Match Preview: Liverpool vs. West Ham United – prediction, team news, and lineups

In their second consecutive EFL Cup clash, Liverpool hosts West Ham United on Wednesday at Anfield, kicking off their defense of the 2023-24 title.

Both Premier League teams enter the match after contrasting 3-0 results over the weekend; Liverpool triumphed over Bournemouth, while West Ham fell to Chelsea.

Match Preview

Although Jurgen Klopp has never secured a quadruple during his successful tenure at Liverpool, his last trophy was the EFL Cup, marking the club’s second win in three years and extending their record to ten titles. Virgil van Dijk’s extra-time header against Chelsea in the final not only denied Mauricio Pochettino his first trophy in England but also established Liverpool as the first team to reach double digits in EFL Cup victories.

As they embark on their quest for an 11th title, Liverpool has adjusted well under new manager Slot, aside from a surprising home defeat to Nottingham Forest. They rebounded impressively with a comeback win against AC Milan in the Champions League and moved briefly to the top of the Premier League after their victory over Bournemouth, featuring Luis Diaz’s two goals and a stunning third from Darwin Nunez.

Although Liverpool recently lost their top spot to Manchester City, they haven’t exited the EFL Cup in the third round for six years, and they last suffered a defeat at Anfield in this competition in October 2020 against Arsenal.

West Ham fans may approach Anfield with cautious optimism, especially after their team’s poor showing against Chelsea, where they struggled defensively, conceding two goals to Nicolas Jackson and having a Mohammed Kudus effort disallowed for offside.

Under Lopetegui, West Ham has had limited success, currently sitting in 14th place with just one win from their first five league matches. However, they did achieve an EFL Cup victory over Bournemouth in August, and they famously defeated Arsenal in the fourth round last year before being overwhelmed by Liverpool in the quarter-finals, losing 5-1.

Team News

Liverpool will miss long-term absentee Harvey Elliott, who is recovering from a foot fracture. Alisson Becker also missed the Bournemouth match due to a muscle injury, leaving his availability for Wednesday uncertain. Caoimhin Kelleher is expected to start in goal, having made crucial saves over the weekend.

Summer signing Federico Chiesa may make his first start for Liverpool, likely replacing Mohamed Salah, while Joe Gomez could feature in a revamped lineup.

West Ham is expected to make changes following their dismal performance against Chelsea, with Niclas Fullkrug likely sidelined due to a calf injury. Tomas Soucek is expected to return to the starting lineup, alongside potential starters Carlos Soler, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Michail Antonio, with Lukasz Fabianski set to take over in goal.

Predicted Lineups:

Liverpool: Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Morton; Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo; Jota

West Ham United: Fabianski; Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soler, Soucek; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Antonio

Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 West Ham United

Despite both managers making significant changes, West Ham’s attacking players could pose a threat to Liverpool’s relatively inexperienced defense this season.

However, West Ham’s 3-0 defeat to Chelsea was indicative of their struggles, and Liverpool is expected to secure a comfortable win.