West Ham draw puts focus on transfer deadline with David Moyes seeking quality at both ends

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West Ham’s flying start to the season was brought to a halt by Crystal Palace as Patrick Vieira’s side scored their first goals under the new manager and held the Hammers to a 2-2 draw in Stratford.

David Moyes, whose side remain unbeaten this season with 10 goals scored in three games, boasts a strong starting XI - but this was an afternoon which showed the need to invest before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

The ruthless, high energy side of Monday’s win over Leicester City was lacking here and Moyes had little at his disposal to change it.

After a first half in which Pablo Fornals pushed West Ham ahead against a passive Crystal Palace side, Moyes’ men were unable to take further advantage and looked to be lacking in ideas and options after Conor Gallagher twice leveled for the Eagles.

Moyes, who is yet to make a change to his starting XI this season, sent on Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko in the second half to try and see West Ham into the international break on the back of three straight wins, but neither made much of an impact.

"I think if we had had another centre forward we might have looked to have changed something possibly, but we don't,” said Moyes.

"I think Yarmolenko and Lanzini are good additions to most clubs, Yarma had an opportunity coming inside on his left foot.

"I think I've got a really good team and a really good squad. Could we do with extra numbers on that, yes I could do, but the team I've got and the way they've been performing with seven points out of nine, I am really happy with that."

Moyes is desperate to add a striker in this window in order to support Michail Antonio, who laid on an assist and scored his fourth goal in three games here, but is looking at other alternatives in the attacking areas.

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With Jesse Lingard having fallen further down the pecking order at Manchester United following the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford, there may well be another push for his services before Tuesday night - though the England international’s desire has always been to remain at his boyhood club.

It wasn’t just going forward where the need for additions was on show. Moyes was frustrated by the performance of his defenders on the opening day at Newcastle, and it was the same story here. Craig Dawson was turned too easily by Gallagher for his second goal, while both central defenders allowed the Crystal Palace man to slip between them for his first.

West Ham United v Crystal Palace - Premier League - London Stadium
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Kurt Zouma’s £25million move from Chelsea is all but completed after a negotiation process fraught with hurdles for West Ham.

Dawson has been a good servant since his loan move from Watford last season and earned himself a permanent deal at the end of the last campaign, but he lacks the quality needed to compete at the higher level West Ham now find themselves in.

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