Strong and Predictable West Ham Team to Face Champions

With three massive points on the line against the reigning Premier League champions, West Ham have a chance to sail further up the table and prove they aren’t pretenders this season. This SHOULD be the team to face Liverpool.

The first question that needs answering is how/will Jesse Lingard be involved? ExWHUemployee has suggested that the newest Hammer won’t be involved in the Liverpool match likely due to how late his signing was left in relation to this match.

That being said, Lingard should be available off the bench for the Aston Villa match, meaning Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals, and Manuel Lanzini will all be playing for their positions in the team should Lingard come in and impress.

Outside of the elephant in the room, the team that David Moyes selects to take on Liverpool will be predictable and strong, as his starting XI’s have been essentially all season long. No wingbacks, no surprises, just a routine team that knows how to play Moyes ball.

Here is the predicted West Ham team to take on Liverpool at the London Stadium:

Fabianski
Coufal – Dawson – Ogbonna – Cresswell
Rice – Soucek
Bowen – Benrahma – Fornals
Antonio

Bench: Randolph, Fredericks, Johnson, Diop, Balbuena, Noble, Lanzini, Yarmolenko, Odubeko

The team is unchanged as Liverpool come to the London Stadium. This means the same back four, anchored by Craig Dawson and Angelo Ogbonna, will be rolled out, protected by the best pivot in the Premier League in Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek.

The attack is crucial, too. As strong as the defence will need to be in this game, the front four of Jarrod Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals, and Michail Antonio need to take their chances (as few will come from Liverpool) in order to get something from this game.

Antonio had a hattrick of chances missed in close against Crystal Palace in the previous West Ham match, including two post-bound strikes and another near miss plus a terrific save from the Palace keeper. Our only striker needs to be better when in tight as Liverpool will be tighter at the back than the eagles were.

Overall, this team is strong enough to keep the momentum moving forward and beat Liverpool. Their chances will need to be taken, and on set pieces and corner kicks there needs to be an emphasis on dominating the air to capitalize on dead-ball plays. It isn’t a flashy XI but it is practical and effective. Up the Hammers.