Two sides who have made impressive starts to the season go head to head when Crystal Palace entertain West Ham United at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.
As the campaign moves out of its infancy, both clubs will be looking to prove that they can continue to achieve success close to the top half of the table as two of the top-six teams prepare to meet.
Crystal Palace
© Getty Images
An international break could not have arrived at a worse time for Alan Pardew and his players, after they bounced back from successive defeats to claim two wins from two prior to the busy week of Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Losses to Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur may not have been the most surprising results during those weekends, but they were defeats which threatened to halt the momentum gained by the Eagles in the early stages of what is already proving to be an impressive campaign.
Since the game against Spurs, Palace have thrashed Charlton Athletic in the League Cup before battling to wins over Watford and West Bromwich Albion, but a difficult finish to October will push the squad to the limit as the club looks to prove that it is capable of challenging for European qualification.
Before the start of November, Pardew's side will take on West Ham, high-flying Leicester City and Manchester United, while also meeting Man City in the fourth round of the League Cup.
Sitting three points off top spot after eight games may be an even better start than a confident Pardew was expecting, but he will be fully aware that one poor display could begin a run of disappointing results which would allow the teams around them to pull clear.
However, the signs this season are that Palace are strong enough for most challenges, and a productive transfer window appears to have given them the strength in depth to rotate when needed throughout the campaign.
Pardew will know that former club West Ham have similar ambitions, and a comfortable win would be another indication that the Eagles are ready to prove they are genuine top-six contenders.
Recent form: WWLLWW
Recent form (all competitions): WLLWWW
West Ham
© Getty Images
In a week when a former manager has grabbed the headlines, Slaven Bilic will be delighted to see his side return to action as West Ham look to make it four games unbeaten in the Premier League.
Sam Allardyce's switch to Sunderland was the big news earlier in the week, while his comments about West Ham players and rival managers have caught the attention of many as his new book flirts with controversial matters.
At Upton Park, the mood is much more calm and Bilic should be pleased that none of the club's fans will have their mind on Allardyce as they look to build on an impressive start which has left them eighth in the table.
Victories over Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City remain fresh in the memory of supporters, but resilience was the key before the international break as the Hammers fought admirably to avoid defeats in back-to-back games.
Cheikhou Kouyate's stoppage-time equaliser was enough to clinch a point against Norwich City, before Carl Jenkinson and Dimitri Payet both found the net as West Ham bounced back from two goals behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Sunderland in Dick Advocaat's last game in charge.
The most recent two results are arguably the kind of displays which were missing last season, and the belief instilled in the players by Bilic means the future is surely bright for the current squad as the Hammers target a possible top-six finish.
Currently sitting just four points behind leaders Manchester City, the challenge for the likes of Payet and Victor Moses is to prove that the freshening up of the playing staff has put the club on course to compete with the Premier League's elite.
Recent form: LWWWDD
Recent form (all competitions): WWWLDD
Team News
© Getty Images
Pardew is still without Connor Wickham and Joel Ward as they continue to battle with injuries that kept them out of action prior to the international break, but the Palace boss has been given good news in the return to fitness of a number of key men.
Damien Delaney, Mile Jedinak, Jordan Mutch and Lee Chung-yong should all be available for selection to give the Eagles squad a boost ahead of a tricky finish to the month.
Major changes appear to be unlikely for the hosts, though, with Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie expected to offer support to lone striker Dwight Gayle once again.
Bilic has revealed that Enner Valencia is still a couple of weeks away from returning after picking up an injury in July, while Alex Song is unlikely to be involved with the squad until next month.
Andy Carroll and Angelo Ogbonna are both set to return to the squad after recovering from their respective injury problems, but Aaron Cresswell and Winston Reid face a battle to prove their fitness to the Hammers boss.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Hennessey, Kelly, Hangeland, Dann, Souare, Cabaye, McArthur, Puncheon, Bolasie, Zaha, Gayle
West Ham possible starting lineup:
Adrian, Jenkinson, Tomkins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble, Moses, Zarate, Payet, Sakho
Head To Head
It was the away side who triumphed in this clash last season, with the Hammers claiming a 3-1 victory at the home of the Eagles before Glenn Murray struck twice to lead Palace to a win by the same scoreline in the reverse fixture at Upton Park in February.
West Ham's win last August was a rare success against Palace, and they head into Saturday's game with just one win in their last eight meetings with the opposition.
The home side have won just one of the last six matches between these two sides.
We say: Crystal Palace 1-1 West Ham
Both sides have proved that they tend to be more dangerous on the road than in front of their home supporters, but Palace always looked in control on the way to beating West Brom at Selhurst Park before the international break. The Hammers were not at their best against Norwich or Sunderland but draws in both games proved their resilience in difficult situations. It should be one of the closest games of the weekend and a draw could be the most likely result.
Callum Mulvihill
