West Ham vs Liverpool Preview, Team News, Likely Line-Ups, Key Man + Prediction

Liverpool are in the capital to take on West Ham at Upton Park on Sunday afternoon looking to move back to the top of the Premier League.

The Reds had to sit and watch their title rivals both win on Saturday with Manchester City beating Southampton 4-1 before Chelsea eased past Stoke City 3-0 later in the day, so the pressure is on the Merseysiders to follow suit.

Victory would see Brendan Rodgers men move two-points clear at the top heading into next weeks crucial clash with City at Anfield and extend their winning streak to nine consecutive matches.

However, they will face a Hammers side that was buoyed by a 2-1 win away at Sunderland on Monday night to ease them clear of the relegation zone. Sam Allardyces men now sit 10-points ahead of 18th-placed Fulham so they can guarantee they’ll be safe for another year with a positive result tomorrow.

Team News

West Ham skipper Kevin Nolan has been passed fit to start despite being forced off during the closing stages of last weeks win over Sunderland with a tight back.

Left-back George McCartney isn’t so lucky as he’s been ruled out after picking up a hamstring strain and he joins Joey O’Brien and Marco Borriello on the sidelines.

Liverpool arrive at Upton Park with virtually a fully-fit squad to choose from with Brendan Rodgers confirming he has no fresh injuries to worry about.

The only absentee continues to be Jose Enrique, with the Spaniard ruled out for the season with an on-going knee problem, so Jon Flanagan will continue at left-back.

Lucas Leiva is pushing to make his first start in over three months after coming on for the final 20 minutes against Tottenham last week, but Joe Allen could be preferred in midfield.

Likely Line-Ups

Key Man

Luis Suarez: The Uruguayan has scored six goals in his last five games to make it 28 for the season and is now edging closer to breaking the Premier League record for goals scored in a 38-game season. West Ham will have to keep him quiet if they want to take anything away from the game.

Predicted Score:

West Ham 1-2 Liverpool: Upton Park is never an easy place to go and Liverpool are guaranteed to be in for a tough ride, but we can see the Reds edging this one to go another step closer to lifting the title.

What team would you like to see start and whats your predicted score? Share your views below.