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Tag: West Ham United

Joel Matip might rejoin Premier League as interest in free transfer emerges

Joel Matip is now attracting interest from another Premier League club, as he has yet to find a new team since his departure from Liverpool in June.

Matip was one of 11 players released by Liverpool when his contract ended, and he is the only one still deciding his next move.

While Thiago has retired and Adrian, Mateusz Musialowski, and Melkamu Frauendorf have all signed with new teams on free transfers, the 33-year-old Matip has been considering his options.

Bayer Leverkusen had shown interest, but a move to Xabi Alonso’s team seems less likely now that Jonathan Tah will remain at the BayArena past the transfer deadline.

Currently, Matip is drawing interest from West Ham, with Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth reporting that the club is evaluating him as they look for late additions in the centre-back position.

Ex-Sheffield United defender John Egan is another potential target, with Sheth noting that “talks are ongoing with their representatives.”

This interest comes after Kurt Zouma (to Al-Orobah) and Nayef Aguerd (to Real Sociedad) left on loan late in the transfer window, leaving Julen Lopetegui with only three senior centre-backs: Max Kilman, Konstantinos Mavropanos, and Jean-Clair Todibo.

Matip could provide experienced cover, and a move to West Ham would likely ensure him ample playing time.

It remains uncertain whether Matip, who has spent eight years in England, would be open to such a switch. A return to Germany seemed more feasible, and other reports suggested he had offers from Europe and Asia.

With the transfer window closed and no new centre-back added at Liverpool, some fans have even suggested re-signing Matip might be a wise move. However, this seems unlikely given that Joe Gomez remains at the club and Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Jarell Quansah are all established key players.

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Following a quiet transfer window, Virgil van Dijk talks opens up new Liverpool signing

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool has shared his candid thoughts on the acquisition of Federico Chiesa, following the Italian winger’s move from Juventus.

Arne Slot will focus entirely on the forthcoming games now that the summer transfer window has closed and the Reds have only signed two players.

Fans had hoped that Liverpool would try to bring in players who might help them climb back up alongside Arsenal and Manchester City, but instead, the club, like other Premier League teams, was cautious with its summer spending.

The Italian winger Chiesa, who cost an estimated £13 million to sign, is a potentially fantastic addition for the Reds even though they did not break the bank.

The 26-year-old’s prowess during Italy’s Euro-winning campaign made him one of the most sought-after wide players in the world, but he has failed to reach similar heights again following a devastating injury.

Virgil van Dijk on new Liverpool man

Van Dijk hailed the trade for the quick winger in an interview with The Independent prior to Liverpool’s match against Manchester United this coming weekend.

“Considering how long the season is and how many games we have, I think we could use any quality addition that will be needed. To have Chiesa coming in is a very good signing, especially for the deal that has been done,” he told The Independent.

Slot got his Liverpool career off to a perfect start on opening day, winning 2-0 against the newly promoted Ipswich Town. The following week, they defeated Brentford by the same score.

September 3, 2024
Liverpool’s projected starting lineup against West Ham – Premier League

Once again, Liverpool managed to secure a Premier League victory without needing a strong first half.

An early goal from Jordan Ayew on Boxing Day saw the league leaders trailing against Leicester City, but there was little doubt that Arne Slot’s side would eventually find a way past the Foxes to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Cody Gakpo’s magnificent goal just before the break set the tone for a second-half onslaught, with a final score of 3-1 showcasing the attacking strength of Liverpool. Moving through the gears effortlessly is not an issue, particularly with Slot adjusting tactically to improve his team’s chances.

The Reds will be eager to finish the year on a high before Manchester United arrives to start 2025. They will face West Ham on Sunday afternoon, and here’s the lineup Slot might choose for the match in east London.

Liverpool predicted lineup vs West Ham (4-2-3-1)
Liverpool came from behind to defeat Leicester on Boxing Day / Copa/GettyImages

GK:Alisson – The Brazilian has found clean sheets hard to come by since returning from injury, but Caoimhin Kelleher will only feature if Alisson faces another injury setback.

RB:Trent Alexander-Arnold – The full-back was relentless in his efforts to assist teammates at the back post on Boxing Day, particularly in the first half, before Liverpool adjusted their strategy after the break. Slot will be cautious with Alexander-Arnold after he played the full 90 minutes on Thursday, but Conor Bradley is still unavailable.

CB:Joe Gomez – Ibrahima Konate will reclaim a starting spot when he is available, but Gomez is proving to be a reliable deputy, just as he did last season.

CB:Virgil van Dijk – Ayew’s goal on Boxing Day deflected off Van Dijk’s boot, but he otherwise had little to do as Liverpool dominated Leicester for most of the match. Jarrod Bowen’s energy will pose a challenge for the Dutchman on Sunday.

LB:Kostas Tsimikas – Andy Robertson has played heavily over the past month, and many consider him to be the weakest link in Liverpool’s squad. Slot is likely to rest the Scotsman and bring Tsimikas back into the starting lineup.

CM:Ryan Gravenberch – A consistent presence at the base of midfield, Gravenberch has arguably been the Premier League’s top-performing midfielder this season, and Slot will be hesitant to rest him here.

CM:Alexis Mac Allister – Liverpool are at their best when Mac Allister excels in his central midfield role. He is the mastermind behind the team, but he has also contributed in the final third occasionally.

RM:Mohamed Salah – While Salah wasn’t at his best on Boxing Day, he still delivered for Fantasy Premier League managers (especially those who captained him) by scoring Liverpool’s third goal. Inevitably, he had an impact.

AM:Curtis Jones – Jones was outstanding against Leicester and continues to be a crucial member of the squad. With Dominik Szoboszlai suspended, this selection is a straightforward one.

LM:Cody Gakpo – Gakpo’s stunning curler sparked Liverpool’s momentum against Leicester, and the Dutchman is thriving on the left flank.

ST: Luis Diaz – Darwin Nunez’s frustrating performances suggest a change up front, and Diaz, who has impressed in a false nine role this season, was an unused substitute last time.

December 19, 2023
Preview of Liverpool vs. West Ham United Prediction, team information, and lineups.

Premier League powerhouses Liverpool and West Ham United resume domestic play on Sunday afternoon at Anfield after both teams won their opening Europa League matches in uncannily similar circumstances.

The Hammers overcame a one-goal deficit to defeat Backa Topola in Europe, and the Reds overcame a one-goal deficit to defeat LASK Linz 3-1 midweek.

MATCH PREVIEW

The theme for Liverpool during the first few weeks of the 2023–24 season has been coming from behind to win, and just like at Molineux last weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s team consigned a slow start to the annals with a barrage of second-half goals.

In the Group E match, which was Liverpool’s first Europa League game in over seven years, Florian Flecker’s spectacular shot gave the Austrian team the lead.
However, Darwin Nunez’s penalty, Luis Diaz’s first-time finish, and Mohamed Salah’s historic goal ensured that the Reds returned to Merseyside with all three points.

Klopp became the first Reds manager in history to achieve 50 continental victories thanks to Salah’s 42nd Liverpool goal in Europe, which is tied with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry for the most goals by an English player in Europe.
His team enters the weekend with a five-game winning streak across all competitions, despite conceding the opening goal in four of those contests.

Liverpool, who are in third place in the Premier League standings and are only two points behind Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur on goals scored after scoring one fewer goal than the Lilywhites, have succeeded by fighting fire with even more fire.

Despite their recent propensity for conceding the opening goal, Liverpool’s Premier League unbeaten streak at Anfield now stands at 14 games since Leeds United’s stunning 2-1 victory in October, and they have only failed to score in one of their last 44 top-flight games at their Merseyside base.

Angelo Ogbonna shouldn’t have been any more relieved than he was at the London Stadium on Thursday because of the horrifying error the centre-back made that allowed Petar Stanic of Backa Topola to break through and give the Serbian underdogs the unlikeliest of leads in their Europa League debut.

The tide turned in favor of David Moyes’ team against Backa Topola, though, as a Nemanja Petrovic own goal came before two headers from debutants Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek in the English capital.
This was done while Liverpool were occupied battling back against LASK.

The former captain of Southampton, James Ward-Prowse, who opened the scoring in the previous week’s Premier League match against Manchester City before the champions responded through Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland, was unsurprisingly the architect of both set-piece goals during another stellar performance.

Even so, the Hammers’ defeat at the hands of the champions is still the only blemish on their record thus far.
Moyes’s team is currently sixth in the table with 10 points, but they have yet to record a shutout this season.

The Irons have a maximum haul after leaving the grounds of Luton Town and Brighton and Hove Albion so far this season, but they haven’t won three consecutive Premier League away games since October 2021, and seven of their last eight league meetings with Liverpool have resulted in losses

TEAM NEWS

The forced withdrawal of full debutant Ryan Gravenberch, who appeared especially disheveled as he made his way around the field in the second half, was one slightly disappointing aspect of Liverpool’s victory over LASK Linz.

However, Sunday’s match is still anticipated to be too soon for Trent Alexander-Arnold (hamstring) and Thiago Alcantara (hip) to make their competitive comebacks.

Klopp is optimistic that the Dutchman was only experiencing cramp.

After making a total of 11 substitutions for the Europa League, Klopp will likely approve a similar set of changes for West Ham’s visit, especially since Diaz and Nunez, who each claimed a goal and an assist, played the full 90 minutes in Austria.

Edson Alvarez, a key player for West Ham who was recently signed, missed the victory over Backa Topola due to fatigue, but he is anticipated to make an immediate comeback to the starting lineup here.

Alvarez’s return would leave the West Ham treatment room almost empty, but Jarrod Bowen missed the match on Thursday due to a virus and will also need to be evaluated.
Additionally, Aaron Cresswell left the game at halftime with a hamstring injury.

Due to Kudus’ standout performance in the Europa League, Moyes is experiencing the best kind of selection difficulty in the attack.
If the Irons manager takes a chance with a more attacking lineup, Kudus might be preferred over Soucek.

Alphonse Areola, Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, and Emerson Palmieri are getting ready to come back, but there will be a lot of changes at the back. Danny Ings will make way for Michail Antonio at the tip of the attack.

Starting lineup options for Liverpool include:
Alisson; Gomez; Konate; Van Dijk; Robertson; Szoboszlai; Mac Allister; Jones; Salah; Gakpo; and Jota.

The possible starting lineup for West Ham United

Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson, Ward-Prowse, Alvarez, Bowen, Kudus, and Benrahma are some of the other players.

We predict Liverpool 3-1 West Ham United

With the exception of Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Aston Villa earlier this month, both teams have scored in every match between the Reds and West Ham so far this season.
A thrilling match at Anfield should follow suit.

While Liverpool’s records won’t be perfect, the Merseyside giants should take advantage of the Hammers’ continued defensive shortcomings to secure their sixth straight victory.
Klopp and Moyes will both be able to recall rested big-hitters to their respective starting lineups.

September 22, 2023