LIVERPOOL have been in blistering form this season but take on high-flying West Ham today in the Premier League.
The Reds are fresh off their 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid in Europe on Wednesday but struggled in a 2-2 draw against Brighton last weekend.
- Kick-off time: 4.30pm GMT
- West Ham XI: Fabianski, Johnson, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Rice, Soucek, Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals, Antonio
- Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Jota, Mane
- TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Premier League
- Live Stream: Sky Go (Subscribers)/Now TV Day Pass (Non-subscribers)
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FREE-SCORING REDS
Liverpool have scored 19 goals in their first five away Premier League games this season, with only two sides in the history of the top-flight ever scoring more at this stage – Manchester United in 1907-08 and Manchester City in 2011-12 (both 20).
UNBEATEN STREAK
Since a run of six defeats in seven Premier League games in February and March, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 20 league games (W14 D6), scoring at least once in all 20 games (50 goals in total).
ON THE ROAD
Liverpool have scored at least three goals in each of their last six away league games, netting 22 goals in total.
In the entire history of the Football League, only one team has ever scored three or more times in seven consecutive away league games, with Birmingham City doing so between November 1892 and September 1893 in the second tier.
Credit: GETTY IMAGES
FEWEST CHANGES
West Ham have made the fewest changes to their starting XI in Premier League games this season (4), while no side have used fewer different players than the Hammers (18).
Despite this, only Chelsea (15) and Manchester City (11) have had more different goalscorers than David Moyes’ side this term (9).
HAMMER THE HAMMERS
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has scored nine goals in eight Premier League appearances against West Ham.
He could become the seventh player to score 10+ goals against the Hammers in the competition, making them the side against which the most different players have reached double figures.
REDS BENCH
5 Konate, 6 Thiago, 18 Minamino, 21 Tsimikas, 27 Origi, 47 Phillips, 62 Kelleher, 76 Williams, 80 Morton.
LIVERPOOL XI
1 Alisson; 66 Alexander-Arnold, 32 Matip, 4 Van Dijk, 26 Robertson; 3 Fabinho, 14 Henderson, 15 Oxlade-Chamberlain; 11 Salah, 20 Jota, 10 Mane.
HAMMERS BENCH
13 Areola, 15 Dawson, 5 Coufal, 23 Diop, 26 Masuaku, 24 Fredericks, 33 Kral, 16 Noble, 10 Lanzini.
WEST HAM XI
David Moyes is sticking with the same side that brushed Aston Villa aside 4-1 last weekend.
1 Fabianski; 31 Johnson, 4 Zouma, 21 Ogbonna, 3 Cresswell; 41 Rice (c), 28 Soucek; 20 Bowen, 22 Benrahma, 8 Fornals; 9 Antonio.
THE TEAMSHEETS ARE OUT!
KING MO
Mohamed Salah has scored in each of Liverpool’s first five away Premier League games this season, only the second player to score in his team’s first five games on the road in a season after Thierry Henry in 2001-02 for Arsenal, who failed to score in their sixth.
The last player to score in six away top-flight games in a row was Sergio Agüero in August 2017 for Manchester City (seven in a row).
KLOPP ON MOYES
Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for West Ham manager David Moyes, who has now passed the 1,000 game milestone in management.
Ahead of today’s game, Klopp said: “He gets better and better and better, that’s how I say it!
“I don’t know if he reinvented himself, but it’s absolutely incredible. Everybody who watches West Ham knows it’s now a full package, high in the table.”
POINTS HAUL
Only reigning Premier League champions Manchester City (80) and reigning European champions Chelsea (66) have earned more Premier League points in 2021 than West Ham (62).
This is already the most points West Ham have won in a single calendar year in the competition.
TAKING THE MIC
Michail Antonio has been directly involved in 17 goals in his last 22 Premier League games at the London Stadium for West Ham (11 goals, 6 assists).
He is also the top scorer (19) and assister (12) at the London Stadium and is one of three current players to be outright top for both goals and assists at a stadium in the Premier League, along with Jamie Vardy at the King Power and Raúl Jiménez at Molineux.
Antonio has also scored five in nine appearances against Liverpool for the Hammers.
Credit: GETTY IMAGES AWAY DAYS
Liverpool have won four of their last five away league games against West Ham (D1) and are looking to win three in a row at the Hammers for the first time since doing so between 2003 and 2007.
The last time the Reds visited the London Stadium, they won 3-1.
Star man Mohamed Salah bagged a brace, and Gini Wijnaldum got himself a goal.
Craig Dawson scored a late consolation strike.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Since doing the league double over Liverpool in 2015-16, West Ham are winless in their last 10 Premier League games against the Reds (D2 L8).
GOOD AFTERNOON
And welcome to the live blog for West Ham vs Liverpool!
David Moyes’ high flying Hammers welcome title-chasing Liverpool to the London Stadium.
The Reds are yet to be beaten across all competitions this season.
They’re coming into the game off the back of a 2-0 win over LaLiga champions Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Whereas West Ham were held to a draw in Genk.
Today’s game is a must win for both teams.
A win for Liverpool takes them one point behind table toppers Chelsea and two clear of Manchester City.
However, a win for West Ham sees the Hammers leapfrog Liverpool and go into third.
In terms of team news, Andriy Yarmolenko and Nikola Vlasic are both doubts having missed the Hammers’ Europa League game on Thursday.
Vladimir Coufal got some minutes under his belt against Genk to regain fitness after a spell on the sidelines with an injury.
But in-form academy product Ben Johnson is expected to start in the right-back department.
As for Liverpool, they will be without Roberto Firmino, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, Naby Keita, James Milner and Harvey Elliott.
Firmino picked up a ‘serious hamstring injury’ in the Atletico game.
Thiago is expected to come into the midfield for the Reds.
The teamsheets are due to be released shortly, so don’t go anywhere!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
