Online
\nLONDON
\nSebastien Haller has often struggled to justify being West Ham United\u2019s record signing but he produced a moment of dazzling quality to earn his side a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Wednesday.
\nChristian Benteke had given Palace the lead in the first half with a powerful header, and was later sent off, but Haller lit up the London derby with a sublime 55th-minute bicycle kick.
\nVladimir Coufal clipped a cross into the area and Haller, with his back to goal, launched himself into the air before hammering an acrobatic overhead kick past Vicente Guaita.
\n\u201cFinally. I was a bit unlucky last week (against Leeds) so to score a goal like that is always good. Special,\u201d Haller said.
\n\u201cThis season I\u2019ve not played as much but I\u2019ve scored more goals. I\u2019m just happy today.\u201d
\nThe draw left West Ham in seventh place in the table with Palace in 12th spot.
\nPablo Fornals wasted a good chance to put West Ham ahead early on but Palace looked dangerous with Benteke causing the home defence problems with his aerial ability.
\nIn the 34th minute a well-worked Palace move down the right ended with Joel Ward whipping in a cross and Benteke lost his marker before powering a header past Lukasz Fabianski.
\nGuaita saved well from Jarrod Bowen as West Ham responded but Benteke should have made it 2-0 from Andros Townsend\u2019s low ball into the area but his casual flick was saved by Fabianski.
\nFifteen minutes after Haller\u2019s spectacular intervention, Benteke blotted his copybook as he challenged for a high ball and caught Tomas Soucek with his arm.
\nThere was nothing malicious about it but referee David Coote decided it was worthy of a yellow card, Benteke\u2019s second of the game. West Ham looked favourites to take the three points at that stage but apart from one effort by Declan Rice the hosts could not make their numerical advantage count.
\nPalace manager Roy Hodgson said he was happy with his team\u2019s display but mystified by Benteke\u2019s dismissal.
\n\u201cA good result for us because we had to play 30 minutes with 10 men — I couldn\u2019t understand the sending off,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cThat type of challenge will always happen in football.\u201d
\nBenteke will now miss Palace\u2019s next match against his former club Liverpool.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Online LONDON Sebastien Haller has often struggled to justify being West Ham United\u2019s record signing but he produced a moment of dazzling quality to earn his side a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Wednesday. Christian Benteke had given Palace the lead in the first half with a powerful header, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-162607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n