West Ham vs. Liverpool: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Liverpool come into this one unbeaten in their last 22 games in all competitions, with four wins from their last five outings on the road. While results have improved slightly for West Ham, performances haven't been convincing, and they have only one win from their last four at home.

In terms of head-to-head meetings, the Reds have won four of the last five. Additionally, both teams to score has occurred in four of West Ham's last five games at home and four of Liverpool's last five away from home. West Ham 1-3 Liverpool.

Liverpool's Premier League title charge takes another step this weekend as they travel to London to take on West Ham United.

• Date: 29/12/2024
• Kick-off time: 17:30
• Location: London Stadium, East London

West Ham come into this game 13th in the Premier League with 23 points from 18 games. Considering the level of investment in the squad during the summer, the Hammers have been well below par this season and manager Julen Lopetegui is falling short of the expectations that were placed upon him by the club after he replaced David Moyes.

Lopetegui was supposed to be the man to help the Hammers kick on to the next level after Moyes was deemed to have hit his ceiling with the team, but so far they have only regressed from where they were under the Scot. At one point, Lopetegui was under palpable pressure from the fans and it seemed as though his dismissal was imminent, but a slight improvement in form has bought the Spaniard some time, and he now needs to make sure the team continues down this trajectory if he is to keep his job beyond the end of the season.

While results have improved, performances have still been short of where they are expected to be, so there isn't yet much evidence that the Hammers will continue down a path of sustained improvement. Things won't be helped by the fact they're playing the league leaders here, either, who are firmly expected to end West Ham's current mini-unbeaten run, so the real test for the Hammers will be how they respond to defeat this weekend, should it occur. Should they win, though, it will be a huge feather in the cap of Lopetegui and it could act as a catalyst for an ascent up the league table.

Liverpool are flying in the Premier League as they come into this game top of the table with 42 points from 17 games. The Reds have been on cloud nine since August and as things stand, they're by far and away the standout team in the league. In all honesty, it looks as though Liverpool might start to run away with things if they carry on as they are, as they'll be nine points clear of Arsenal if they win their game in hand. It's too early to be anointing teams as the champions-elect, but Liverpool look much more assured and convincing than Arsenal at present, and it feels as though if any side is going to drop points in the near future, it'll be the Gunners.

Arne Slot's men have been excellent at both ends of the pitch, with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah both having renaissance seasons, having rediscovered their very best form at the ages of 33 and 32. The two players have remained excellent throughout their Liverpool careers, but the form they showed during the height of the Klopp era had fallen off slightly in recent seasons, but both men are now back at their peak, and if they can keep fit and keep performing at this level, it feels as though it'll be hard for anyone to close the gap on the Reds.

Liverpool have been very strong away from home this season and they'll back themselves to come out on top here, and it's hard to find a convincing argument as to why their confidence is misplaced.

This game will be televised live to all subscribed UK viewers on Sky Sports Main Event.

West Ham Team News:

West Ham are set to be without Guido Rodríguez and Tomáš Souček, both of whom are unavailable through suspension, while Carlos Soler, Łukasz Fabiański, and Michail Antonio are all sidelined with various injuries.

Max Kilman is also a doubt with a shoulder problem, so Jean-Clair Todibo could be called in to start at the heart of the defence.

Predicted lineup: Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Todibo, Emerson; Álvarez; Bowen, Paquetá, Kudus, Summerville; Füllkrug.

Liverpool Team News:

The Reds are coming into this one without the services of the suspended Dominik Szoboszlai, with Ibrahima Konaté and Conor Bradley continuing to miss out through injury.

Luis Díaz could be in line for a recall to the starting lineup after sitting on the bench for the entire game against Leicester on Boxing Day.

Predicted lineup: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold; Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Gakpo; Díaz.

West Ham:

West Ham are coming into this game with two wins, two draws and one loss from their last five games. Most recently, the Hammers took a trip to the South Coast to take on Southampton, and while Lopetegui's side were largely second best, they ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a goal from Jarrod Bowen.

Before that, West Ham played out consecutive 1-1 draws against Brighton, with Mohammed Kudus scoring the goal, and Bournemouth, where a late free-kick cancelled out Lucas Paquetá's late opener.

Those results followed a 2-1 win over Wolves, thanks to Tomáš Souček and Bowen, and a 3-1 loss away at Leicester City.

Liverpool:

Liverpool are in excellent form, with the Reds winning four and drawing one of their last five matches. Last time out, Arne Slot's men beat Leicester 3-1 at Anfield after goals from Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah overturned a 0-1 deficit.

Prior to that, goals from Luis Díaz (X2), Salah (X2), Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai produced a 6-3 win away at Spurs, which came after a 2-1 win over Southampton in the EFL Cup thanks to goals from Darwin Núñez and Harvey Elliott.

Those results preceded a 2-2 draw with Fulham, with Gakpo and Diogo Jota scoring the goals, and a 1-0 win away at Girona in the Champions League, courtesy of a Mohamed Salah penalty.

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