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Premier League | Gameweek 8
Oct 5, 2019 at 5.30pm UK
 
Crystal Palace logo

1-2

Haller (54')
FT(HT: 0-0)
van Aanholt (63' pen.), Ayew (87')

Manuel Pellegrini talks up West Ham United top-six chances

Manuel Pellegrini talks up West Ham top-six chances
© Reuters
West Ham are unbeaten in the Premier League since their 5-0 defeat to Manchester City on the opening day of the season.

Manuel Pellegrini insists he will "always believe" his high-flying West Ham side can build on their fine start to the season and finish in the European spots.

The Hammers go into Saturday's home clash with Crystal Palace unbeaten in the Premier League since their 5-0 defeat to Manchester City on the opening day.

Currently fifth, ahead of the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United, Pellegrini is optimistic they can remain near the top of the table, boosted by the belief they are improving "a lot".

"I always believe," said the Chilean when asked whether the Hammers could finish in the top six.

"I think you must be always a winner, that you must have a mentality that reflects that at least you are going to make the attempt to do it. After that you will see if you arrive or not.

"But in the way we are playing, I think that we are improving a lot and that's one of the reasons why we believe we can do it."

With several of the Premier League's traditional big guns struggling for form at the start of the campaign, the opportunity could be there for the likes of West Ham to steal a march in the quest for European football.

Former Manchester City and Real Madrid boss Pellegrini prefers not to look  too far ahead, though.

He said: "I think that we must be concentrated and try to continue the way we are playing now. Try to be a solid team in defending and try to continue scoring goals and then we will see which other teams will arrive in the (top) six, or in the first five positions in the table."

West Ham were dealt a blow against Bournemouth last week when goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski picked up an injury while taking a goal-kick which could require surgery.

Pellegrini said the club's medical staff would decide over the next 24 hours whether an operation was needed, but added that either way Fabianski was expected to out for three months.

When asked whether he would be looking at other goalkeepers, Pellegrini replied: "Not for the moment because we have Roberto. I trust a lot in him, he's (had) a brilliant career in Europe also. I am confident that he will have a good performance.

"But we will decide after we know exactly how long Fabianski will be out."

Pellegrini also said he had "no regrets" over the summer departure of long-serving goalkeeper Adrian, who joined European champions Liverpool on a free transfer after leaving the London Stadium.

"No, not any regrets, because we did all we could for Adrian to stay here," he said.

"He's a player that played six or seven years for West Ham, a goalkeeper I trust in a lot, but for a different reason they didn't arrive to reach a new contract."

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Virgil van Dijk in action during the Premier League game between Liverpool and Newcastle United on September 14, 2019
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


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