Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

West Ham vs Crystal Palace: Eagles snatch late win after Andre Ayew strike awarded by VAR

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace: The Ghanian completed a memorable comeback after Patrick van Aanholt cancelled out Sebastien Haller’s opener

Andy Sims
London Stadium
Saturday 05 October 2019 20:30 BST
Comments
Premier League round-up: Liverpool stay top of the table

Jordan Ayew's dramatic late VAR-awarded goal earned a 2-1 win for Crystal Palace at West Ham.

The striker was flagged offside as he prodded Martin Kelly's knock-down into the net three minutes from time.

But a lengthy VAR check on two potential offside decisions, for Kelly and then Ayew, went Palace's way by millimetres.

Sebastien Haller had given the Hammers the lead early in the second half, but a baffling handball by Declan Rice gifted Palace the equaliser.

England midfielder Rice looked like he was hailing a taxi when the ball struck him in the area, and Patrick Van Aanholt took full advantage from the spot.

Then Ayew's intervention secured all three points for Palace as the Hammers missed the chance to climb back up to third in the table - with Palace instead moving fourth.

The hosts had soaked up some neat but ultimately unproductive Palace pressure before carving a gilt-edged chance for Haller.

Andriy Yarmolemko rolled Cahill down the right and squared the ball for Haller six yards out.

The £45million striker hit it first time but only succeeded in firing the ball straight at Palace keeper Vicente Guaita, who made a fine block.

West Ham went ahead through Haller

Moments later Ryan Fredericks stood up a cross which Felipe Anderson met with a diving header but Guaita saved low to his left.

Palace were inches from taking the lead in the 35th minute when Wilfried Zaha tip-toed around Aaron Cresswell on the byline.

Zaha's cut-back was clipped towards goal by Jeffrey Schlupp but Fredericks had spotted the danger and got back to hoof the ball off the line.

At the other end an Anderson cross almost created an own-goal, the ball ricocheting off two Palace defenders before bouncing to safety.

West Ham had to call on their back-up goalkeeper Roberto after an injury to Lukasz Fabianski last week and the Spaniard settled any nerves on his home debut by beating away James McCarthy's drive from the edge of the box.

Palace pulled off a famous comeback

In first-half stoppage time Yarmolenko and Anderson combined to tee up Manuel Lanzini, but the Argentinian drove wide.

The breakthrough came nine minutes after the interval following a superb West Ham move, starting inside their own half and involving eight players.

Cresswell and Mark Noble freed Anderson down the left and the ball was moved on to Lanzini, Declan Rice and Yarmolenko before reaching Fredericks, whose low cross was tucked away by Haller.

Crystal Palace belatedly celebrate after VAR confirms the goal from Ayew

But Palace hauled themselves level just after the hour when former Hammer Cheikhou Kouyate's flick hit the raised arm of Rice in the area.

Roberto had the chance to make himself an instant hero but Van Aanholt, on spot-kick duties with captain Luka Milivojevic suspended, sent him the wrong way.

Palace won it after substitute Andros Townsend crossed for Kelly, who nodded down for Ayew to tuck in, with the VAR's lines on the television screen eventually ruling in their favour.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in