West Ham are set to face a tough trip to Anfield with a depleting squad due to player exits, injuries and suspensions.
Last time out, West Ham were very disappointing in a 4-3 loss to Bournemouth, handing the Cherries a 2-0 lead at half time. The Hammers responded well in the second half but it wasn’t enough as two more sloppy goals were conceded, effectively handing Eddie Howe his first win in the Premier League.
It has been a bit of a shaky start for Bilic’s side so far. Despite winning impressively away to Arsenal, the home performances have been poor but all will be forgotten if the Hammers give a good account of themselves today.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are flying high so far this season. They have won two and drawn one and are yet to concede a goal. Christian Benteke adds a new dimension to the side and Liverpool look like more of a solid outfit this year. Their full-backs will be a constant threat, Clyne’s ability is something many fans will be aware of but new signing Joe Gomez has also performed very well on the left side of defence.
Players to watch
Roberto Firmino
The Brazilian seems to be testing the water as he looks to make a real impact in the Premier League for the first time. He was rewarded with his first start against Arsenal and will be hoping to do the same against West Ham. He looks a decent player so West Ham must be wary of his ability.
A creative, goalscoring midfielder, Firmino will look to supply Benteke at any given opportunity so the West Ham defence must be on form today. If the Hammers replicate the defensive displays on show against Leicester and Bournemouth, we could be on the end of a thrashing. However, Bilic’s side are more than capable of producing a solid defensive display and they will need to be on song in order to deal with Liverpool’s attacking midfield and Christian Benteke up front.
Aaron Cresswell
The Hammer of the Year did not have a great game against Bournemouth but he took to Twitter and apologised to the fans, acknowledging his mistakes. We all know that one bad game doesn’t make you a bad player and Cresswell will be desperate to perform to his typically-high standards this week.
He’s up against his boyhood club so he will feel he has a point to prove. Alongside Payet, his dead ball expertise will be something the Hammers will see as their main threat as Liverpool will probably see a lot of the ball. He will have to deal with a possible right-sided combination of Clyne and Milner but if he plays to his usual capacity, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the 25-year-old.
Predicted line up
A lot has been said about our dismal record at Anfield, the Hammers have not won there for 52 years. Although this is worrying, there’s always the ‘we’re due a win’ theory.
Even the most optimistic of fans will fear for the Hammers today but, if they perform like they did against Arsenal, West Ham are more than capable of picking up all three points.
We’ve predicted a 4-3-2-1 formation (expect this to merge into a 4-5-1 when West Ham are without the ball):
Will be a big ask to get anything from this game, we are still gelling as a unit. Am pleased Maiga has gone and Nolan has decided to explore pastures New. Both players have been a liability to the team last season. We definitely need replacements to the squad, if we can bring in Victor Moses, and Richie Towell we should have a competitive squad.