Liverpool vs West Ham: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

In Wednesday's third-round encounter at Anfield, Liverpool and West Ham United will fight for the second year in the English Football League Cup. The Reds will be defending their 2023-24 crown.

Both teams entered the match having lost their last Premier League match by 3-0 scores: the hosts trounced Bournemouth, while Julen Lopetegui's Chelsea were utterly outplayed and outfought.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

While Jurgen Klopp's sparkling tenure as Liverpool manager ended without a quadruple, the German managed the Reds to their second English Football League Cup victory in three years and a record-extending tenth championship in total.

Not only did Liverpool keep Mauricio Pochettino trophy-less in English football until the 2023–24 final, but they also became the first team to win ten or more EFL Cups, a feat never achieved before the tournament's start, thanks to Virgil van Dijk's extra-time header against Chelsea.

Except for their shocking home defeat to Nottingham Forest two weeks ago, which they have since recovered from admirably, the Merseyside giants have quickly adjusted to life under new boss Slot as they begin their quest for title number eleven.

The Reds briefly dominated the Premier League after their most recent come-from-behind triumph over AC Milan. Luis Diaz scored twice as he kept up his blistering form, and Darwin Nunez added an exquisite third goal in a 3-0 thrashing of Bournemouth.

It has been six years since Liverpool was eliminated in the third round of the EFL Cup. They haven't lost at Anfield in the competition since October 2020, when Arsenal beat them on penalties behind closed doors. Since then, long-time title rivals Manchester City have knocked them off their perch.

Fans of West Ham United may have more cause to be hopeful than pessimistic as they make the journey to Anfield. However, optimism may be lacking among the Irons' players after Lopetegui's timid squad made headlines for all the wrong reasons last weekend.

While Nicolas Jackson expertly converted two first-half tries before setting up Cole Palmer, Chelsea had an easy time against their London rivals on Saturday lunchtime. To add insult to injury, a Mohammed Kudus comeback was disallowed for offside.

West Ham are now sitting in an unremarkable fourteenth position in the top-flight rankings, with only one victory from their first five encounters of 2024-25, regardless of whatever tactics the former Sevilla, Real Madrid, and Spain manager has attempted to adopt.

Nevertheless, the Irons achieved a second victory in the EFL Cup in August, defeating Bournemouth with a goal from Jarrod Bowen in the 88th minute. Last year, before their crushing defeat at Anfield, West Ham had famously defeated Arsenal in the fourth round.

While West Ham could at least partially make up for their humiliating 5-1 quarter-final loss to Liverpool in 2023–24, they were able to end their five-game losing streak against the Reds with a 2-2 home draw in April—a day when the attention was focused on the touchline spat between Klopp and Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool x West Ham Team News

To top it all off, Liverpool lost to Bournemouth without Alisson Becker, who worsened a prior muscle injury in last week's win over Milan, and long-term absence Harvey Elliott, who is not anticipated to return from a foot fracture until the end of October.

It is still unclear if Alisson will be able to play in Wednesday's match, but Caoimhin Kelleher was a lock to start in goal for the EFL Cup and proved his worth over the weekend by making two key stops to protect the home team's shutout.

In addition to Joe Gomez, who has not played a single minute of Premier League action this season, Liverpool could start summer acquisition Federico Chiesa against West Ham. Chiesa would likely start in place of Salah, enjoying a well-deserved rest.

After their dismal performance against Chelsea, the visitors will likely change their lineup. Lopetegui's sole injury issue is Niclas Fullkrug, the German attacker, who will likely not play due to a recurring calf ailment.

After just 38 minutes of Saturday's encounter, Lopetegui made a tactical change by removing Guido Rodriguez from the team. The Argentine World Cup champion had trouble providing enough defense for the Hammers.

Thus, Tomas Soucek could expect an instant promotion to the starting lineup, while Carlos Soler, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Michail Antonio may all look forward to starting at Anfield. As for the last line of defense, the 39-year-old Lukasz Fabianski ought to take Alphonse Areola's position.

Our Predictions

Over 3.5 goals @ 2.15 on Sky247.ng

Both managers will likely make significant lineup changes, but West Ham should still be dangerous offensively thanks to their four strikers; a Liverpool defense that has seen little action this season will not be safe.

However, the 3-0 scoreline arguably flattered the defensively poor Hammers against Chelsea. Slot's rampant men should have no problem notching multiple goals en route to a straightforward third-round success.

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