David Moyes has never found comfort against Liverpool during his managerial regime, but the situation might alter on Sunday evening when in-form West Ham United would host the depleted Reds at London Stadium. The champions recovered from a dreadful run and clinched a commanding 3-1 win on the road versus the mighty Tottenham Hotspur, however, their ever-growing injury woes would be a concern ahead of locking horns with the Hammers.
Liverpool won the Anfield tie three months ago despite conceding in the early minutes. Pablo Fornals’ strike was cancelled out by Mohamed Salah minutes before half time and high-flying Diogo Jota sealed all three points late into the fixture. Jota, meanwhile, is still nursing a knee injury suffered last year and the makeshift defence of the Merseysiders would have a tough test against fit-again Michael Antonio who has troubled them over the years.
Predicted 4-3-3 Liverpool Lineup To Face West Ham United
Defence
Alisson Becker uplifted his display against Spurs and would look to maintain his supremacy this weekend. He is aware of the frailty in front of him and therefore, must stay alert with his outing, positioning as well as distribution.
The revival of Trent Alexander-Arnold is a massive boost for Jurgen Klopp. The young Englishman would be menacing from the right-hand flank with timely overlapping runs, crosses and the cross-field passes for ever-present Andrew Robertson, but the central defensive pairing remains a major concern following Joel Matip’s ankle ligament injury that would keep him sidelined for months. Fabinho, too, missed the Thursday night contest due to a knock and the gaffer might have to rely on rookie Nat Phillips and skipper Jordan Henderson to feature in the heart of the backline.
Midfield
The idea of deploying Thiago in a little advanced role did the trick and the same should be implemented versus the Hammers who might frustrate the visitors with a deep-defending strategy. Georginio Wijnaldum has been indomitable as the ‘number 6’ and the work ethics of James Milner must be valued despite him being in his mid-thirties. The likes of Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain might play some part depending upon the scenario and shape of the game.
Attack
Although his goal got disallowed via VAR against Tottenham, Mohamed Salah has been sharp of late after a dire run. He scored a brace last week against Manchester United and must start finding the net in Premier League to conquer his third golden boot in four seasons since joining the Reds. Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are back among goals and should exhibit their mastery upfront to outscore the opponents.
