Liverpool will travel to the London Stadium to take on West Ham United on Sunday, looking to continue their impressive run of form.
Liverpool are currently on top of the league table, but they cannot afford to drop points vs West Ham United, especially with Arsenal and Chelsea breathing down their necks. The Reds need to grind out a vital away win here, and it will be interesting to see if the players can step up and deliver.
Arne Slot’s men have done well against West Ham in their recent meetings, and they will look to extend their fine run of form against the Hammers this week. On the other hand, West Ham United have been quite mediocre this season. The Hammers are currently 13th in the league table and they will look to bounce back strongly.
Julen Lopetegui’s men are unbeaten in the last four league matches, and they will look to make life difficult for the opposition. West Ham are coming into this game on the back of a win over Southampton, and it will be interesting to see if they can grind out a positive result against Liverpool. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
West Ham United will be without Michail Antonio, who was recently involved in a car accident. Meanwhile, Tomas Soucek is suspended. West Ham will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Alphonse Areola in goal.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Aaron Cresswell will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Liverpool on the break. Max Kilman will start in the central defensive partnership alongside Jean-Clair Todibo.
As for the midfield unit, Guido Rodriguez will start alongside Carlos Soler in the double pivot. The two midfielders will look to add defensive cover and control to the side from the deep. Lucas Paqueta will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create chances for his teammates.
Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville will add creativity and goals from the wide areas. Finally, Mohammed Kudus will lead the line for West Ham United vs Liverpool at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Cresswell; Rodriguez, Soler; Bowen, Paqueta, Summerville; Kudus
Liverpool
Liverpool will be without Conor Bradley due to a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate is sidelined with a knee injury, and Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
The Reds are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alisson Becker in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Joe Gomez will start alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch will add defensive cover and control to the side from the deep. Curtis Jones will likely feature as the attacking midfielder after scoring in the midweek, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates as well.
Finally, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz will add creativity and goals from the wide areas, with Diogo Jota leading the line for Liverpool vs West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday evening.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Diaz; Jota
Key Stats
- Liverpool have scored at least two goals in their last ten matches in the Premier League.
- Liverpool are undefeated in their last 13 matches in the Premier League. Their only defeat this term came against Nottingham Forest in the early days of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
- 24 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six matches vs West Ham United.
- Liverpool have let in seven goals in their last four matches.
Player to Watch
Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian International has been in red-hot form this season, and he continues to sparkle every week. The 32-year-old has nine goals and eight assists in his last ten matches for Liverpool. He will look to continue in his rich vein of form and cause all sorts of problems to the West Ham defence.
The Hammers have conceded 30 goals in the Premier League so far, and they could struggle against an in-form Liverpool attack. Salah will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and add to his goalscoring tally for the season as well.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-1 Liverpool
Both teams will be desperate for a win here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. West Ham have made themselves difficult to beat in the last four games, and they will be confident of getting something out of this contest vs Liverpool as well. Liverpool cannot afford to be complacent, and they will need to raise their performance levels to get a good result here.
The Reds were slow off the blocks against Leicester City in the first half, and they cannot afford to do that away from home against the Hammers. This is likely to be a close contest, and the two teams could end up cancelling each other out in a draw. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw for Arne Slot and his charges.
