Hammers boss David Moyes makes two West Ham changes for Liverpool after a major late fitness boost in our predicted team.
West Ham head to Anfield to take on a Liverpool side looking rather ominously more like their title-challenging old selves.
The Hammers drew 1-1 at Southampton on Sunday – a result which left fans and manager 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.
West Ham have much documented problems in defence ahead of the Liverpool clash.
They lost Craig Dawson and Angelo Ogbonna to injury in the game against Anderlecht last Thursday while Kurt Zouma was isolated from the West Ham squad after picking up a bug.
Predicted: David Moyes makes two West Ham changes for Liverpool after major late fitness boost
West Ham will likely go with a back five regardless against Liverpool’s fearsome attack, even if the hosts are without Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.
We believe David Moyes makes two West Ham changes for Liverpool after a major late fitness boost.
The Evening Standard has reported that West Ham will make a late call on Zouma.
And given he has trained ahead of the game, we think he will be one of just two changes to the West Ham team which started against Southampton last time out.
Zouma will come in for Ben Johnson and play in the centre of a back three with Thilo Kehrer and Aaron Cresswell either side.
Change number two will see Pablo Fornals come into the team in place of Emerson in the left wingback role.
Fornals has played that role several times for West Ham and it gives Moyes flexibility to switch to a four during the game.
There have been calls for Flynn Downes to replace Tomas Soucek, Alphonse Areola to come in for Lukasz Fabianski and for Said Benrahma to be given a start.
But Moyes will ignore those calls and stick to a five with Soucek needed to help deal with the aerial threat of Darwin Nunez and Virgil van Dijk.
Predicted West Ham starting XI to face Liverpool:
Fabianski, Coufal, Kehrer, Zouma, Cresswell, Fornals, Rice, Soucek, Paqueta, Bowen, Scamacca.
Paul Merson believes West Ham will give ‘tired’ Liverpool a tough game.
West Ham’s confirmed line-up will be announced at 6.30pm.
MORE WEST HAM NEWS
Insider says West Ham money man is paying the price for aggressive approach.
Moyes boost as Klopp confirms seven Liverpool stars will miss West Ham.
West Ham could play in USA as part of Premier League expansion.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
