WHZ View: West Ham v Liverpool – where can the game be won?
West Ham host Liverpool on Sunday at the London Stadium knowing that a win will take them back above last season’s champions into fourth place.
The Hammers have made their best start ever to a calendar year with six consecutive wins in 2021, but the Reds are the biggest challenge they’ve faced in recent weeks.
David Moyes’ men can go back into the Champions League places with a win. With that in mind, West Ham Zone have looked at potential areas where the match can be won for the home side.
Set Pieces
Moyes has turned the Hammers into a tactically sound side. One way he’s drastically improved us is from our set-pieces.
After 20 games, we’re joint top for most goals scored from set plays, with ten. Our defensive record is also one of the best in the division, we’re joint top with just two conceded all season from set-pieces.
Liverpool have scored from six of theirs but also conceded from six. Moyes will be well aware of this and keen to exploit it, with the likes of Soucek, Dawson and Ogbonna.
Attack the heart of defence
The Reds have had no luck this season with injuries, in particular coming in their back four. Joel Matip was the most recent casualty, playing just 45 minutes on Thursday against Spurs.
Nathaniel Phillips is likely to start, – he came on to replace Matip against Tottenham. The Englishman had a quiet second half given Harry Kane’s injury. Phillips made his debut in our reverse fixture in October but didn’t face Michail Antonio.
The young centre half has averaged 8.4 ball losses per match in his four appearances in the league, 56.3% of those coming in his own half [WyScout].
With a menacing Antonio back to full fitness, it could be a long night for Phillips.
Brilliant Benrahma
When we faced Liverpool at Anfield we set up defensively with a back five. In the last two minutes, Said Benrahma came on to make his debut with us chasing the game at 2-1.
Moyes has rarely used the back five system since, not at all in fact since the turn of the year. He has instead opted for a third attacking midfielder in Benrahma, who’s just beginning to show us what he’s capable of.
He’s very good at picking pockets of space between midfield and defence. If we can get our number nine on the ball in the attacking third then chances will come.
Having just signed a five-year contract yesterday he now looks completely at home in east London. He’ll be looking to score his first goal to seal the deal.
In other West Ham news, these pundits have agreed on the outcome of our clash with Liverpool.