West Ham vs Liverpool: Preview, Predictions & Betting Odds

West Ham host Liverpool at the London Stadium in a game which will have a big impact on both the title race and battle for European football.

Date: 27/04/24

Kick-off time: 12:30

Venue: London Stadium

After losing ground in the title race following last week’s defeat to Crystal Palace, Liverpool got back on track with a win at Fulham to overtake Man City into second, though the champions have a game in hand. They travel to West Ham hoping to maintain their position in the top three or capitalise on any dropped points by either Man City or Arsenal. Victory would keep them within the fight, whilst a draw or loss would almost certainly see them drop out of the race.

David Moyes’ side, in contrast, are fighting for a European place of their own. Sitting in eighth, they are still within touching distance of sixth place Newcastle, who are just two points ahead of them. However, they have played two more games than those around them after they were heavily defeated at Crystal Palace. This is why three points will be crucial for their chances, as they could soon slip further down the table.

Goals should be expected in this one, with West Ham failing to keep a clean sheet in their last 13 league games, a stretch that extends back to early January. They have also scored in eight of their last nine league games. Both teams have scored in five of Liverpool’s last six league fixtures.

Since 2020, these two sides have met nine times in the Premier League. It is Liverpool who have dominated this head-to-head, winning eight to West Ham’s two. The Hammers’ sole win in this run came in 2021, as they defeated the Reds 3-2. The reverse fixture earlier this season ended in Liverpool’s favour, as they won 3-1 at Anfield. Mo Salah put his side in front early on from the penalty spot, but Jarrod Bowen equalised before half-time. Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota scored second-half goals to secure three points.

West Ham Team News

West Ham should have no new injury concerns after a host of players returned last week. Only youngster George Earthy should be absent, as he recovers from a concussion he suffered in his Premier League debut.

Liverpool Team News

Conor Bradley injured his ankle last week, which could keep him out for multiple weeks. Liverpool do not have any new injuries, but Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip remain out long-term.

West Ham Form Guide

In their last five, West Ham have won one, drawn one and lost three. It has been a poor stretch for the Hammers as they have struggled to record consecutive wins and were knocked out of Europe. The run started with their only win, as they narrowly beat Wolves 2-1 away from home. Pablo Sarabia broke the deadlock from the spot, but the Hammers turned it around in 12 second-half minutes through Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse. Wolves were denied an equaliser in the 99th minute as Max Kilman’s leveller was controversially ruled out.

Focus shifted to European action, in which they took on undefeated Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans took a 2-0 first leg lead after a game of total domination. West Ham managed just one shot on goal, whilst giving up 33 attempts to their hosts. Bayer also enjoyed an overwhelming majority of possession, with 73%. However, the two goals came late on from Jonas Hoffman and Victory Boniface. The second leg was a closer affair with West Ham holding a 1-0 lead for most of the game, the strike coming from Michail Antonio. They were unable to find a second goal to take it to extra-time, but their hopes were officially ended when Jeremie Frimpong scored in the 89th minute to make it 1-1.

Between these two legs was a 2-0 home loss to Fulham. There were plenty of opportunities for both sides, but a goal in either half from Andreas Pereira secured the three points for the Cottagers. Last time out, they travelled to take on Crystal Palace in a London derby. The game ended 5-2 to the hosts in a terrible defeat. Palace were 4-0 up after half an hour, before Antonio pulled one back prior to half-time. However, they could not reduce the deficit any further.

Liverpool Form Guide

In their last five games, Liverpool have won two, lost two and drawn one. It has been a very inconsistent stretch for Jurgen Klopp’s men as they were knocked out of Europe and lost the initiative in the Premier League title race. It began with a disappointing 2-2 away draw at rivals Manchester United. They had dominated the game, taking the lead twice, but crucial missed chances allowed their opponents to get back into the game. Luis Diaz put the Reds ahead, but Fernandes capitalised on an error to score from long range. Kobbie Mainoo produced a sublime finish to put United in front, but a Mo Salah penalty in the final minutes ensured the points were shared.

Focus shifted to European action as they took on Atalanta in the Europa League. They surprisingly lost 3-0 at home in the first leg as Gianluca Scamacca scored a brace either side of half-time. Mario Pasalic added a third to complete the upset. Liverpool had a tall task of turning it around in the second leg, but they got off to the perfect start as Salah converted from the penalty spot after just seven minutes. The Reds were dominant in possession but could not score any more goals as they prematurely crashed out of the competition.

Between these two legs was another shocking defeat, losing 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace. Eberechi Eze opened the scoring after just 14 minutes, finishing off an impressive team move. Both teams rued many chances to get on the scoresheet, but neither were able to alter the scoreline. This meant that Palace put a huge dent in Liverpool’s title hopes, as well as significantly boosting their chances of survival. Their most recent game was a trip to Fulham, in which they won 3-1. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota were the scorers. Before they take on West Ham at the weekend, Liverpool travel to Everton for the Merseyside derby in midweek.

It has been a difficult period for both teams, with three points crucial at this stage of the season. However, we expect Liverpool to continue their title charge with a victory - West Ham 1-3 Liverpool

West Ham vs Liverpool will be available to watch on the Peacock Network (An NBC live-streaming Platform)