Click here for West Ham vs Liverpool 0-4 Goals 4 November, 2017
The beginning of a tough set of fixtures for West Ham United sees the club host Liverpool at the London Stadium on Saturday. The Hammers have had a tough start to the season, but their upcoming set of fixtures after the Liverpool one includes trips to Watford and Man City and hosting Chelsea and Arsenal at home.
Given how their team has performed in the first ten games of the season, it would perhaps not surprise West Ham fans if their team is in the relegation zone come Christmas. Slaven Bilic is also facing a defensive crisis of note- Jose Fonte picked up an injury against Palace at Selhurst Park, and both Michail Antonio and Sam Byram picked up knocks in training. James Collins is also an absentee while Pablo Zabaleta is suspended.
However Aaron Cresswell and Winston Reid are both available, which means the Hammers will probably field a back three (as has been Bilic’s choice over the last few weeks) of Reid, Kouyate and Ogbonna, with Fernandes and Cresswell as wing backs
West Ham have been horribly inconsistent this season- they’re the only Premiership side apart from fellow strugglers Palace and Everton NOT to win away from home so far. They were terrible in the first half in the midweek Cup game against Spurs at Wembley, but found their mojo in the second half, but suffered a reversal against Palace, with a dire second half performance costing them what looked like three certain points. That has left fans and pundits, the West Ham United Blog for example, frustrated, with the squad, on paper at least, capable of far, far better.
It’s perhaps small consolation for West Ham, but Liverpool have been poor travellers this season. They’ve won only one of five on the road, and have conceded more goals away than any other team in the league this season. However they are expected to have Sadio Mane back this weekend, with Jurgen Klopp rating the Senegalese international capable of playing 20-25 minutes should the need arise. Mane will also be keen to get some game time under his belt ahead of Senegal’s crunch clashes against South Africa later this month.
Philippe Coutinho is out for the Reds, and so are Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne. Wijnaldum and Lovren, the underfire Croatian defender who made his international debut under West Ham boss Slaven Bilic, are doubtful.
West Ham 1-0 Swansea
Burnley 1-1 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Brighton
Tottenham 2-3 West Ham (Cup)
Crystal Palace 2-2 West Ham
Liverpool 0-0 Man Utd
Maribor 0-7 Liverpool
Spurs 4-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 3-0 Huddersfield
Maribor 0-3 Liverpool
Kick off at the London Stadium is at 17.30 UK