Liverpool vs West Ham – Opposition Preview
By Daniel Ghorbal
To say that Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday could ignite their season would be an understatement. For the first time since the Community Shield against the same opposition, there is genuine belief now that this side can achieve great things, albeit in small steps. The sheer euphoria of Anfield when the full-time whistle blew was one of relief and joy, and ultimately a moment the reds can use to spur them on in the upcoming weeks. West Ham are next up, a great opportunity to build on the result and put a winning run together.
The Hammers’ start to the season was as uncharacteristically bad as Liverpool’s, losing several games whilst having lots of pressure on their shoulders. The summer signings of Lucas Paqueta and Gianluca Scamacca in the summer meant that the expectation around West Ham now is that they will challenge for top six on a regular basis. Thankfully for David Moyes, performances have significantly improved in recent weeks and results have followed. The gulf in class between them and their Europa Conference League opposition has resulted in some confidence-boosting wins, some of which have translated into some much-needed league points. As things stand, they have lost just one in eight games in both competitions, with the loss being the controversial one against Chelsea.
They have re-established the ability to grind out results when things might not be pretty. David Moyes’ teams are built on grit and determination, and that is exactly what his side will need in abundance at Anfield. In his press conference prior to the game, Moyes said that in his opinion it is the toughest place to go, although deep down he will still feel strongly that there are weaknesses to be exposed.
Liverpool’s defensive display against Man City was much needed and shows a massive improvement from recent weeks, but the threat of West Ham who will come at the reds with physicality is different to that of City. Moyes’ tendency to rotate may come into play here, with Scamacca clearly the preferred option up top, but Antonio has had to settle for cameos recently and may be pushing for a start. Ultimately, these are nice headaches for Moyes to have, with a genuine level of competitiveness amongst his squad. So often in previous campaigns, it is the squad depth that has let them down. Being able to call upon fresh legs in a game of this difficulty is critical for West Ham so that they can match the intensity of the home side.
Despite having several central defenders at the club, injuries have plagued them at the back and it will be the area Moyes has the least to choose from. Both Kurt Zouma and Craig Dawson are huge doubts for the game, whilst new signing Aguerd remains a long-term absentee. In their recent game against Southampton, West Ham played a three-at-the-back formation, with Ben Johnson and Aaron Cresswell on either side of Thilo Kehrer. Although there is not much height within the defence, being able to have each defender marking a specific Liverpool forward may prove to be a tactical masterclass from Moyes. The work of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek out of possession will always be selfless, as the likes of Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino will not get as much time on the ball as they wish.
The overall feeling around Liverpool now is extremely positive following the wins against Rangers and Man City, so backing that up with another three points against a disciplined West Ham side is a must. The Irons have settled into this campaign nicely and will feel like a win against one of the league’s big boys is just around the corner. Key players are gradually starting to show their quality on a weekly basis, and with the attitude and level of composure, it could prove to be an awkward encounter for Liverpool.
Predicted XI: Fabianski, Coufal, Johnson, Zouma, Dawson, Kehrer, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Bowen, Paqueta, Scamacca
