Liverpool will be gunning to make it a third Premier League win on the bounce as they make the trip to the London Stadium in midweek to face West Ham United.
Jurgen Klopp’s Meresydiers narrowly edged past Nottingham Forest last time out in league action with a brace from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah’s strike securing the three points for the Reds who still remain in the mix for a top-four finish.
Defensive frailties were on show in the win over Forest with the visitors to Anfield getting the better of the Van Dijk-Konate backline on multiple occasions to score twice before Salah’s winner ensured the win for the home side.
West Ham, meanwhile, have picked up 10 points from their past four games and have also made it to the semi finals of the Europa Conference League, much to the surprise of a large section of the Hammers faithful who saw their team dip into the relegation zone earlier in the season.
Liverpool will be expected to put out a strong showing despite their torrid run of away form, which came to an end in their last game on the road against relegation candidates Leeds United, with the Elland Road showdown turning out to be a thumping 6-1 win for Klopp’s side.
The Reds boast of a strong record against their upcoming opponents, having won six of their last seven games against West Ham in all competitions and the two wins on the trot in league action will be the confidence booster required by the Champions League hopefuls.
WHEN AND WHERE
Date: Wednesday 26 April 2023
Time: 8 PM GMT
Venue: London Stadium
TEAM NEWS
Soon-to-be free agent Roberto Firmino could be in line to miss another game for Liverpool as his muscle problem continues to keep him on the sidelines.
It remains to be seen if Naby Keita, another Liverpool player likely to leave in the summer window later his year, returns to the matchday squad from a muscle injury.
Liverpool’s first XI which will take the field on Wednesday night is likely to have Curtis Jones dropping down to the bench to give way for the fit-again Thiago Alcantara who had featured off the bench in the last two games.
KEY BATTLE
Declan Rice vs Diogo Jota
The Hammers skipper Declan Rice is certainly the heartbeat of the side with his influence in the West Ham engine room pivotal to their rich vein of form in recent weeks.
Rice will be tasked with keeping the high-flying Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, who has scored a brace in each of his last two outings, in check from troubling the West Ham backline.
Jota failed to find the back of the net in 32 successive appearances in all competitions, a goal drought that lasted just over a year, but the Portuguese has found his feet again in the attacking third with four goals from nine shots.
MATCH PREDICTION
Liverpool should be the favourites for the midweek contest in the English capital despite West Ham’s five-game unbeaten run.
West Ham United 0-2 Liverpool
