After defeat to Bayer Leverkusen brought West Ham United's involvement in Europe to an end, all eyes now turn to the domestic campaign and the final five fixtures of the 2023/24 season.
The run-in marks five huge Gameweeks in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), and there is good reason to be looking at the Hammers.
Aiming to build on an impressive performance in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg on Thursday, one that saw small margins fall the way of the German visitors, David Moyes’ side travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.
The Irons came from behind to earn a precious Premier League win at Wolves in their last away trip, with Lucas Paquetá levelling from the penalty spot before James Ward-Prowse scored directly from a corner to complete a second-half turnaround.
The Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 34 deadline is set for 1.30pm on Saturday 20 April, ahead of a mouth-watering bout of weekend and midweek Premier League action highlighted by a Sunday afternoon derby in south London.
See below for some of our picks for the upcoming round…
Another high-scoring game at Selhurst Park?
West Ham v Crystal Palace has meant one thing in recent years: goals.
Before the two outfits met in December, in a 1-1 draw at London Stadium, matches between West Ham and Palace had seen four or more goals in four out of five meetings – including a 4-3 win for the Eagles in the last game played at Selhurst Park.
Similarly, both teams have scored in the last 13 meetings in the Premier League – a run which dates back to January 2017, when goals from Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini earned the Hammers a 3-0 win on home soil.
Łukasz Fabiański (£4.2m) will be seeking to help change that run – and, alongside the former Poland international's impressive performances in recent weeks, Hammers may take confidence from the fact that the last two clean sheets in this fixture have come at the West Ham end.
He has started West Ham’s last three fixtures in the Premier League, although Alphonse Areola (£4.2m) is pushing for a return to action.
Further forward, Mohammed Kudus (£6.8m) is looking to score for the second time against Crystal Palace, having found the net in December.
The Ghana winger is ranked in the top 30 for points per match by midfielders in the game and could prove a solid differential with his selection at just four per cent.
Elsewhere, Jarrod Bowen (£7.6m) returned to action on Thursday against Bayer Leverkusen and could be involved at Selhurst Park, while Emerson (£4.4m) and Paquetá (£6.0m), both suspended for the second leg midweek, are expected to return this weekend.
Opposition Watch: Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace are looking to follow arguably their best performance of the season this weekend after a 1-0 win away to Liverpool last time out.
Key to that performance was Eberechi Eze (£6.1m), who returned ten points following his goal at Anfield.
The 25-year-old forward is looking to score in successive meetings against West Ham at Selhurst Park, having found the net in Palace’s 4-3 win in April 2023.
Other players to watch include Dean Henderson (£4.4m), who has started Palace’s last four games, Joachim Andersen (£4.7m), who has an ownership of 13.7 per cent, and Jordan Ayew (£5.4m).
The Ghana forward – who is a midfielder in the game too – boasts a strong personal record against West Ham, having scored five goals against them in 15 matches.
Join the Hammers' FPL league
Don't forget to join the Official West Ham United FPL League by clicking HERE and entering the code 5ycfoa.
Also, congratulations to Ollie Truman, who is top of the West Ham supporters’ league with 2,140 points heading into Gameweek 34.
