Liverpool are on the road this weekend in the Premier League with Jurgen Klopp’s men hoping to close the gap on the table-toppers Chelsea when they take on West Ham United at the London Stadium.
The Merseysiders dropped points in a frustrating 2-2 draw against an inspired Brighton outfit last time around in league action and the fans will be hoping for the players to return to winning ways come Sunday.
Jordan Henderson and Co. put in a terrific showing in the win over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night which assured the Reds of a spot in the Last-16 of the Champions League with two games to spare in the group stage fixture list.
West Ham United have proven to be a tough side to handle to all fronts with the Hammers boasting of the star likes of Jarrod Bowen, Declan Rice and Michail Antonio who have all hit top gear under David Moyes and sit inside the top four in the league standings.
Liverpool’s away form has been terrific as of late with Jurgen Klopp’s side recording two 5-0 wins on the run away from home turf against Manchester United and Watford but Klopp will be cautious coming up against a West Ham side that is on a six-game unbeaten streak.
Roberto Firmino joined the injury list at Anfield following the midweek contest against Atletico and the Brazilian adds to Jurgen Klopp’s concerns with the Liverpool boss having limited firepower in his attacking roster ahead of the January window.
Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho, however, are up and running after their recent return from injury layoffs and featured sporadically in the last outing for the Premier League heavyweights.
It promises to be an exciting affair in the English capital over the weekend with Liverpool backed as the favourites against a high-flying West Ham United side that has exceeded expectations with their recent displays.
WHEN & WHERE?
Date: 7 November 2021
Time: 3 PM GMT
Venue: London Stadium
TEAM NEWS
Roberto Firmino joins midfield man Naby Keita on the sidelines for Liverpool with Jurgen Klopp unable to call upon the services of the duo for the forthcoming game.
Joe Gomez is another concern on the injury front with the central defender picking a calf strain which is in line to rule him out for the upcoming weeks.
Curtis Jones sat out the Atletico Madrid clash with an eye injury sustained in training and it remains to be seen whether the England U21 international will return to the fold in time for Sunday.
Also Read – Jamie Carragher impressed by Curtis Jones and backs him for major role at Liverpool
KEY BATTLE
Declan Rice vs Diogo Jota
Rice has been a vastly influential figure on the West Ham United team sheet amid the speculation that surrounds his future at the London Stadium beyond the next summer.
Jurgen Klopp will be counting on his star striker Diogo Jota to maintain his red hot form in front of the goal with the Portuguese tipped to lead the line for Liverpool with Roberto Firmino injured.
MATCH PREDICTION
Liverpool will be expecting a stern test away from Anfield in West Ham but we predict the visitors to secure the three points and keep up the pressure on Chelsea who sit just three points adrift at the summit.
West Ham United 1-3 Liverpool
