West Ham United will welcome Premier League leaders Liverpool to the London Stadium on Sunday, in a crucial match for both sides as the 2024/25 season reaches its halfway point.
The Hammers will be aiming to build on their recent upturn in form, having taken 8 points from their last 12 available in the league.
This has lifted them to 13th in the table, a respectable position given their struggles earlier in the campaign. However, they face a daunting task against an imperious Liverpool side that has opened up a sizeable lead at the top.
Arne Slot’s men are in ominous form, having won 11 of their last 13 matches in all competitions. Their only blemishes came in draws against Arsenal and Fulham.
The Reds’ relentless march towards a potential title triumph shows no signs of slowing down, with Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo leading their fearsome attack.
Team News
West Ham will be without several key players for the visit of the league leaders. Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and midfielders Carlos Soler, Guido Rodriguez and Tomas Soucek are all sidelined through injury.
Manager Julen Lopetegui may have to field a more attack-minded lineup as a result.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will be missing Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley through injury, while Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended.
However, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz could return to the starting XI after being used as substitutes in the win over Leicester.
Predicted Lineups
West Ham United: (4-1-4-1)
Areola;
Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Todibo, Emerson;
Alvarez;
Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus, Summerville;
Fullkrug
Liverpool: (4-2-3-1)
Alisson;
Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Tsimikas;
Mac Allister, Gravenberch;
Salah, Jones, Diaz;
Jota
The match promises to be an intriguing contest between West Ham’s resilience and Liverpool’s attacking prowess. While the Hammers will be hoping to pull off a shock result, the visitors’ superior quality and depth may prove too much for the hosts to handle. A narrow win for the league leaders seems the most likely outcome.
