That West Ham United managed to secure a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace is a testament to the brilliance of Max Kilman, Tomas Soucek, and Jarrod Bowen. However, the same cannot be said for Vladimir Coufal and Michail Antonio, whose performances were nothing short of abysmal.

From the moment Julen Lopetegui’s team sheet was released, fans knew they were in for a long afternoon. And indeed, West Ham looked clunky throughout the first half, relying on Kilman’s outstanding display to keep them in the game.

While Soucek and Bowen’s heroics ultimately secured the win, it’s hard to ignore the glaring issues with Coufal and Antonio’s performances. The duo offered nothing going forward and were constantly exposed defensively. Their replacements, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Niclas Fullkrug, brought a much-needed injection of energy and quality to the team.

With Coufal and Antonio’s futures at the London Stadium already in doubt, their displays against Palace will have done little to convince Lopetegui to keep them in the starting lineup. As one fan noted, “It will obviously take time and a lot of patience to see Lopetegui’s overall plan come to fruition, but he will do himself a big favour if he makes sure he doesn’t start those two players ever again.”