West Ham vs Liverpool - Preview

The EPL produced another weekend of top rated action during round 25. Sunday was topped off with Manchester United grinding out a hard fought victory while at Leicester City, while Manchester City got back to their winning ways with a convincing 3-1 victory against Arsenal, after a disappointing loss to Newcastle during midweek play.

The Citizen's laid down the gauntlet for Liverpool who make the trip to London for a showdown with West Ham. The Reds are also coming off a less than a stellar performance themselves on their own pitch, now they have the opportunity to redeem themselves while gathering valuable points in the pursuit of a long-awaited domestic title.

West Ham vs Liverpool
London Stadium, London, England
2-4-2019 - 3:00 pm ET - NBCSN / SKY Sports

The capital city will play host to the top team in the standings, with the Reds coming to town there will be an electric atmosphere in the London Stadium for one of England's "Big Six" clubs.

West Ham limp in this encounter with a full list of injured players throughout their squad, now with a hungry Liverpool team arriving for battle, there will be little sympathy from those competing in this specific match-up.

Pellegrini's Conundrum

Manuel Pellegrini will have plenty of difficult decisions to make as he attempts to field a competitive starting eleven with up to 9 players possibly missing out during Monday's marquee.

Winston Reid, Manuel Lanzini, Carlos Sánchez, Lucas Pérez, Fabián Balbuena, Jack Wilshere, and Andriy Yarmolenko are all officially ruled out while Lukasz Fabianski and Marko Arnautovic are listed as major doubts to make an appearance.

Former Liverpool man Andy Carroll stands in line to get a rare start against his former club, the often injured center-forward should welcome the opportunity to get his first league goal against his old side. Carroll is a true presence in the box mainly relying on quality service in order to be a true threat, using his large frame to create space as he excels in aerial situations.

The Hammer's midfield connection of Felipe Anderson, Samir Nasri, and Robert Snodgrass must come up big within Pellegrini's 4-2-3-1 formation, even with limited playing time together they each provide plenty of quality in their assigned roles. The Chilean manager enjoys using an up-tempo style of play, wanting to push the pace as he attempts to keep opposing defenses on their heels, although his plan of action will be tested against the current league leaders.

The host's headman has long been questioned regarding his defensive philosophies, his current team is conceding goals at an alarming rate, after allowing 4 on matchday one to this same Liverpool side, the Hammer's have allowed 42 more in all competitions which continues to be a worrying trend, especially against their latest opponent.

West Ham has begun to slip in the EPL standings, after losing two straight domestic fixtures they currently own the 12th spot in the table, with an overall record of 9-4-11. The Hammer's cannot afford to keep dropping results, they are only 8 points from the dreaded relegation zone, and a visit from the Red's certainly does not help their existing situation.

Liverpool witnessed Manchester City closing the gap to 2 points in the standings on Sunday. The defending champions sent the opening shot with their victory against the Gunner's, now with the ball in the Red's court they must respond with maximum points as they attempt to hold off the advancements of Pep's men.

Jurgen Klopp understands his team is in store for a tough stretch of matches during February, with the Champions League round of 16 starting in just a few weeks, the German manager has no room for error in his pursuit of lifting hardware at the end of the campaign.

The Red's Attacking Presence

The visitors were limited to one single goal their last time out, shocking many observers based on their form this season, with 42 league goals Liverpool have been efficient in front of goal averaging 1.7 per contest.

Klopp's front-line trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane continue to be the main focal points when scouting this high flying side. These highly skilled players have combined for an impressive 35 goals during the first 24 weeks of EPL action, now matched up with a team whom they have had great success against, it would be a wise investment to back any of the three to find the back of the net for a nice profit.

Match Prop
Liverpool To Score In Both Halves - YES  +100 / 2.0

The table toppers are also starting to get healthy at just the right moment with only Joe Gomez, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, and Trent Alexander-Arnold missing from the squad, while Dejan Lovren, Fabinho, and Georginio Wijnaldum have all recovered from their ailments in time for team selection ahead of the trip to London.

Liverpool is in a must-win situation each time they take to the pitch, having failed to collect a league title since 1990, the pressure to erase that lengthy drought is at an all-time high. The Red's currently own a record of 19-4-1, which is good for 61 points with 13 matches remaining on their current schedule.

West Ham vs Liverpool - Match Prediction

The Hammer's have failed to offer much competition during Jurgen Klopp's reign, especially over their last 4 meeting's losing by a total of 16-2. Monday the hosts hope to have a better performance, but with a slew of injuries to many of their key contributors, it will be tough to break this current trend.

West Ham must produce a legitimate attack to have any type of shot against the Reds, the Hammer's enjoy using through balls to spring their danger-men into motion, scoring 17 goals while at the London Stadium, they are averaging 13 shots per outing while in front of their home supporters.

Liverpool will be anxious to put their most recent performance behind them and get back to their high scoring ways. Klopp will want to see his men pressuring high and forcing turnovers, while his parade of attackers flood West Ham's side of the pitch, attempting to place as many balls on target as possible.

Team Prop
Liverpool - Team Total  Over  2  -135 / 1.74 - Goals

I anticipate seeing a spirited Liverpool side as the opening ball drops, with plenty of motivation to see them through this particular fixture, I project a well-balanced performance as they get back to their winning ways against a less than formidable West Ham squad.

West Ham vs Liverpool - Betting Tips

Over 3  -110 / 1.91 - Total Full -Time Goals
Liverpool  -0.5  -115 / 1.87 - 1st Half Spread

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