Liverpool v West Ham – Preview, Predictions, and Best Bets

Liverpool host West Ham in the Carabao Cup at Anfield on Wednesday evening. Both sides have massive league encounters on Saturday as the Reds face Arsenal and the Hammers host Man Utd. Jurgen Klopp’s team lifted this trophy in 2022 whilst the Hammers have never won the League Cup.

Liverpool Form

Liverpool have had a very strong season despite rebuilding their squad. They have played 25 matches in all competitions with just three losses. Two of those came in the Europa League on matchdays four and six. After fighting back to draw 1-1 at Man City, they won five matches in a row. Two late goals were needed to beat Fulham 4-3 at home.

After a steady 2-0 win at Sheffield United, they needed an injury-time goal to win 2-1 at Crystal Palace against ten men. A 2-1 loss at Royal Union Saint-Gilloise made little difference as they topped Group E in the Europa League anyway. On Sunday, they could only draw 0-0 at home with Man Utd despite 34 shots and 2.38 xG created.

Liverpool Team News

Joel Matip is ruled out long-term in defence with a knee injury. Andy Robertson remains absent, and both Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic will play no part in midfield. Joe Gomez is likely to start this one as Klopp makes a few changes due to rotation.

Alexis Mac Allister is not expected to be risked due to a knee complaint whilst Diogo Jota could play some minutes. Ryan Gravenberch injured his hamstring against United and won’t feature. There could be starts for Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, and Cody Gakpo in the forward areas.

Liverpool Motivation

With Arsenal on Saturday evening, focus won’t be entirely on this fixture. The Carabao Cup is bottom of the priority list.

Klopp’s team selection will tell us plenty about Liverpool’s approach in this match, but they will play to win in 90 minutes and will attack West Ham.

West Ham Form

The Hammers had a poor run-in late October with four losses in five fixtures. David Moyes’ side have strung together a very good run since then. They won on matchday four, five and six in the Europa League to top their group. In the league, they beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 at home and won 2-1 at Burnley. A 1-1 home draw with Crystal Palace followed.

A fine second half led to a huge 2-1 win at Tottenham. They took their foot off the gas after that, surprisingly being thrashed 5-0 away at Fulham. Moyes arrested that alarming defeat by winning 2-0 at home to Freiburg and then 3-0 on Sunday at home to Wolves from just 1.13 xG produced.

West Ham Team News

David Moyes only has two injuries to deal with. Michail Antonio is absent up front so Jarod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus will alternate spending time through the middle. The other question mark is over Edson Alvarez in midfield due to a hip injury.

If the Mexican were to miss out in midfield, then Pablo Fornals could take his place. That would see Lucas Paqueta move from the left flank into a more central role. It’s expected to be a very strong team with not many of the best XI rested.

West Ham Motivation

The Hammers host Man Utd in the early kickoff on Saturday. That will take some focus off this match, but Moyes knows his side are just one win from a semi-final.

Expect West Ham to have only around 35% possession in this match with a focus on quick counter-attacks.

Key Stats

Liverpool’s last 50 home league matches have seen just 1 loss (38 wins, 11 draws)

Liverpool have scored 21 goals in their last 8 league matches at home

West Ham have lost just once in their last 9 matches

West Ham have lost their last 7 away matches vs Liverpool

Verdict

We should see a good game with both sides scoring in the match. However, the strength of the starting XIs on show will go a long way to determining who reaches the semi-finals.

Best Bet: Both Teams to Score at 1.62
Alternative Bet: Liverpool win and Over 2.5 goals at 1.95
High-Value Goalscorer Tip: Salah and Bowen to both score anytime at 6.44

James O'Connor

James is a football analyst who writes about the tactics of the PSL and English Premier League. He holds the UEFA A coaching licence and has previously worked for several clubs in analysis roles.Twitter: https://twitter.com/footy_analysis