Last Time Out:
Liverpool handled Tottenham 3-1; West Ham defeated Crystal Palace 3-2
Previous meeting:
Liverpool defeated West Ham 2-1 on Oct. 31 at Anfield in Liverpool.
About the Matchup:
No team has been happier to say goodbye to 2020 than West Ham United. After barely avoiding the relegation zone last year, the Hammers have gotten themselves into the race for the Champions League in 2021, in large part because they haven’t lost a match in 2021. West Ham has won four consecutive matches and has been beaten just once in its past nine matches, rocketing them up to fifth place.
Liverpool, on the other hand, hasn’t enjoyed 2021 nearly as much. The Reds really haven’t been right since Christmas, as they’ve failed to win in five of their past six matches. After losing just once in 16 matches in 2020 this season, Liverpool has fallen twice in 2021, including their first home loss in six years. But the Reds did bounce back well from that setback by thrashing Tottenham and showing that they still have the talent to compete at the top of the table. Can they get back to form and halt West Ham’s newfound momentum?
Scouting Liverpool:
Liverpool looked like it was going to charge to a second consecutive championship after it destroyed Crystal Palace on Dec. 27, but since that seven-goal outburst, the Reds just have not been the same team. Prior to dropping three on Tottenham, Liverpool had gone four consecutive matches without scoring, and the streak reached 483 minutes without finding the net until Roberto Firmino finally scored in the first half against Spurs.
The question is, was that outburst real, or was that just one gasp from a team that’s been overwhelmed by the pressure of taking everyone’s best shot for two years? The Reds seem to be pressing a little too hard, as they’ve been forcing shot after shot at the net and getting virtually nothing to show for their efforts. Against Burnley, Liverpool took 27 shots, but only six out of 27 even forced the Clarets to make a save. Mohamed Salah, in particular, hasn’t scored since the rout of Palace, and when the Egyptian isn’t scoring, Liverpool’s attack becomes a lot less dangerous.
Scouting West Ham:
Chances are, David Moyes doesn’t need to tell his players much to get them focused on this game, because the Hammers vividly remember what’s happened in each of the past two meetings with Liverpool. West Ham has blown a one-goal lead on the Reds in each of their past two matchups, watching Liverpool come back and turn a win into a loss. The last time out was especially irritating for the Hammers, because they had a point locked up until Liverpool found the net with five minutes to go to earn the win.
To prevent a fifth loss in six meetings, the Hammers have to keep the defense up, which they haven’t done in the past two matches. West Ham had posted three consecutive shutouts against Southampton, Everton and Burnley, but they’ve conceded three times in their past two matches. That could lead Moyes to change up his lineup in this match, especially with new loanee Jesse Lingard arriving from Manchester United in time to potentially play on Sunday.
Dan’s Score Prediction:
I don’t trust West Ham to win this game, but I certainly do not trust the Liverpool defense to stop anything right now. I think there’s going to be a fair amount of goals in this contest, and it wouldn’t shock me a bit to see this become a four-goal affair.
West Ham is the more in-form side and playing at home, and I think the Hammers can get a point out of this match. I’ll back a 2-2 draw at +1250.