KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum West Ham v Liverpool - PL Wed 29th Jan KO 7:45PM GMT

Team News & Tactics

West Ham United

David Moyes has a spate of injury concerns to contend with ahead of the visit of Liverpool. On Wednesday, the West Ham United manager will likely be without as many as seven first-team players, with attack posing a major concern.

There is some good news, though, with Lukasz Fabianski inching closer to his return from a hamstring injury. However, the game against Liverpool will have come too soon for the Pole, who, like Robert Snodgrass, Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko, among others, will miss out.

The shift in formation to a 5-3-2 did not exactly work wonders for West Ham, while the 4-2-2-2 did not work either. Moyes could, thus, revert to the 4-2-3-1, with Pablo Fornals deployed on the left wing, although the Spaniard will look to move infield, allowing left-back Aaron Cresswell to provide width down his flank.

On the opposite flank, Michail Antonio will start in the absence of the injured Snodgrass, with Manuel Lanzini being given a free role just behind the striker. Sebastien Haller will lead the line for West Ham against Liverpool.

The midfield double pivot will be manned by Declan Rice and West Ham captain Mark Noble, with the duo aiming to stifle Liverpool’s attacking moves first and foremost. At the back, Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna will form the central defensive partnership, with Pablo Zabaleta being the right-back. Darren Randolph will start in goal in the absence of Fabianski.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Randolph; Zabaleta, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Noble, Rice; Antonio, Lanzini, Fornals; Haller



Liverpool

The big news for Liverpool ahead of the trip to the capital is that Sadio Mane has been ruled out due to the hamstring injury he picked up against Wolves last week. Mane is one of four Liverpool players who will not face West Ham United, with James Milner, Xherdan Shaqiri and Nathaniel Clyne missing out as well.

The big news for Jurgen Klopp will invariably centre around Mane’s replacement, with Divock Origi likely to get the nod over Takumi Minamino, despite the latter being the man to come in for Mane at Wolves. Origi will start on the left side of Liverpool’s three-pronged attack, with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino completing the forward line.

In midfield, Jordan Henderson, who made a great deal of difference last week, will likely play the Anchor Man role, seeing as Fabinho once again looked rusty in the FA Cup contest against Shrewsbury Town. The Liverpool captain will have Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Georginio Wijnaldum for company, with Naby Keita a backup option on the bench.

As far as defence is concerned, there is no looking past the quartet of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson. With both Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip failing to impress in the cup tie, Gomez becomes an automatic pick at the heart of the Liverpool defence alongside van Dijk.

Alexander-Arnold and Robertson will once again be tasked with providing the creative outlet on either flank, allowing the two wingers to drift in. Finally, Alisson Becker will be the man between the sticks for Liverpool against West Ham.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Origi



Key Stats

West Ham United are winless in six Premier League matches against Liverpool (D2 L4) since winning 2-0 in January 2016 under Slaven Bilic.

West Ham United have claimed just 11 points at home this term, a joint-lowest tally in the Premier League along with Southampton.

Liverpool have beaten all 18 of the sides they’ve faced in the Premier League this season – the only side they are yet to beat are West Ham. The Reds last beat every league side they faced in a season in 1895-96 in the second-tier and have never achieved the feat in the top-flight.

Mohamed Salah scored in his first four Premier League games in London for the Reds but has since failed to find the net in his last nine matches in the capital.

Michail Antonio has scored in four of his five Premier League appearances against Liverpool, netting four goals; the only players to have scored more top-flight goals against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane, with seven and five respectively.

http://www.thehardtackle.com/round-up/20...ws-key-stats-2/

It's a pity this game is being played at the same time Man City host Man Utd in the League Cup Semi-Final 2nd leg. I don't believe one minute that the likes of Pep and his City players don't watch us play when they are not in action at the same time. Hopefully they walk into their dressing room at the end of their game tonight to hear we've tonked West Ham, further extending our lead and increasing our GD over them.

Winning tonight gets us to a 19 point lead on the same amount of games played as Man City but the BIG factor here for me is hitting the 70 points marker after 24 games played with 14 games remaining.

It means Liverpool would have to lose half of their remaining 14 games left = 7 games OR lose 6 games and draw 1 with Man City having to win all their remaining 14 games with a better GD than Liverpool.

Tonight is a chance to improve our GD with West Ham's current woes and injury problems and turn the screws ever tighter on any machinations Man City have of reeling us in.

I'd have that same team line up above with one exception in switching Salah to the left up against Zabaleta.

Zabaleta was never that fast in his prime and nowadays he's showing his 35 years getting slower and slower. Salah should have a field day if up against him.

Origi never does well when he starts a game, I'd prefer to start with Minamino in the front 3 and bring Origi on later as a sub, he's always got more impact from the bench, especially against a tried defense.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Origi, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Adrian, Fabinho, Lovren, Keita, Minamino, Matip, Jones.

Antonio and Lanzini are the ones we need to watch on the breakout. I'd expect them to play five at the back and try to do a low block on us. However their defence isn't great so we should be able to break them down. Also their midfield isn't great either so our lads should be able to get plenty of service to our attackers. I'm going for 0 - 3 and if we score early it could be better.

Dominated them from first to last minute, fantastic performance from the lads.

Liverpool's Last 33 PL Games

Wins 32

Draws 1

Losses 0

GD +59

>97 Points out of a possible 99

Liverpool are a MACHINE - Craig Burley