West Ham United star Pablo Fornals is on a warning against Liverpool after two uncharacteristic and costly slips in recent games.
West Ham take on the might of Liverpool at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon knowing a win will see them leapfrog the Reds with a third of the season gone.
The Hammers go into the game full of confidence. They are fourth in the table, top of their Europa League group, one win from the Carabao Cup semi-finals and unbeaten in their last six games.
West Ham fans and David Moyes are well aware no trophies or Champions League spots are handed out in November.
But with almost a third of the season gone, the Hammers – like Liverpool – are in fantastic shape.
Facing Jurgen Klopp’s side will be a big step up for West Ham.
In Mohamed Salah the Reds have one of the best and most in-form players on the planet right now.
Then there’s the other 10 to worry about.
But Moyes – as Klopp has so brilliantly and respectfully pointed out ahead of the clash – has worked wonders and West Ham are not too shabby themselves nowadays.
The Scot’s transformation has been built on one key, non-negotiable factor from the start – HARD WORK.
Arguably nobody in the West Ham side has epitomised that more than Pablo Fornals.
The skilful Spaniard is adored by Hammers fans for his passion and immense workrate.
West Ham star Pablo Fornals on a warning against Liverpool after two uncharacteristic and costly slips
He is one of the first names on the team sheet for Moyes. And his form for West Ham has earned him a richly deserved recall to the Spain squad.
But the Hammers fan favourite goes into the game against Liverpool on a big warning after two uncharacteristic and costly slips in West Ham’s last two games.
Let’s have it straight this is not a criticism of the midfielder. He has been one of West Ham’s best players for the last couple of years. It is merely an observation.
But he switched off and made a lacklustre challenge on Emi Buendia which allowed Villa to equalise against West Ham last weekend.
Thankfully the Hammers managed to recover and win the game.
There was more lacklustre defending from Fornals against Genk as he failed to track his runner at the death and Tomas Soucek scored an own goal from the resulting cross.
That draw did not impact West Ham too badly – a draw away from home in Europe for a club like the Hammers is always a good result – but it did cost Moyes’s side a place in the last 16 on the night.
That will hopefully be secured in the next game against Rapid Wien.
But it was two uncharacteristic bits of slack defending from Fornals and won’t have gone unnoticed by Moyes.
Against Liverpool – with Salah operating down that side – Fornals and co HAVE to be on their A game if the Hammers are to get anything.
Moyes will undoubtedly have been drumming that into his players, who will surely look to the Man City cup game plan as a template for trying to stop this relentless Liverpool team.
Moyes expects his players to graft and work hard first and let their quality shine thereafter.
Fornals has both in the locker he just needs to make sure he keeps up his brilliant high standards in what could be the key area of the pitch against the Reds.
More West Ham news:
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Klopp shows he’s a proper football man with brilliant tribute to West Ham.
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