Liverpool vs West Ham – News and Probable Lineups

In an effort to bolster their chances of securing a Champions League spot, Liverpool will host relegation-threatened West Ham United at Anfield for a Premier League encounter on Saturday afternoon.

The Hammers are eager to seek retribution against the Reds following a 2-0 loss in their previous clash at the London Stadium three months prior.

Match overview

This season, Liverpool has witnessed more goals being scored in the 90th minute or later than any other team in the Premier League (13 – seven for, six against). Nine of these late goals have altered the course of the match, with the Reds contributing three winning goals (D2 L4).

The latest of these thrilling victories arrived last weekend when Alexis Mac Allister scored in the 97th minute to secure a 1-0 win for Arne Slot’s team against Nottingham Forest. The Argentine had earlier seen a goal disallowed by VAR during a match largely dominated by the hosts.

At this time last year, Liverpool held a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League with 66 points, ultimately going on to claim the title. Currently, the Champions League-chasing Reds find themselves 21 points worse off, sitting in sixth position on the table after 27 games, tied on points with Chelsea in fifth and just three points behind Manchester United in fourth place.

The team has achieved back-to-back 1-0 victories in their last two Premier League fixtures (against Nottingham Forest and Sunderland) and will approach Saturday’s match against West Ham aiming for a third consecutive win without conceding, a feat they haven’t accomplished since Slot’s initial three matches in charge last season.

The Merseyside outfit is confident of securing maximum points, having lost only one of their last 19 top-flight encounters with the Hammers (W15 D3), winning seven of their last eight since suffering a 3-2 defeat away in November 2021.

West Ham’s 14-year tenure in the Premier League is still at risk, but they have managed to gather 11 points from their last six matches (W3 D2 L1), matching the total points they earned from their prior 18 league matches (W2 D5 L11), giving them a fighting chance for survival.

Out of those points, five were accrued in February, starting with a 2-0 win at Burnley, followed by back-to-back draws against Manchester United (1-1) and Bournemouth (0-0). Sharing the points with Bournemouth last weekend leaves the Hammers in 18th place on the Premier League table, two points behind safety.

A strong start against Liverpool could be crucial for West Ham in their quest for an upset, as 59% of their Premier League goals this season have been scored in the first half, representing the highest proportion in the division (19/32). Conversely, Liverpool has recorded the lowest percentage of their goals in the opening 45 minutes this season (31% – 13/42).

However, emerging victorious at Anfield has been a challenge for the Hammers, who have managed to win only one of their last 52 Premier League away outings against Liverpool (D12 L39), with their solitary victory being a 3-0 win in August 2015 under former manager Slaven Bilic.

West Ham has also suffered defeat in 26 of their 29 away matches against the previous season’s Premier League champions (W1 D2) – their lone win came against Manchester United in December 2001 – while head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has lost more Premier League matches against Liverpool than any other opponent (eight), putting history against the Hammers this weekend.

Team News

Liverpool continues to deal with the absences of injured players Alexander Isak (leg), Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni (both knee), and Wataru Endo (ankle). However, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong may be poised for a return from their respective back and hamstring injuries.

Wirtz withdrew from the starting XI against Nottingham Forest just before kickoff, but his injury is considered minor, making his return as a starter in the No.10 role plausible. It remains uncertain whether Frimpong will be ready to start, possibly leading to Dominik Szoboszlai filling in at right-back once more.

Out-of-form Cody Gakpo risks losing his place to 17-year-old prospect Rio Ngumoha or Federico Chiesa, while Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike are likely to maintain their positions in attack – Salah has not found the net in his last nine Premier League outings, and Ekitike has failed to score in seven of his last eight league appearances.

For West Ham, Freddie Potts will complete the second game of a three-match suspension, while January signing Pablo Felipe (calf) and backup goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (back) remain sidelined due to injury.

Nuno may contemplate switching to a back five, with Jean-Clair Todibo likely to be recalled to partner Konstantinos Mavropanos and Axel Disasi in the center of defense, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf could operate as wing-backs.

Mateus Fernandes, Tomas Soucek, and Soungoutou Magassa are set to compete for places in midfield, while Crysencio Summerville and captain Jarrod Bowen are envisaged to support new signing Valentin Castellanos in attack, who netted his first Premier League goal in West Ham’s last away fixture against Burnley.

Liverpool probable starting XI:

Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekiti

West Ham United probable starting XI:

Hermansen; Todibo, Mavropanos, Disasi; Wan-Bissaka, Fernandes, Magassa, Diouf; Bowen, Summerville; Castellanos

West Ham has appeared a much more formidable side since the onset of the new year, and Nuno’s team possesses the ability to challenge Liverpool in what may turn out to be a more competitive match than anticipated.

Although Liverpool’s home form in the Premier League has been inconsistent (W4 D3 L3), they are still to be seen as favorites due to their historical supremacy in this matchup. If some key attackers can regain their form, one would expect Slot’s squad to secure the victory.