As Nigel Winterburn once wisely said, “if they (West Ham) don’t sort out those defensive issues, they could be in trouble this season”. After West Ham’s defeat 2-1 on the 5th of October against Crystal Palace, some supporters of the Hammers believe they witnessed Wilfried Zaha maliciously spitting in the direction of Declan Rice, defensive mid-fielder for Crystal Palace.
The moment was captured on camera at the London Stadium which shows Zaha clearly spitting with malice after Rice passed him. In 2011 a then 8-year-old Zaha was dismissed for spitting at Patrick van Aanholt, but the red card has been rescinded after a review of video evidence. Zaha would have had to serve a four-match suspension had the dismissal not been overturned after a successful Crystal Palace appeal.
Many Crystal Palace fans believe West Ham supporters are being sour after their defeat. Zaha also responded to claims in an Instagram video and claimed West Ham fans ‘made up lies’ about him allegedly spitting at Declan Rice during Crystal Palace’s Saturday win at the London Stadium.
Lying in bed as he filmed the clip, Zaha said: ‘Let me clear up something that the West Ham fans are trying to make up.
‘On your own video, you can see that Declan runs in front of me and I spit to the right. So please don’t makeup lies that I spat at someone. I have never done it and I never will. So please, let’s just accept that we won the game and move on’.
Palace fans have pointed out that it was a mere coincidence that Rice happened to be in the vicinity when Zaha spat and that it was aimed at the floor rather than the player. Nonetheless, West Ham fans called for the Football Association to investigate Zaha’s actions.
Palace have now won four of their last six Premier League matches but face a tricky test against Manchester City at Selhurst Park on October 19.
