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  • Could Arsenal & Spurs both finish in Premier League Top 4?

    Could Arsenal & Spurs both finish in Premier League Top 4?

    The North London rivals have just made the race to the Premier League Top 4 really interesting, with both Arsenal & Tottenham Hotspur convincingly defeating their oppositions over the weekend and it has blown the race to the Top 4 wide open. Liverpool was the only team to pick up a win with Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham United, Leicester City and Aston Villa all dropping points as the difference, now, between 10th placed Arsenal and 4th placed West Ham is only 8 points.

    COULD ARSENAL & SPURS BOTH FINISH IN PREMIER LEAGUE TOP 4?

    While Arsenal still have some ground to make up to have some kind of shot at finishing in the Top 4, Tottenham Hotspur are only 6 points away from the Champions League places with a game in hand. Moreover, with the rebirth of Gareth Bale and Harry Kane looking his old self again, Jose Mourinho might be very confident in his team’s chances of finishing above the likes of Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool and possibly Leicester City as well.

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    Chelsea, meanwhile, have not a lost a single game since Thomas Tuchel’s arrival at the end of January. They haven’t looked convincing in their victories and have also drawn their last 2 games in the Premier League. West Ham have had a fairytale campaign so far, but similar to Leicester City last season, a couple of injuries could derail their season while they also don’t have a match-winner in their team who could carry them on his back if the team falters.

    Liverpool have been by far the least convincing competitors in the race to the Champions League slots, and while one would back Jurgen Klopp to get his team going again, there lies a bigger underlying problem at the club as it took them until the end of February to secure their first victory in the month. Lack of ideas, creativity and confidence are just one of the few issues Klopp needs to address and address fast if they want any chance of playing in the Champions League next season.

    Leicester City currently looks comfortable in 3rd place, they would have horrid memories of last season as they were kicked out of the Top 4 on the last day of the Premier League campaign and with players like Harvey Barnes and James Maddison set to miss some games, Brendan Rodgers would be sweating looking at all the teams below him who are fighting hard for a place in Europe next season.

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    Jose Mourinho might not be the only manager in North London to be delighted with his team’s recent upturn in form, as Mikel Arteta will be pleased with his team’s performance on the weekend against third-placed Leicester City. Arsenal went 1-0 down against the Foxes but they came back fiercely to win 1-3 with goals from David Luiz, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe ensuring their race to the Top 4 stays alive.

    Arsenal have shown shades of the kind of magnanimous football they can play and if they can continue playing like this, it would not be out of the realms of possibility for the Gunners to finish in the Top 4.  They have had a disastrous campaign in the Premier League this term, so Mikel Arteta would be buoyed by the fact that there still remains an outside shot of them playing in Europe again next season. However, Arteta’s lack of managerial experience is very evident at times and this could be the ultimate reason for Arsenal finishing outside the Top 4 this season.

    ADVANTAGE TO TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR:

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    In all honesty, Jose Mourinho’s guile could be the key that could change the face of this Top 4 race. It is not a coincidence that Gareth Bale has come back into form just when Tottenham needed the Welshman the most. Mourinho has certainly used his man-management skills to motivate and fuel the 31 year’s old’s ambition of playing in Europe again, while he has also managed to incorporate Dele Alli back into the Tottenham setup.

    Mourinho was well aware that if he wants his side to finish in the Top 4 while also compete in the Europa League he will need to squeeze every last bit out of this current Tottenham squad. Jose Mourinho’s sides have always been renowned for their defensive structures but the revolution he has got going on at Tottenham is far from a defensive one. It is just a matter of whether Mourinho will use this momentum in the best possible way or will he revert back to his old ways again.

    Manchester City might be the runaway champions of the Premier League this season, however, the race to the Top 4 is far from over and with only 8 points separating everybody from 4th to 10th, we could witness one of the most topsy-turvy endings to a Premier League season.

  • Michail Antonio to switch National Allegiance – A Blow for the Three Lions?

    Michail Antonio to switch National Allegiance – A Blow for the Three Lions?

    We are about a year and a half away from football’s biggest event- The World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar in the winter of 2022. As we approach the mega event, each and every top-flight player will be hopeful of wearing its nation’s badge at football’s biggest festival.

    Various players who can opt to represent multiple nations have a decision to make as to which nation should they opt for. Usually, such decisions are decided based on factors like personal interests, squad competition, first-team chances, etc. Most recently we witnessed talented Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala pick Germany over England as his national team preference.

    Another nation switch that we might be witnessing soon is West Ham United center forward Michail Antonio, who according to The Telegraph is willing to accept a call-up from Jamaica.

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    Antonio has been called up for the Three Lions twice, but has not been capped yet. When Sam Allardyce called Antonio to the national team, he was an unused substitute. Most recently when current England manager Gareth Southgate called Antonio up, he had to withdraw due to an injury.

    Now, with Antonio entering his 30s and facing stiff competition from a range of younger center forwards, such as Bamford, Watkins, Wilson, Abraham, Ings and more, Antonio’s chances of making it to Qatar in 2022 seem extremely bleak.

    MUST READ: How Aaron Cresswell has become crucial for this West Ham team

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    Nonetheless, the West Ham center forward has impressed this season with nine goal contributions in 16 games, playing a crucial role in the Hammer’s race of European football next season.

    Jamaica had previously approached Antonio but the Hammer turned the offer down as he wished to represent the Three Lions instead. Now with Antonio desperate to play the 2022 World Cup and his England chances looking bleak, we at Premier League News Now definitely see this nation switch happening.

  • How Aaron Cresswell has become crucial for this West Ham team

    How Aaron Cresswell has become crucial for this West Ham team

    Aaron Cresswell has been one of the most consistent performers for West Ham United this season and David Moyes, West Ham manager, must be delighted with the left-back’s contribution, which has been one of the reasons why West Ham are currently 4th in the Premier League table.

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    At the start of the season, if you asked anybody what their Premier League Top 4 would look like, not even the optimistic Hammer’s fan could predict that they would be this far up in the table above the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool & Chelsea. This tells you the unpredictable nature of the Premier League and how big an achievement it is for the Hammers to be in this position after 25 Premier League games.

    HOW CRESSWELL HAS BECOME CRUCIAL FOR THIS WEST HAM TEAM:

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    Aaron Cresswell has been West Ham’s chief creator this season, with the left-back providing 6 assists this campaign, one more than Andrew Robertson, who was named left back of the season last year. It can be argued that Liverpool are having a mid-season crisis but this does not take away from Cresswell’s achievements, who has been unbelievably consistent this season as he has played all of West Ham’s 25 games in the Premier League and has time and again proven to be a threat with his inventive crossing.

    Cresswell has always been a good crosser of the ball, but in this West Ham team, his crossing ability is more crucial than ever with players like Tomas Soucek & Michail Antonio benefitting largely out of this due to their strong aerial presence. It could also be said that Cresswell would be further up in the assists charts if Sebastien Haller(West Ham’s biggest signing in 2019 who recently joined Ajax in January 2021) would have been a little more potent in front of goal, with Cresswell creating a lot of good chances for the French forward, especially in the 2020/21 season.

    Cresswell is also West Ham’s corner kick taker from the left-hand side as the Englishman can deliver deadly balls into the box which is just a gift for West Ham’s humongous backline which boasts the likes of Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna, both being 6’4 inches and aggressive in the air. When you have so many players in your team who are so adept at heading a ball in the air, Cresswell is almost an un-droppable player in this West Ham team.

    HE HAS THE STATS TO BACK IT UP

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    However, a defender’s primary responsibility is always manning the backline and Cresswell has certainly done so by helping his team keep 9 clean sheets this season, joint 4th highest in the Premier League. Cresswell has also had an incredible 79% pass completion this season, and that is quite an accomplishment because for any team that is outside the traditional top 6′ it is very hard to hold on to the ball and knit passes together. Moreover, the 31-year-old Englishman has had the most touches of any West Ham player this season which tells you how important the left-back is to the team’s game plan.

    The most impressive record apart from the Englishman’s assist tally is the fact that he has received only one yellow card this season which is impeccable for a left-back, more so because West Ham’s average possession has been 44%, which means that the Hammers have more often than not, been defending up against teams.

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    West Ham United’s latest addition, Jesse Lingard has formed up quite a partnership with Cresswell already, with the left-back always wanting to make overlapping which is creating increased space for Lingard on the ball which has been one of the reasons for Lingard’s recent boost in form.

    Cresswell has certainly been one of the best left-backs this season if not the best, and the Englishman will be hoping to carry this form towards the back-end of the season and with Ben Chilwell not playing regularly for Chelsea, England could call up Cresswell for the Euros in the summer.

  • Tottenham Predicted XI vs West Ham United | Premier League 2020/21

    Tottenham Predicted XI vs West Ham United | Premier League 2020/21

    A London derby is on the cards for a Super Sunday clash at the London Stadium, where West Ham United host Tottenham Hotspur.

    Spurs are on the back of an impressive 4-1 victory over the Austrian side, Wolfsberger, in the Europa League’s Round of 32.

    Here’s my predicted XI for the game against West Ham:

    Formation (4-2-3-1)

    Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris

    The Frenchman has kept only 1 clean sheet in his last 10 games and has proved to be an error-prone keeper. However, Joe Hart is not a competent enough second-choice to replace Lloris between the sticks.

    Right-back: Matt Doherty

    Doherty was dropped for last week’s massive clash against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, but he returned to the starting 11 in the mid-week Europa League clash. Given Aurier’s injury, I believe that Doherty should be given another opportunity to establish himself as a regular starter.

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    Centre-back: Toby Alderweireld

    Alderweireld is probably Jose Mourinho’s most reliable defender. He fights for his side throughout the 90 minutes, and I believe that in pursuance of re-finding their form in the league, the Portuguese manager will start Alderweireld.

    Centre-back: Eric Dier

    Dier and Davinson Sanchez have both proven to be unreliable options at the back. Yet, Dier is better on the ball, and if Mourinho expects his side to have more time on the ball, the Englishman would be the preferred choice.

    Left-back: Ben Davies

    Sergio Reguilón’s availability is unknown for the game against West Ham. He may be fit enough for the bench, but there’s no way he starts after a spell on the sidelines for over 4 weeks. Hence, Ben Davies is the obvious choice to start at left-back.

    Central Midfield: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

    Having Hojbjerg in the starting eleven is crucial to Spurs’ defensive stability. His tenacious nature in midfield makes him an automatic. The former Southampton man was given a rest for the Europa League, so he should be restless to start vs West Ham.

    Central Midfield: Tanguy Ndombele

    When Tottenham are on the ball, Ndombele proves to be the most important catalyst to take the team forward. He too wasn’t included in the starting XI for the Wolfsberger game, so it’s likely he regains his place in the lineup.

    Right-wing: Gareth Bale

    This might come as a surprise to some, but Bale’s 60-minute showing in the Europa League should be enough to convince Mourinho. The Spurs manager even hinted that the Welshman could be part of the set-up for Sunday.

    Attacking midfield: Erik Lamela

    Lamela has been one of Spurs’ better player in recent tough times. His ability on the ball has been much needed in the absence of Giovani Lo Celso, who is out with an injury.

    Left-wing: Son Heung-min

    Son is Tottenham’s joint-top scorer this Premier League this season with Harry Kane. The duo form one of the best duos’s in England, and the South Korean’s pace and finishing ability are among the league’s best.

    Striker: Harry Kane

    Kane opted out of the Europa League fixture against Wolfsberger after just recovering from his ankle injury. This should mean that he’s back to the starting XI against West Ham, a team who he scored twice against earlier this season.

    Tottenham Predicted XI vs West Ham United: Lloris; Doherty, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies; Ndombele, Hojbjerg, Lamela, Bale, Kane, Son.

  • West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    Sunday sees Tottenham Hotspur take a trip to London Stadium as they face West Ham United in a clash to secure the Champions League places.

    Spurs have lost four of their last five Premier League matches but an away leg win against Wolfsberger AC in Round of 32 in the Europa League will definitely lift the spirits of the players. On the other hand, David Moyes’ side has managed to build an amazing team capable of competing for the top six spots. Just one loss in the last six Premier League outings has seen the Hammers leapfrog defending champions Liverpool to fifth behind Chelsea on goal difference.

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    WHEN & WHERE?

    When: Sunday, February 21
    Where: London Stadium.
    Time: 12:00 BST

    RECENT FORM

    West Ham United’s Premier League form: (W-D-W-L-W)

    West Ham United have arguably been the most improved side in the league. David Moyes has to give a lot of credit for this success. His team has scored the seventh-most goals in the league and has kept the fourth most amount of clean sheets.

    Tottenham’s Premier League form: (L-W-L-L-L)

    It’s time to close the gap now for Tottenham or else risk playing no European football next season. With 36 points, the Spurs sit just two points above Arsenal in the ninth position with a game in hand.

    TEAM NEWS

    West Ham United

    West Ham’s forward Michail Antonio has now missed two games on the bounce this season and his availability for the game remains a doubt. Arthur Masuaku, Andriy Yarmolenko and Angelo Ogbonna are out of this game while Darren Randolph and Fabian Balbuena might play a part in this match.

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    Tottenham Hotspur

    Both of the starting full-backs Serge Aurier & Sergio Reguilon are out of this clash with the Spaniard now having missed a month of football owing to injuries while Giovani Lo Celso will also play no part in this game

    PREDICTED XI

    West Ham United’s possible starting XI: Fabianski; Diop, Dawson, Cresswell; Coufal, Soucek, Rice, Johnson; Lingard, Lanzini; Bowen

    Tottenham Hotspur’s possible starting XI: Lloris; Tanganga, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies; Sissoko, Hojbjerg; Bergwijn, Ndombele, Son; Kane

    PREDICTION

    West Ham vs Tottenham Hotspur: 1-3

  • Manchester United vs West Ham United: Preview | FA Cup Fifth Round

    Manchester United vs West Ham United: Preview | FA Cup Fifth Round

    Manchester United host West Ham at Old Trafford in a fifth round FA Cup tie. Both the teams will battle it out on a cold Tuesday evening for a shot at a place in the quarter finals.

    Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-2 in the last round to progress to the fourth round, while West Ham beat League One side Doncaster Rovers.

    The Red Devils will be aiming to bounce back after an agonizing 3-3 draw after conceding an injury time goal against Everton in the Premier League. Manchester United conceded two of the Toffees’ goals due to defensive errors and will aim to rectify these in this upcoming fixture.

    On the other hand, The Hammers played out a goalless draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage in a game where both sides struggled to create chances.

    When and Where?

    Venue: Old Trafford
    Date: Tuesday, February 9
    Time: 19:00 (GMT)

    Team News

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    Manchester United will be without the defensive duo of Phil Jones, who is out due to a long-term knee injury and Eric Bailly, who picked up a knock during the build up of the Everton game.

    The Red Devils will also be without the services of midfielder Paul Pogba who was forced to come off the field in the first half of the Everton game due to a thigh problem. He is set to be out for four to six weeks.

    Arthur Masuaku remains the only player out injured for West Ham while Jesse Lingard cannot appear for West Ham in the FA Cup having already appeared for parent club Manchester United earlier in the season. Tomas Soucek is set to return to the squad after his controversial red card was overturned after an appeal lodged by the Hammers.

    MUST READ: Decoding WHY Donny van de Beek is used so sparingly

    Predicted Lineups

    Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles; McTominay, Matic; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Cavani.

    West Ham (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio.

    Prediction

    Manchester United 2-1 West Ham

  • FPL GW23: Time to cash in on Jesse Lingard?

    FPL GW23: Time to cash in on Jesse Lingard?

    West Ham signed Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard on loan for the remainder of the season and the 28-year-old has already managed to deliver for his new team. The Englishman managed to find the back of the net twice against Aston Villa whose defense has been one of the best in the league this season.

    Lingard had zero appearances in the league under Manchester United this season but there is certainly no doubt when it comes to his ability as proven a countless number of times. The attacking midfielder only costs £5.9m and has been transferred in by almost 100k FPL managers at the moment.

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    Lingard plays high up the pitch under David Moyes’ setup staying only a bit behind Michail Antonio (£6.6m). West Ham lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Lingard playing as almost a second striker.

    While there are doubts when it comes to his fitness as he has only featured once in the Premier League this season, David Moyes has assured the fans that there is certainly not much concern surrounding Lingard’s fitness and he is very much capable to play a huge amount of games in a short amount of time.

    The Englishman picked up 15 points after scoring two goals and also picking up a maximum bonus-point haul. West Ham also face favorable fixtures like Fulham (A) and Sheffield United (H) in their next two and Lingard could be the low-risk-high-return player that you could end up relying upon.

  • Aston Villa vs West Ham United: Match Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    Aston Villa vs West Ham United: Match Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    Aston Villa & West Ham United, two teams who finished just above the relegation zone last season, are putting up quite a show this season as both of them have excelled expectations and are more than in the conversation to finish in the top 4.

    Their previous meeting this season at the start of December had pretty much everything you would expect from a modern Premier League game; one penalty, two VAR checks and end to end football.

    West ham’s recent loss to Liverpool indicated how prone the Hammers are to counter attacks, which a team like Aston Villa will certainly look to capitalize upon. Aston Villa will be the team coming into this match with all the momentum after their victory against Southampton over the weekend.

    MATCH PREVIEW

    Aston Villa have been one of the best defensive sides this season, conceding only 21 goals – 2nd best in the Premier League after Manchester City. It is going to take some doing from West ham to penetrate that defence as Emiliano Martinez looks to keep an 11th clean sheet this term.

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    One of the biggest strengths of Aston Villa this season, in terms of their attack, has been the crisp play in the final third with through balls being played through constantly to run behind the last defender and catch teams out with their direct approach towards scoring goals, something West Ham have been susceptible to this season.

    However, this approach has led to Ollie Watkins being caught offside 16 times this season – second-most by any Premier League player this season. Bringing in Ross Barkley over the summer was a clear effort by Aston Villa to reduce the burden of creativity on Jack Grealish but due to Barkley missing one-third of Aston Villa’s season already, that plan has not worked out the way Dean Smith would have wanted it to.

    West ham, on the other hand, have been incredibly potent aerially this season with 9 goals coming off headers and a lot of this is down to Aaron Creswell, Jarod Bowen and Vladimir Coufal, all of whom have been creating goal-scoring chances from the wide areas. However, West Ham’s revelation of this season has been Tomas Soucek, somebody who is fast becoming a fan-favorite among the West ham fans with his ability to perfectly time his runs into the box to head home goals with his towering personality.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR :

    Aston Villa- Jack Grealish. Even though the Ross Barkley move this season did not pan out the way Aston Villa hoped it would, Jack Grealish has taken his game to a whole new level this season. The Villa talisman has contributed to one-third of Aston Villa’s goals this season by scoring 6 and providing 9 assists to his teammates.

    ‘I  think he is the best player in the Premier League at the moment‘- said David Moyes in his press conference before the game on Wednesday night. This alone tells you that if Aston Villa comes out on top on Wednesday, Jack Grealish will be playing a big part in that victory.

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    West Ham- Tomas Soucek and Michail Antonio. This duo of West ham is highly dangerous as both have very different skillsets, with Tomas Soucek being a threat in the air and Michail Antonio with his lung-bursting pace, West Ham United could cause some serious trouble to the Aston Villa backline as the Villans look to avoid the 5th loss in 7 games.

    PREDICTED LINEUPS:

    Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Matty Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Douglas Luiz, John Mcginn,  Grealish, B.Traore, Barkley; Watkins.

    West Ham ( 4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson,Ogbonna, Cresswell ; Soucek, Rice, Benrahama, Fornals, Bowen; Antonio.

  • FPL GW22: Harry Kane Replacements | Premier League 2020/21

    FPL GW22: Harry Kane Replacements | Premier League 2020/21

    The lack of reliable forwards has always been a problem for the FPL managers this season and with Harry Kane out for an indefinite amount of time, they are left with even more of a dilemma.

    So here are a few options that FPL managers could go for based on the forwards’ reliability, form and the upcoming fixtures:

    Michail Antonio (£6.6m)

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    The West Ham striker has the most favorable fixtures out of the options available with Aston Villa (A), Fulham (A) and Sheffield United (H) in the upcoming Gameweeks.

    He is also the most in-form forward after contributing to 3 West Ham goals in the past 4 Gameweeks with 2 goals and 1 assist. His price on FPL has also gone up by £0.2m in the last two weeks which shows his positive impact.

    Ollie Watkins (£6.3m)

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    Watkins has managed to find the back of the net twice in his last three games and also faces reasonable fixtures like West Ham (H), Arsenal (H) and Brighton (A) in his next three making him a good choice for your FPL lineup.

    He is also a guaranteed starter in these games and is also worth the risk given his price and reliability. He ranks 6th in influence, 3rd in creativity and 1st in threat in the ICT index of forwards.

    Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7.6m)

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    Despite shooting blanks in his last five fixtures, there is a silver lining when it comes to Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Everton faces Leeds United (A), Manchester United (A) and Fulham (H) in their next three which is considered a tough haul for the Toffees. But, the return of James Rodriguez, Richarlison and Lucas Digne is a great sign for the FPL managers because when starting together, Everton has scored 17 goals in 7 games which are averaged at a massive 2.43 goals per game.

    Hence, putting your trust in the Englishman could turn out well for your FPL team while others consider the more mainstream options like Martial and Werner. He can be the key differential in your team as he has been recently transferred out by almost 105k FPL managers.

  • Liverpool Preview vs West Ham | Premier League 2020/21

    Liverpool Preview vs West Ham | Premier League 2020/21

    The Reds of Merseyside travel to London for another test of their character on Sunday as Liverpool take on West Ham at the London Stadium.

    Liverpool and West Ham have been in contrasting forms during the busy January period with Liverpool failing to win or score in any of their games in January. However, all that changed in midweek as the Reds saw off Tottenham Hotspur in their last outing, coming out 3-1 winner in a convincing display. 

    This week’s opposition poses a different test, the resolute Hammers have looked menacing this season taking 3 points in 4 consecutive games. West Ham has also kept 3 clean sheets in their last 5 fixtures, and they will indeed make it very difficult for Liverpool to break them down. 

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    The morale-boosting win against Tottenham would’ve let Jurgen Klopp breathe a sigh of relief, giving the team a huge boost in confidence after failing to win a Premier League in January prior to last week and crashing out of the FA Cup at the hands of rivals Manchester United. The obvious culprit have been injuries to their centre-backs and midfielders. Naby Keita and summer arrival Thiago have also struggled with injuries. Klopp has publicly stated Liverpool’s struggles with injuries and how much of a huge miss Virgil van Dijk has been. 

    Liverpool must try to steer their focus away from those issues however, putting faith in youngsters has paid off for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool in recent years. Although there have been a few errors from Liverpool’s young centre-backs, both Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips look comfortable on the ball and have put in some decent performances. Meanwhile, Fabinho and Henderson can also fill in as a makeshift centre-back. 

    Liverpool Team News vs West Ham: 

    Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez remain long-term absentees. Diogo Jota and Naby Keïta are also unavailable. 

    Joël Matip went off injured at half time and there were some early rumors that he had suffered a bad ankle injury. Thankfully, Jordan Henderson returned to full fitness and Kostas Tsimikas was also in the squad on Thursday night.

    Fabinho missed the Spurs game with a minor muscle injury so it’s hoped he will be able to face West Ham. 

    Liverpool Predicted XI vs West Ham: 

    Jurgen Klopp’s side will need some experience at centre-back if they are to deal with West Ham’s attacking threats. Nat Phillips or Ryhs Williams could start with Klopp pairing either of the two youngsters with the experience of Fabinho. 

    Henderson’s return to fitness could see him move into a centre-back role but that seems like a really thin chance with Fabinho most likely to make it into the starting 11. The rest of the team would remain unchanged with the front three unlikely to change especially with Jota Injured. 

    GK: Alisson.

    Defense: Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Fabinho, Robertson.

    Midfield: Henderson, Wijnaldum, Thiago.

    Forwards: Salah, Firmino, Mané.