Clashing in the EFL Cup for the second year running, Liverpool and West Ham United square off in Wednesday's third-round clash at Anfield, as the Reds get the defence of their 2023-24 title underway.
The two Premier League sides come into the affair having been on opposite ends of 3-0 scorelines at the weekend, as the hosts made light work of Bournemouth while Julen Lopetegui's men were outfought and outclassed by London rivals Chelsea.
Match preview
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Jurgen Klopp may never have achieved the elusive quadruple during his otherwise glittering spell in the Liverpool chair, but the German's final silverware act was to mastermind the Reds' second EFL Cup win in three years, and a record-extending 10th title overall.
By virtue of Virgil van Dijk's extra-time header against Chelsea in the 2023-24 final, Liverpool not only kept Mauricio Pochettino waiting for his first trophy in English football but also became the first team to hit double figures for triumphs in the EFL Cup, where their success has been unprecedented since the tournament's inception.
Now kicking off their bid for crown number 11, the Merseyside giants have seamlessly adapted to life under new manager Slot - barring their shock home loss to Nottingham Forest two weekends ago - which they have since responded to in perfect fashion.
After their latest come-from-behind victory over AC Milan in the Champions League, the Reds briefly stormed to the top of the pile in the Premier League thanks to their three-goal beating of Bournemouth, where Luis Diaz continued his blistering form with a brace before Darwin Nunez curled home a sublime third.
Liverpool have since been knocked off their perch by long-time title adversaries Manchester City, but it has been six years since they were last eliminated in the third round of the EFL Cup, and not since October 2020 - when Arsenal bested them on penalties behind closed doors - have they suffered defeat at Anfield in the competition.
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The travelling West Ham faithful could be forgiven for heading to Anfield in more hope than expectation, although the former may also be in short supply in the Irons' ranks, as Lopetegui's meek men were the talk of the top flight for the wrong reasons at the weekend.
It was all far too easy for Chelsea to slice open their London rivals on Saturday lunchtime, where Nicolas Jackson clinically converted two efforts in the first half before turning provider for Cole Palmer; to rub salt into the wounds, a Mohammed Kudus response was disallowed for offside.
Whatever the former Sevilla, Real Madrid and Spain boss has tried to implement so far, it has yielded very little success at the London Stadium, as West Ham sit in an unspectacular 14th place in the top-flight standings with just one win to show from their first five engagements of 2024-25.
However, a second success arrived for the Irons in the EFL Cup back in August, as an 88th-minute Jarrod Bowen strike was enough to see off Bournemouth, and West Ham memorably also bested Arsenal in the fourth round last year before their Anfield annihilation.
Indeed, Liverpool barely broke a sweat in a 5-1 demolition of the Hammers in the 2023-24 quarter-finals, although West Ham did make partial amends for that embarrassment with a 2-2 home draw in April, ending a five-game losing streak against the Reds on a day where Klopp and Mohamed Salah's touchline spat stole the spotlight.
Team News
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As well as long-term absentee Harvey Elliott, who is not expected to be back from a foot fracture before the end of October, Liverpool had to cope without Alisson Becker for the win over Bournemouth, as the Brazilian aggravated a previous muscle injury in the victory over Milan last week.
Alisson remains unavailable for the midweek tie, but Caoimhin Kelleher was always expected to get the nod in goal for the EFL Cup and earned his keep at the weekend with a couple of crucial second-half saves to preserve the hosts' clean sheet.
The visit of West Ham should also see summer signing Federico Chiesa make his first start for Liverpool, most likely in Salah's place as the Egyptian enjoys a well-earned rest, while Joe Gomez - still yet to play a minute in the Premier League this season - should be drafted into a much-changed XI too.
Changes can also be expected on the visitors' end after their pitiful display against Chelsea, and Lopetegui could have a full squad at his disposal, as Niclas Fullkrug is on the verge of returning from a calf issue.
The Hammers boss sacrificed Guido Rodriguez after just 38 minutes of the weekend's match, but that was a tactical switch from Lopetegui, as the Argentinian World Cup winner struggled to offer any sort of protection to his backline.
An immediate recall to the first XI should therefore await Tomas Soucek, while Carlos Soler, Jean-Clair Todibo and Michail Antonio can also anticipate starts at Anfield. Lukasz Fabianski - now 39 - will also replace Alphonse Areola as the last line of defence.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Morton; Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo; Jota
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soler, Soucek; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Antonio
We say: Liverpool 3-1 West Ham United
Even though both managers will shuffle the pack considerably, West Ham's offensive quartet should still comprise some of their biggest attacking threats, so a Liverpool backline with few minutes under their belt this season should not emerge unscathed.
However, the 3-0 scoreline arguably flattered the leaky Hammers against Chelsea, and Slot's rampant men should have no problem also notching multiple goals en route to a straightforward third-round success.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
