The English Premier League continues this weekend, so take a look at our tips and predictions for the West Ham United vs. Liverpool match. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
West Ham United vs. Liverpool
Three-Way: 1: West Ham +465; X: +334 Draw; 2: Liverpool -133 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +1: West Ham -119; Liverpool +114
Total +3: Over +110; Under -115
WEST HAM UNITED
The Hammers were on the wings of the Carabao Cup comeback victory over the city rivals Tottenham and were highly motivated to get three points at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace. West Ham converted only two chances in the first half and got to the 2-0 lead through Chicharito and Andre Ayew, but the Eagles responded after the interval and equalized thanks to Luka Milivojevic’s penalty and Wilfried Zaha goal in the dying seconds of the clash. It’s needless to say that Slaven Bilic’s men were frustrated not to beat the worst team in the Premier League, and are currently in the 16th position with nine points, only one ahead of the relegation zone.
They will be looking to bounce back against Liverpool, the team that found it difficult to lay against Bilic recently, as the Croatian manager lost only one in the previous six meetings with the Reds. It was last May when Jurgen Klopp’s side destroyed West Ham at Olympic Stadium on their hunt for the Champions League Spot. Two goals from Coutinho and one from Sturridge and Origi secured a massive 4-0 win for Liverpool, and Bilic will certainly seek revenge here and will demand from his players to give maximum. A fantastic win over Tottenham bought him some more time at the helm, but it looks that a potential defeat on Saturday could put more pressure on Bilic.
West Ham United played 13 games so far in the 2017/18 season, recording five victories, three draws, and five losses, with a goal difference of 18:21, which is precisely three goals per contest on average. The Hammers have three wins and two defeats at London Stadium, and they failed to score just once; in a 0-3 loss to Brighton. Their defense is far from convincing, and I am sure Liverpool will score at least one or two goals here, but the question is whether Bilic’s offense can cause problems to unreliable Liverpool’s back four. Ayew and Chicharito are playing well together, but maybe Andy Carroll could get a start if Bilic decides to go with height against the opponents’ centre-backs. In any case, the gaffer has reliable options in the attack, and they can indeed create havoc in Liverpool penalty box, while Lanzini and Arnautovic should be the primary suppliers from the midfield.
The Ghanaian forward Andre Ayew is the team’s top scorer with five goals in 12 appearances, while Chicharito with four, and Diafra Sakho with three are following Ayew in a goal-scoring chart. Sakho is suffering from a back injury and will likely be sidelined for this encounter, so Bilic has Ayew, Chicharito, and Carroll in the contention to start in the attack. Manuel Lanzini, Marko Arnautovic, and Arthur Masuaku recorded a pair of assists t their respective names, and the first two are the players to watch as they are good enough to make a difference. Bilic is without the centre-back James Collins who is out with a malleolar injury, while Michail Antonio is questionable due to bruised rib, but should be fit to face Liverpool in the Premier League tilt.
LIVERPOOL
The Reds are on a two-game winning streak as they beat Huddersfield in the Premier League and then Maribor in the Champions League, with the same result, 3:0. It was 0:0 at the half-time in each game, but Liverpool stay focused, concentrated, and what’s the most important, patient, so the goals came in the second half without much trouble. Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino, and Gini Wijnaldum scored goals in a victory over the Terriers, while Mohamed Salah, Emre Can, and Sturridge were the scorers against the Slovenians. Liverpool is not at the top of the group E in the UCL, with eight points in four matches, one more than Sevilla, and three more than Spartak Moscow. They are in the 6th position in the Premier League with 16 points, even 12 behind the league leaders Man City, and the fans are still hurt because of the heavy 1:4 loss at Tottenham, so the Reds mustn’t’ lose this one.
However, it appears that the pressure is more burdensome on Bilic than on Klopp at the moment, and the German manager should be smart enough to exploit the fact that the Hammers need to attack and get three points. Liverpool has speedy players who can quickly develop a quality counter-attack and finish off the opponents with only a few touches, and Mohamed Salah is the one to watch. The Egyptian has been phenomenal this season, and he emerged as the best player at Anfield in the absence of Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho. Salah missed a penalty against Huddersfield, and Klopp decided to change the penalty taker in the Champions League duel with Maribor. James Milner also failed to convert, and it was already third missed penalty for the Reds in this campaign, so it’s a big question who will take the responsibility on the next occasion.
Liverpool played 17 games in this season, recording eight victories, six draws, and three losses, with a goal difference of 36:24, which is a bit over 3.50 goals per contest on average. The Reds had just three away wins in nine matches at the moment, but they scored in each of the previous five, and I don’t believe West Ham will keep the net intact on this one. The encouraging sign for Klopp is that his team didn’t allow a single goal in the last two, but they were playing at Anfield, while away from home, the Reds managed to keep the clean sheet in just one out of nine.
Mohamed Salah is the team’s leading scorer with ten goals in 16 appearances, and he is proving to be one of the best signings of the summer, a fantastic move by Jurgen Klopp. Roberto Firmino is behind the Egyptian with seven goals to his name, while Philippe Coutinho with four, and Emre Can, Daniel Sturridge, and Sadio Mane contributed with three goals apiece. When it comes to most creative individuals, Firmino, Salah, and James Milner have four assists thus far, while Alberto Moreno and Coutinho added three dishes each. Klopp already said that he would be without Coutinho at London Stadium, so he will opt between Sturridge and Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain to play alongside Firmino and Salah in the attack. Mane is close to returning from a hamstring injury, and he should be back in a couple of weeks, as well as Adam Lallana, who didn’t participate this season due to a hamstring injury. Dejan Lovren is doubtful with groin issues, but the way he played recently, Liverpool would be better without the Croatian defender. Nathaniel Clyne is a long-term absentee, and he is not available for this clash. Gini Wijnaldum sustained a knee injury against Maribor and will not travel with the team to London, so Can, Henderson, and Milner should start in the midfield.
West Ham United vs. Liverpool – Match Prediction
The hosts are under pressure to get a positive result here, while Liverpool has injury troubles and will be hard to secure three points, but I am backing them to grab a victory and score two or three in the process.
MY PICK: Liverpool to win (-133)
