Crystal Palace vs West Ham combined XI: Who makes the cut for the Premier League London derby?

Jack Rosser @JackRosser_28 October 2017

Slaven Bilic takes his West Ham side to face Crystal Palace today as he looks to turn their Premier League form around after a memorable night at Wembley in the EFL Cup.

The Hammers came from two goals down to beat London rivals Tottenham 3-2 and book their place in the quarter-finals. But as Bilic has made clear, that does not help their predicament in the League.

After an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Brighton at London Stadium last Friday, the Hammers are hovering dangerously above the relegation zone - and Bilic's job remains under pressure.

While Eagles boss Roy Hodgson is safe having replaced Frank de Boer after just four league games, not even a win could lift them off the foot of the table this weekend.

A lot has been made about the positions of both sides given the quality in their squads, but who would make a combined XI from the two struggling London rivals?

Goalkeeper: Adrian

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Joe Hart has been struggling in between the sticks for West Ham recently and while Palace’s Julian Speroni has done well in recent weeks, Adrian's performance against Spurs in the week gives the Spaniard the spot in this side.

Right-back: Pablo Zabaleta

REUTERS

The two-time Premier League champion has not exactly had a flying start to his West Ham career, but with his experience - and the lack of top players to compete for this spot - he makes the cut.

Central defence: Mamadou Sakho

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The former Liverpool man was a huge addition to Palace over the summer, and would be a good option for most Premier League squads. Neither side have impressed at the back this season, but at his peak Sakho is a top defender.

Central defence: Winston Reid

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The Hammers have struggled at the back this season, but Reid has been a trustworthy option for Bilic during his time in east London and could form a formidable partnership with Sakho.

Left-back: Aaron Cresswell

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Before Wednesday night the England international had lost his spot to Arthur Masuaku. However, given the latter’s performance against Brighton and Cresswell’s impressive showing at Wembley, he rounds off our back four.

Central midfield: Yohan Cabaye

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The Frenchman brings guile and grit to the midfield and adds the vision and distribution to complement a combative midfield partner.

Central midfield: Cheikhou Kouyate

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Kouyate has shown his versatility in recent weeks, dropping deep from midfield and allowing the full-backs to get forward. As with most of this side, he hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons, but West Ham's No.8 can keep things tight in the middle better than most on his day.

Right wing: Michail Antonio

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The wideman has struggled with injuries once again this season, but on his day has the power and pace to beat any Premier League defender.

Playmaker: Manuel Lanzini

AFP/Getty Images

The midfielder labelled ‘The Jewel’ during his time at River Plate has brought some sparkle back to Bilic’s side in recent weeks. His second-half showing against Spurs was crucial in the Hammers’ comeback.

Left wing: Wilfried Zaha

Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Zaha returned from a lengthy lay-off to fire Palace's season into life, grabbing the winner against the champions earlier this month as the Eagles picked up their first points. His final product is often criticised, but seven goals and nine assists last term helped Palace beat the drop - they'll need him to repeat that trick this season.

Striker: Javier Hernandez

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The former Manchester United striker was the highlight of the Hammers’ summer business. His goalscoring record this season hasn’t been exemplary, but his brace against Southampton showed just how deadly he can be.

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