Crystal Palace vs Fulham

There can't be many more challenging fixtures to begin your Premier League managerial career with than against the champions, Manchester City. Considering the investment they've made this summer, it would have been easy for Moyes to set his team up with the intention of avoiding a heavy defeat.

Instead, Moyes set up West Ham to make life as uncomfortable for City as they could, and the tactical masterclass was nearly rewarded with a famous victory.

The Hammers sat deep, soaking up City pressure before looking to hit them on the break. With the pace of Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, it's a tactic that has the potential to be devastatingly effective.

After just under half an hour, it was Bowen who caused the City defence all sorts of problems down the right-hand side before teeing up Pablo Fornals to give West Ham the lead.

City eventually drew level with 20 minutes remaining when Erling Haaland tapped home from close range, but West Ham weren’t to be denied on the opening weekend of the season.

Another swift counter-attack led to Fornals turning provider as he crossed for Said Benrahma to head home at the far post.

Pep Guardiola's champions will no doubt pose an even tougher test when these two sides meet at the London Stadium later this season, but for David Moyes, this was the perfect start to life as West Ham manager.

It was also a great result for the Premier League. Having the usual suspects battling it out at the top of the table every season can get a bit tiresome, but if West Ham can maintain this level of performance, they could make things very interesting this year.

Predicted Lineups

Crystal Palace
Guaita; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Schlupp, Doucoure, Eze; Olise, Ayew, Zaha
Fulham
Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Palhinha, Reed; Willian, Pereira, Mitrovic, Kebano

Key Battle

Wilfried Zaha vs Kenny Tete
Wilfried Zaha is one of the most dangerous wingers in the Premier League, and he will be looking to use his pace and skill to cause problems for Fulham's defence. Kenny Tete is a solid defender, but he will have his work cut out to stop Zaha.

Prediction

This is a tough game to call, but I think Crystal Palace will just edge it. They have a good mix of experience and youth, and they will be playing at home. Fulham are a good side, but they are still a work in progress.
Crystal Palace 2-1 Fulham