2026 12:00 BST
Crystal Palace W
vs
West Ham Women
4-4-2 vs 4-2-3-1
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- Ninth versus twelfth, and both sides badly need the points. Crystal Palace sit on six points from five games, West Ham on three, and the pair share an identical goal difference of -6. A West Ham win would draw them level on six, which matters with bottom club Charlton still pointless after five rounds and Aston Villa 13th on three.
- Palace have drawn more than they have won: one victory, three draws and one defeat so far. They opened with a 1-0 home win over Everton and held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw away in round two, then were overwhelmed 0-7 at home by Tottenham in round three. Two away draws followed, 3-3 at Birmingham City and 1-1 at Aston Villa, so this is a chance to rediscover some bite in front of their own supporters.
- West Ham have lost four in a row since beating London City Lionesses 2-1 at home in round two. They fell 0-1 at home to Everton, 1-2 away at Manchester United and 0-3 at home to Chelsea in round five, scoring once or not at all each time. Four goals in five matches tells the story of a side that needs a finisher to click.
- There is a Japan international on each side of this one. West Ham start Saki Kumagai, the 36-year-old Nadeshiko captain with more than 162 caps, who converted the winning penalty in the 2011 World Cup final shoot-out and collected 19 trophies at Lyon including five Champions League titles. Palace counter with 21-year-old holding midfielder Fuka Tsunoda, born in October 2004, who won five domestic honours at Urawa Reds including back-to-back WE League titles.
- A second Japan international waits on the West Ham bench in Yu Endo, a 28-year-old right-back who made 171 appearances across 15 years at Urawa Reds and won consecutive WE League and AFC Women's Champions League titles. Accurate crossing is her calling card. She shares an Urawa background with Palace's Tsunoda, and if she is introduced, three Japanese players could be on the pitch at once.
- Ffion Morgan faces her former club from the West Ham bench. The 26-year-old striker has over 50 caps for Wales, made her youth debut at 14 and her senior bow at 17, and was part of the squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2025. Having previously played for Crystal Palace, she is an obvious option if West Ham's misfiring attack needs a different profile late on.
- West Ham's spine is built on French internationals. Centre-forward Kelly Gago, 27 and 178cm tall, arrived from Nantes in December 2024 and has extended her deal to 2028, while Viviane Asseyi, 32, has more than 60 France caps, played for Bayern Munich and was voted Hammer of the Year in 2024-25. Behind them, right-back Estelle Cascarino, 29, is on loan from Juventus, and 180cm former PSG goalkeeper Constance Picaud, 28, starts between the posts.
- Experience and technique fill the West Ham midfield. Katie Zelem, 30, is a former Manchester United captain who ranks third on that club's all-time scoring list and delivers dangerous set pieces, while Finland's Oona Siren, 25, won back-to-back national championships with KuPS. Further forward, Switzerland's Seraina Piubel, 26, spent eight seasons at Zurich, helped them to four straight Swiss league titles and was named player of the year in 2023-24.
- Palace's summer recruits are worth watching. Lexi Lloyd-Smith, 23, won the WSL2 Golden Boot last season with 11 goals in 21 games and joined on a free transfer in July 2026 on a three-year deal, bringing pace down the left after coming through both the Arsenal and Chelsea academies. In midfield, 26-year-old American Sierra Enge went from Stanford to San Diego Wave as a second-round NWSL draft pick in 2023, made 44 appearances over two seasons at Strasbourg, and became Jo Potter's first signing.
- The experienced core gives Palace their shape. Beth England, 32, won both the WSL Player of the Season and PFA Player of the Year awards during her Chelsea days and remains a natural goalscorer, while centre-back Molly Bartrip, 30, was the only player to feature for every minute of the 2024-25 WSL campaign. In goal, 34-year-old France international Pauline Peyraud-Magnin joined on loan from NWSL side Denver Summit in August 2026, bringing the five trophies she won at Juventus with her.