- Joao Mario made West Ham debut following arrival from Inter Milan on loan, and he fired just wide early on
- Christian Benteke opened scoring for Palace, heading in Andros Townsend's cross for his second of season
- West Ham were back level when Mark Noble converted from the spot following James Tomkins' foul in the box
- Neither side could find a winner, with a point apiece taking them one step further from the relegation zone
By Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail
Published: 21:41 GMT, 30 January 2018 | Updated: 21:57 GMT, 30 January 2018
The 'dogfight extraordinaire', as Roy Hodgson charmingly billed the bottom half of the Premier League on the eve of this London derby is set to continue for both West Ham and Crystal Palace.
Each team has aspects about them to admire and each team is fatally flawed, out of kilter and could do with improvement before the transfer market closes for business.
Perhaps it was appropriate that for the second time this season they could not be prised apart.
Christian Benteke rises highest above the defence to power home a header and put Crystal Palace 1-0 up against West Ham
Adrian was unable to get anywhere near the ball as Belgian striker Benteke gets there ahead of James Collins to score
Benteke puts his fingers in his ears after silencing his doubters with his first Crystal Palace goal since mid-December
West Ham were afforded the chance to level things up when James Tomkins' trailing leg caught Javier Hernandez in the box
Mark Noble stepped up to score his 50th West Ham goal from the penalty spot to level the match shortly before half-time
Noble wheels away in celebration with the bloodied and bruised Cheikhou Kouyate, sporting a bandage around his head
MATCH FACTS, RATINGS, TABLE AND MATCH ZONE
West Ham (3-4-2-1): Adrian, Collins, Ogbonna, Rice, Byram, Zabaleta, Noble, Cresswell, Kouyate (Oxford 86), Joao Mario, Hernandez
Subs not used: Fonte, Haksabanovic, Hart, Martinez, Cullen, Quina
Goal: Noble 43 (pen)
Booked: Byram
Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Hennessey, Fosu-Mensah, Kelly, Tomkins, Van Aanholt, Zaha, McArthur, Milivojevic, Townsend, Benteke, Sako (Cabaye 41)
Subs not used: Speroni, Ward, Sakho, Lee, Souare, Riedewald
Goal: Benteke 24
Booked: Milivojevic, Tomkins, Townsend
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Attendance: 56,911
Season at a glance
- Premier League
- Premier League
- Championship
- League One
- League Two
- Scottish Premiership
- Scottish Div 1
- Scottish Div 2
- Scottish Div 3
- Ligue 1
- Serie A
- La Liga
- Bundesliga
Crystal Palace's opener came after Andros Townsend ran down the right to cross onto the head of Christian Benteke…
Joao Mario played a big part for West Ham on his debut. Click HERE to see more from Sportsmail's brilliant Match Zone service.
Christian Benteke struck first, heading Palace into the lead midway through the first half before David Moyes' side fought back and levelled with a penalty from Mark Noble.
Joao Mario dazzled for the home team to suggest he might prove to be an inspired acquisition in the loan market.
While, up front Javier Hernandez looked a little more like his old self.
Hodgson's team took an age to hit their stride and then proved capable of creating good chances.
Wilfried Zaha threatened in the first half but was not at his best and faded. By the end it was a contest begging to be put out of its misery.
Both teams are vulnerable, low on confidence and increasingly short of fully-fit players with new casualties at every turn.
Joao Mario, surrounded by bubbles at the London Stadium, walks on the pitch ahead of his first taste of football for West Ham
Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic picked up a yellow card within six minutes after a poor tackle on Sam Byram
Despite a 'sold out' message being projected around the ground, there were some empty seats among the home supporters
Palace lost Bakary Sako to injury in the first half when he limped off after a firm but fair midfield challenge from Pablo Zabaleta.
West Ham's Cheikhou Kouyate played the majority of the game with his head bandaged after an early collision with Luka Milivojevic until replaced four minutes from time.
All of which only served to emphasise the stupidity of Arthur Masuaku who started his six-game ban for spitting.
Moyes patched up his team with extra full-backs, a youthful bench and handed a Premier League debut to Mario, signed on loan from Inter Milan for the rest of the season and delightfully fluent in possession.
The first chance of the game fell at the feet of the Portugal international when Hernandez nodded a deep cross from Kouyate into his path.
Hernandez looked destined to open the scoring for West Ham but ex-Hammer Tomkins' last-ditch tackle saved Palace's skin
Adrian tries to stretch a hand down to save Benteke's header but the ball finds the back of the net to give Palace the lead
Collins was the man jumping with Benteke, but he could not rise as high as the Belgian to stop him firing the ball goalwards
Andros Townsend, who crossed the ball for the goal, and Bakary Sako celebrate with Benteke after he netted his goal
Mario tried to sweep it past goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey on the half-volley but miscued and dragged his shot wide.
It was a positive start for the home team without creative sparks such as Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic.
Andre Ayew was absent, too, officially injured but also understood to be close to completing a return to Swansea, possibly with midfielder Ki Sung-yeung moving in the opposite direction.
Another routine cross swung in from the right sparked chaos in the Crystal Palace goalmouth when James McArthur and Timothy Fosu-Mensah turned their backs and left it for each other.
The upshot was almost unwitting assist for Hernandez but James Tomkins, back at his former club, reacted quickly to clear the danger.
West Ham captain Noble strikes the ball from the penalty spot, sending Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey the wrong way
With bubbles blowing around him, Noble celebrates his 50th West Ham goal in front of the adoring home supporters
Midfielder Kouyate needed medical attention for a head injury, and he was given a bandage to stop the flow of blood
Midway through the first half and Palace had offered barely a murmur of attacking intent when they took the lead, winning a goal-kick from Adrian in the air and slicing easily through the West Ham defence.
Milivojevic supplied Andros Townsend who beat Declan Rice on the outside with a change of pace and clipped an inviting ball into the centre for Benteke to devour.
The Belgium striker worked himself into space and climbed across the front of James Collins to bury a header past Adrian from close range.
It was only a second goal of the season for Benteke and Palace will be twice the side if they can coax him into form.
Sako, who was awful for half an hour, required two spells of treatment after the Zabaleta tackle before he hobbled off down the tunnel and was replaced by Yohan Cabaye.
Joao Mario made his debut for the Hammers after arriving on loan, and he played a pivotal part in his side's first-half equaliser
Hernandez heads the ball past Timothy Fosu-Mensah and towards the Crystal Palace goal, but Hennessey is equal to it
Palace may have to add Sako to their list of injured players; the winger was replaced by Yohan Cabaye shortly before half-time
The disruption hurt Palace who, having belatedly found some rhythm, conceded a penalty within seconds of the restart.
Mario's close control enabled him to burrow into the penalty area and slide a pass to Hernandez who seized a clumsy lunge by Tomkins, feigned to shoot, waited for contact and tumbled. Referee Neil Swarbrick pointed to the spot and Noble converted.
The visitors responded with a flurry of chances before half-time. Adrian saved from Townsend, McArthur headed wide and Milivojevic caught one sweetly from 25 yards only for it to soar over.
West Ham survived until half-time, took control of the second half and ought to have moved ahead when Hennessey saved from Hernandez.
Bandages on his head and right wrist did not stop West Ham midfielder Kouyate getting right into the thick of the action
Palace midfield pairing James McArthur and Milivojevic combine to stop Aaron Cresswell getting past them and to the ball
David Moyes, who alongside assistant Stuart Pearce has rejuvenated West Ham, barks his instructions from the technical area
Again, the influential Mario started the move, releasing Sam Byram who picked out the Mexican striker from the right. It was a fine save, with strong hands from close range but the header by Hernandez really ought to have beaten the Palace goalkeeper.
Hodgson retreated into his seat unable to give them a jolt with limited attacking options on the bench.
Moyes, too, clearly felt unable to change the flow of the game with his selection of young subs.
The derby fizzled to a miserable end, the closing stages getting worse as a spectacle, rather than better.
Tomkins, a legend at West Ham following 19 years of service at the club, tries to clear the ball under pressure from Kouyate
Fosu-Mensah agonises after sending a cross high and wide over the crossbar, with his team-mates waiting in the 18-yard box
Townsend grits his teeth during a London derby that fizzled out in the latter stages, seeing both teams go home with a point
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