Liverpool vs West Ham United
Time: 11 PM IST, 5.30 PM GMT (31st October 2020)
Venue: Anfield
Liverpool are looking to settle down in the 2020-21 season after a slowish start to their Premier League campaign, an early League Cup exit and beginning their Champions League journey decently.
The Reds went winless in three successive games before getting back to form by stitching three victories on the trot. However, ahead of Saturday’s Premier League encounter against West Ham United, Jurgen Klopp has several injury concerns to deal with.
On the other hand, the Hammers have been on an upward curve after their below-average start in the Premier League, with David Moyes’ team being productive in front of goal.
Two successive draws against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City are testament to West Ham’s solid ongoing run.
Liverpool vs West Ham United: Recent form
Liverpool: W-W-W-D-L
West Ham United: D-D-W-L-W
After exiting the League Cup, following their penalty shootout loss to Arsenal, Liverpool were taken to the cleaners by an in-form Aston Villa side at Villa Park.
The Reds, who lost the contest 7-2, drew 2-2 against bitter rivals Everton in their next Premier League fixture.
The Reds finally returned to winning ways with a slender 1-0 victory over Ajax in the Champions League before notching up two more wins. Jurgen Klopp’s team defeated Sheffield United 2-1 in the league before brushing aside FC Midtjylland 2-0 in the Champions League.
Elsewhere, West Ham United have been in good form in recent weeks. They blew away Hull City 5-1 in the League Cup before registering yet another big win at home over Wolverhampton Wanderers by a 4-0 margin.
Although the Hammers were then humbled 4-1 by Everton in the League Cup, David Moyes’ side bounced back with an entertaining 3-0 win against a high-flying Leicester City team.
West Ham then went on to get a point at Tottenham Hotspur after a pulsating 3-3 draw before bagging another point against Manchester City following a 1-1 draw at the Etihad.
Liverpool vs West Ham United: Head-to-head record
Total Matches: 141
Liverpool wins: 76
West Ham United wins: 28
Draws: 37
West Ham met Liverpool for the very first time in an FA Cup tie in 1901, with the Reds winning the contest 1-0. Since then, the Merseyside giants have won 76 games, drew 37 and lost on 28 occasions out of the 141 matches they played against the Hammers.
Liverpool are unbeaten in the last eight meetings between the two sides, with the Anfield outfit winning six and drawing twice. February 2016 was the last time West Ham won against the Reds, with the London-based club winning an FA Cup contest 2-1.
Liverpool vs West Ham United: Team news
Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp’s side are riddled with several injuries. There are concerns over the availability of Fabinho and Joel Matip, which could well lead to Rhys Williams making his Premier League debut and starting alongside Joe Gomez.
Thiago Alacantara and Naby Keita are still doubtful as they are recovering from their earlier injuries, while Virgil van Djik is slated to sit out the rest of the season after suffering an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury in the Merseyside derby.
West Ham United
With Michail Antonio’s early substitution at Manchester City, there are doubts over his availability against Liverpool and Sebastien Haller may get his chance at Anfield.
Liverpool vs West Ham United: Predicted line-ups
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Rhys Williams, Andrew Robertson, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Georginio Wijnladum, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane
West Ham United (5-4-1): Lukasz Fabianksi, Vladimir Coufal, Fabian Balbuena, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell, Arthur Masuaku, Jarrod Bowen, Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Michail Antonio
Liverpool vs West Ham United: Where to watch
The game will be telecasted LIVE on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. The game can be LIVE streamed on SkySports.com and the SkySports Application.
The game will be telecasted on Star Sports Select 1 in the Indian Subcontinent and will be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar Premium.
Liverpool vs West Ham: Prediction
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool may be riddled with injuries, but given their form at Anfield and the depth of their squad, the Reds should come out on top on Saturday. West Ham United are in good form but may just fall short in terms of quality and intensity.
Liverpool vs West Ham predicted scoreline: 2-1
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