Liverpool will host West Ham United at Anfield on Saturday, looking to continue their push for a top-four finish with another crucial victory.
Liverpool have won five of their last six matches across all competitions, and they will look to continue their recent run of form in the game vs West Ham United at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
The defending Premier League champions have kept a clean sheet in their last three matches in all competitions. Arne Slot’s men will certainly be the favourites heading into this game, and it will be interesting to see if they can get the job done.
Meanwhile, West Ham United are fighting for survival in the Premier League, and they need to pick up points. They are unbeaten in five of the last six matches in the Premier League. The Hammers have made themselves difficult to beat, and they will look to grind out a positive result away from home. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
The home team will be without Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Conor Bradley (knee), Wataru Endo (ankle), and Alexander Isak (fracture) this weekend. Liverpool are likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs West Ham United, with Alisson Becker in goal.
Joe Gomez and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Gravenberch will start alongside Dominik Szoboszlai, aiming to add control and composure to the team. Alexis Mac Allister will look to create opportunities for teammates in the final third.
Finally, Hugo Ekitike will lead the line for Liverpool vs West Ham United, with Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Ekitike
West Ham United
Lukasz Fabianski will miss out due to a lower-back injury. Meanwhile, Freddie Potts will be unavailable due to suspension, and Pablo has a calf injury to deal with. West Ham United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Mads Hermansen in goal.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Max Kilman will start alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos in the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Mateus Fernandes will start alongside Soungoutou Magassa in the midfield pivot. They will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the midfield.
Tomas Soucek will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goal-scoring chances for his teammates. Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville will add creativity, flair, and goals from the flanks. Finally, Taty Castellanos will spearhead the West Ham United attack vs Liverpool on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Fernandes, Magassa; Bowen, Soucek, Summerville; Castellanos
Key Stats
- Liverpool have won their last ten home matches against West Ham United in all competitions. The Reds have scored at least two goals in their last eight matches against West Ham in all competitions. 26 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Liverpool are without a defeat in five of their last six matches in all competitions. On the other hand, West Ham are also without a repeat in five of the last six Premier League outings.
- West Ham have lost 26 of their 29 Premier League away games against the previous season’s champions (W1 D2), with their only victory coming at Manchester United in December 2001.
- Liverpool’s Premier League games have seen more goals scored in the 90th minute (including stoppage time) than any other side this season (13 – F7 A6). Nine of these goals have altered the result of the match, with the Reds scoring three winners (D2 L4).
- Nuno Espirito Santo has lost more Premier League games against Liverpool than any other opponent (8). However, his only win against the Reds came at Anfield against Arne Slot last season, winning 1-0 with Nottingham Forest.
Player to Watch
Hugo Ekitike
The Liverpool striker is our key player to watch out for. He could make a big difference for his team in the final third. West Ham United have been quite poor defensively, conceding 49 goals in 27 league matches.
The French international is likely to get chances here, and he could punish them with his finishing and movement. So, it is hardly surprising that Ekitike is a captaincy candidate in FPL for Gameweek 28. He will look to help create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-1 West Ham United
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither side will want to drop points. Liverpool will be desperate for UEFA Champions League qualification, and they cannot afford to slip up at home.
On the other hand, West Ham are 18th in the league table. There is very little margin for error, and they will look to get a good result here. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but Liverpool have more depth in the attacking unit, and they should be able to grind out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Arne Slot and his charges.