Nuno Espirito Santo has clear way to hurt Liverpool amid contrasting fortunes with West Ham
West Ham will be aiming to win at Anfield for the first time since 2015 when they face Liverpool on Saturday.
The Hammers may have dropped two points during last Saturday’s 0-0 draw to Bournemouth at the London Stadium, but they have closed the gap on 17th-placed Nottingham Forest to just two points.
Arne Slot’s side are their next opponents, and it’s fair to say they have had a wildly inconsistent season.
This was seen when Liverpool lost 3-0 against 19th-placed Nottingham Forest in November – only in 1992-93 have they lost two Premier League home games against sides starting the day in the relegation zone.
And Nuno Espirito Santo‘s men could definitely inflict another defeat on them, especially given their tendency to start matches well.
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What West Ham need to happen vs Liverpool
The Hammers have won 11 points from their last six matches, and a lot of that has come down to how they’ve performed in the first 45 minutes of games.
Fifty-nine per cent of West Ham’s Premier League goals this season have come in the first half, the highest share in the division (19/32).
On the other hand, Liverpool have scored the lowest share of their goals in the opening 45 minutes this term at 31 per cent (13/42).
Against Chelsea, Tottenham and Sunderland, the Hammers took the lead early on, and in the case of the latter two, the Hammers went on to win.
As Liverpool take their time before growing into matches, Nuno’s counter-attacking style could cause some serious problems at Anfield.
With only 11 games left, every point is crucial for West Ham, and they’ll have to be wary of Liverpool’s attacking threat in the second half of games.
Why West Ham must be wary of Liverpool late on
The Reds have played a part in some of the most entertaining matches this campaign, and they have proven that they will never quit in games.
Liverpool’s Premier League games have seen more goals scored in the 90th minute (including stoppage time) than any other side this season.
Nine of these goals have altered the result of the match, with the Reds scoring three winners, conceding two equalisers and shipping four goals which led to late defeats.
| Stat | Liverpool |
| Goals from the 90th minute onwards | 13 |
| Goals scored | 7 |
| Goals conceded | 6 |
Last Sunday, Alexis Mac Allister found the back of the net in the 97th minute to secure all three points for the Reds against Nottingham Forest.
If the Hammers do take the lead, Nuno’s plan will have worked, but it’s clear that West Ham fans will be in for a nervy ordeal if they sit too deep in the second half.
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