West Ham United got off the mark for 2024/25 with a workmanlike win at Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.

Having seen his side kick-off their Premier League season with a home defeat to Aston Villa seven days earlier, Julen Lopetegui was delighted to have secured victory in his second match in charge.

“We worked very hard today against a good team,” observed the Hammers boss after two quickfire goals - inside the space of five second-half minutes - from Tomáš Souček and skipper Jarrod Bowen secured a 2-0 victory.

“Crystal Palace were one of the best teams in the Premier League towards the end of last season so I’m very happy for these three points.

"After losing to Aston Villa, we had things to prove today and it was very important to make sure that our only focus was about winning this game.”

While Palace shaded the opening 45 minutes with the ever-threatening Eberechi Eze rattling the woodwork, the introductions of Selhurst Park old-boy Aaron Wan-Bissaka and German international striker Niclas Füllkrug, on the hour, helped turn the tide in West Ham’s favour.

“It was well-balanced in the first half and Alphonse Areola had to make some good saves,” observed Lopetegui after Souček converted midway through the second period to make the breakthrough.

The impressive Maximilian Kilman then invited the breaking Bowen to cement victory on 72 minutes.

“Yes, Max had a very good match but I am not here to highlight just one person’s performance. After this win, I want to highlight every one of my players," added Spaniard Lopetegui, who welcomed back fit-again Edson Álvarez, while giving late run-outs to on-loan French defender Jean-Clair Todibo and veteran full-back, Aaron Cresswell.

“In today’s football, you have to be able to make five changes and those who are not starting are always still very important because they need to be ready to go onto the pitch and help the team.

"My substitutes were all ready to play, that’s why they came on and now we all have to keep winning together.”

While Saturday’s tricky trip to Selhurst Park was Lopetegui’s first-ever experience of a London derby, West Ham will face another four capital clashes in their next half-dozen Premier League games, starting with mid-September’s journey to Fulham.

“Derbies may be different for the supporters but for me, every game is the same no matter who we are playing. It’s important to look at derby matches as just another game of football and make sure that we win all three points. That’s the environment that I want to create,” he said.

West Ham welcome AFC Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup second round on Wednesday evening (7.45pm) before hosting champions Manchester City on Saturday afternoon (5.30pm), after the summer transfer window closes on Friday evening.

“I cannot say what will be possible with any particular player but while the market is open then anything can happen,” said Lopetegui, keeping his cards close to his chest in terms of any late arrivals or departures.

“Right now, I can only look forward to our next match against Bournemouth and our next challenge.”