Pundit Paul Merson has given West Ham big hope against Liverpool after what he saw in the Man City game at the weekend.
West Ham head to Anfield on Wednesday to take on a Liverpool side looking rather ominously more like their old selves.
West Ham drew 1-1 at Southampton on Sunday – a result which left fans and manager David Moyes hugely frustrated.
There was no such frustration for Liverpool, though, after they became the first team to beat Man City this season.
Moyes has a terrible record against the so-called top six – especially away from home.
And Anfield is very rarely a happy hunting ground for West Ham – or indeed any team as Man City found out to their cost on Sunday when Mo Salah scored in a 1-0 win.
But it is that game which might just provide the opportunity for the Hammers to pull off a shock on Merseyside.
Paul Merson gives West Ham hope against Liverpool after what he saw in the Man City game.
Speaking to SportsKeeda, the pundit believes Liverpool’s exertions against Pep Guardiola’s side could leave them tired for this quick turnaround and potentially make them vulnerable when facing West Ham.
But Merson also feels West Ham’s defensive injury and illness problems could counteract any advantage as he predicted a narrow 2-1 win for the Reds.
“Liverpool seem to be back at their best,” Merson told SportsKeeda.
“They worked their socks off against Manchester City, and that game would’ve taken a lot out of them. This is going to be a hard match.
“If they win, they’ve secured back-to-back victories and are back in the top-four race…
“When Darwin Nunez came on, the worrying thing was that he didn’t pass the ball to (Mo) Salah. It’s even more worrying that he didn’t even spot Salah’s run. They might play Carvalho or Harvey Elliott further up the pitch this week.
“With West Ham’s injuries at the back, this might be a good time to help Nunez with his game. With him on the pitch, however, you won’t get the best out of Salah.
“This should be a good Premier League match. West Ham are not playing well at the moment and their season has been a bit stop-start so far. They do have the ammunition to hurt Liverpool and could make this a hard game. If Liverpool turn up, however, I’d back them to win this game.”
If Merson is right and Liverpool do show signs of fatigue, let’s hope the Hammers can take advantage.
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