West Ham Set to Battle Liverpool: Key Matchups, Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed

Liverpool are urgently seeking relief in the Premier League this Sunday when they face West Ham United, hoping to bounce back from three consecutive losses.

The Reds endured another crushing embarrassment on Wednesday evening as they fell 4–1 to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield, compounding their misery following heavy three-goal defeats against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. They currently sit in disappointing 12th and 13th positions in the Premier League and Champions League tables respectively.

An alarming nine losses from 12 fixtures has placed immense pressure on Arne Slot, who has failed to address Liverpool's defensive chaos and attacking wastefulness. The Dutch manager has guided the Reds into turmoil.

Matters could deteriorate further this weekend as Liverpool travel to face the improving Hammers. West Ham have claimed victory in their previous two home fixtures at the London Stadium and remain undefeated in three league encounters under Nuno Espírito Santo's guidance. They escaped the relegation zone last weekend with their stalemate at Bournemouth, though they'll be disappointed to have squandered a two-goal lead.

The positive aspect for Liverpool is their excellent historical performance against West Ham. They have netted five goals against the Hammers on three different occasions in the past two seasons, suffering just one defeat in the last 20 encounters between these clubs.

Here is Sports Illustrated's preview of this pivotal fixture for Liverpool.

What Time Does West Ham vs. Liverpool Kick-Off?

West Ham vs. Liverpool Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

Current Form (All Competitions)

How to Watch West Ham vs. Liverpool on TV, Live Stream

West Ham Team News

West Ham appear set to be missing three players for Liverpool's arrival. Reserve goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański is dealing with a back problem, Konstantinos Mavropanos is nursing a muscle strain and Oliver Scarles remains absent following surgery on a broken collarbone.

Espírito Santo may abandon the 3-4-3 formation deployed at Bournemouth last weekend and revert to the 4-1-4-1 setup he utilized against Newcastle United, with several personnel adjustments anticipated. Lucas Paquetá returns from his one-game ban for accumulating five yellow cards and will rejoin the starting eleven, while Crysencio Summerville might take Luis Guilherme's place on the left flank.

Callum Wilson will be looking to extend his scoring streak having found the net three times in his last two appearances.

West Ham Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool

West Ham predicted lineup vs. Liverpool (4-1-4-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Diouf; Potts; Bowen, Fernandes, Paquetá, Summerville; Wilson.

Liverpool Team News

Hugo Ekitiké was substituted during Liverpool's loss to PSV due to back discomfort, but isn't expected to be sidelined for an extended period, according to Slot. Nevertheless, his availability for the weekend journey to London remains uncertain.

Alisson will reclaim his place in the starting lineup after missing the midweek match due to illness, while Florian Wirtz could return to the matchday roster following a minor setback sustained during international duty.

Slot has indicated that Joe Gomez is "near" to featuring after being overlooked in recent fixtures due to an ongoing fitness concern, but the Reds will remain without right-backs Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong.

Young players Stefan Bajcetic, Giovanni Leoni and Jayden Danns are all unavailable.

Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. West Ham

Liverpool predicted lineup vs. West Ham (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Gomez, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Isak.

West Ham vs. Liverpool Score Prediction

Liverpool are experiencing terrible form with significant defensive vulnerabilities, sluggish midfield play and anxious attacking displays. While there's hope that circumstances will improve shortly, there's always the possibility their situation deteriorates before it gets better.

Slot's managerial position is under severe scrutiny and he will be eager for a positive reaction from his squad on Sunday. However, given recent performances, it's difficult to forecast that materializing.

West Ham, conversely, are brimming with confidence having established themselves under new leadership, and they will sense opportunity at the London Stadium. An early strike for the Irons could trigger another Liverpool collapse.

Could Liverpool truly surrender three goals for a fourth consecutive fixture? We believe they very well might.

Prediction: West Ham 3–2 Liverpool