West Ham look to win their 7th match straight in all competitions as they host the defending champions, Liverpool. While they do have an injury-riddled defence, the Reds are coming off a comprehensive win over Spurs. Will the Hammers hold their own? Our experts give their predictions:
Justin: West Ham 1-2 Liverpool
West Ham are in the best form I’ve ever seen the club in. For the first time in the club’s history, they have won their first six matches of a calendar year. The Hammers have won their last four Premier League matches and have not lost in eight matches in all competitions.
Liverpool have certainly fallen off from the lofty expectations they set upon themselves. Their defence has been riddled by injuries and their world-class front three have fallen on bad form as of late. But the Reds rebounded from a bad loss to Burnley to beat Tottenham very convincingly just a few games ago.
My heart says West Ham will get a result in this one, but my head says not. The Hammers will make us proud, but the champions will be too much and win this one.
Jeff: West Ham 2-2 Liverpool
West Ham come into this match against the champions in some of their best form ever. Meanwhile, across the pitch, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side continues to battle injuries and miss key defensive pieces.
The Hammers have lost to Liverpool in their last three meetings but were not blown away in any of them. They even took an early lead at Anfield back in October. If it wasn’t for a late goal by the, at the time, red-hot Jota, the Irons would’ve taken a point.
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I think a point here is still a good result. Let’s not get too carried away. West Ham are playing well and confidence in the side is very high. But doing it against Liverpool is quite different than doing it against Palace or Doncaster.
It’s a 2-2 draw and a good point to keep the unbeaten streak alive.
Adam: West Ham 1-1 Liverpool
With pressure mounting on the injury-riddled champions, I think a boring match could be on the horizon for both the Irons and Liverpool. A point would be enough to keep pace in the hunt for Champions League football, whereas three against the Reds would be massive in helping ourselves and pushing our competition down the table.
I do think Moyes will prioritize defence first, more so than usual, and we will see a counterattacking set up to capitalize on Liverpool’s inexperienced centre-backs. Still, this match has the makings of a potential bore despite the stakes and points on the line. Don’t hold your breath for a goal-fest!
Lou: West Ham 1-1 Liverpool
I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to lose as a West Ham fan, coming off the back of six straight wins and eight unbeaten. But Liverpool – coming off a good away win at Spurs – will be our biggest test, by far, in this run that we are on. If we can come out of it with at least a point, it will be a real statement to the rest of the Premier League.
A win would push us above the champions back into 4th place, but a draw would still keep us right in the mix. And with the confidence that we are playing with at the moment, you can’t rule either out.
As well as we play, however, we have to be wary that with the quality that Liverpool possess in attack, they are able to score goals out of nothing that could easily stun our team. Our mentality has improved tenfold this season, though, and I’m sure we will remain in the game right until the end.