West Ham vs Liverpool Preview, Team News, Likely Line-ups & Predicted Score

Liverpool play West Ham at Upton Park on Sunday looking to close the gap on the top four.

Despite losing just once in 10 Premier League games, the Reds currently sit 11th in the table but are just 7 points off third-placed Chelsea so a win could see them close the gap on the top-four considerably if other results go their way.

The home side are in fine form and currently sit eight in the table after beating Chelsea 3-1 last weekend. Only Arsenal have managed to collect all three points at Upton Park this season so the Reds know they’ll be in for a tough afternoon on Sunday.

The last time Liverpool won away to the Hammers was in 2009 when Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt were on the score-sheet in a 3-2 win, but have won only once on their travels this season so will have to improve that record if their to take anything out of tomorrow’s game.

Team News

Yossi Benayoun is back in contention for West Ham after being ineligible to play against his parent club Chelsea last weekend.

On-loan Reds striker Andy Carroll is out for two months with a knee injury but would have been ineligible to play in any case. Ricardo Vaz Te, Alou Diarra and Jack Collison are all also missing through injury.

Brendan Rodgers will have to make do without the services of top-scorer Luis Suarez after the striker picked up his fifth booking of the season and is therefore suspended for the clash.

Jonjo Shelvey is expected to move up into the ‘false nine’ role as Rodgers has no other senior strikers to call upon.

Captain Steven Gerrard missed the midweek win over Udinese in the Europa League through illness but is expected to be back to face West Ham, while Lucas Leiva and Daniel Agger will also return after being rested in midweek.

Jordan Henserson is likely to keep his place after scoring the winner in Italy on Thursday night.

Likely Line-ups

Predicted Score

Upton Park is never an easy place to go and the Hammers impressive home record is testament to that. Combined with Liverpool’s poor away form and the fact Luis Suarez is absent, we can see West Ham holding the Reds to a draw in this one. West Ham 1-1 Liverpool

What would your team be and what’s your predicted score for the game? Get involved in the comments section.