West Ham v Liverpool Pre-Match Analysis
Liverpool Look To Continue Good Form In East London
Sep 18, 2009
After a shaky start to the season Liverpool are beginning to find form and have bagged 12 goals in their last four Premier League outings. The game against the Hammers won't be quite the stroll in the park Liverpool had when they beat Burnley, 4-0 last weekend, but they will take heart that their recent record at Upton Park has been relatively good. Other than the 1-0 defeat two seasons ago, the Reds have not lost against the Hammers since 1999.
Indifferent Start For West Ham
Zola's men have suffered an indifferent start to the season with their only home game resulting in a 2-1 reverse at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur. Their only victory is a 2-0 triumph over newly promoted Wolves. But under the little Italian West Ham are known for blowing hot and cold and their performance will depend on whether they turn up or not. Doubtless the players will be psyched up to face Liverpool despite being humbled 3-0 in the corresponding fixture last season.
England hopefuls Robert Green and Matthew Upson can expect to be in for a tough afternoon and will be determined to prove to the national team coach, Fabio Capello they are capable of keeping top players quiet, whilst Carlton Cole at the opposite end also has a point to prove. The young striker has an excellent work ethic and plenty of ability, but if he wants to book his place on the plane to South Africa ext year he has to score more goals and prove his worth against the best defences.
Liverpool meanwhile can't afford to lose another game this early in the season if they are to keep the heat on the leaders and challenge for the title. Yossi Benayoun returns to his old stomping ground looking to continue his good form following his hat-trick against Burnley last weekend. It was the perfect response to Pepe Reina's comments that the Anfield outfit did not have enough match winners in their side.
Riera Has Point To Prove
In midweek against Debrecen, Albert Riera also set out to prove his goalkeeper wrong with a much more positive and convincing performance than he has produced in a long time. Though blessed with skill and close ball control, Riera is often too reluctant to attack fullbacks and get in behind them. In midweek, he was more direct and posed a real threat for defenders. If he continues in that frame of mind, he may emerge, like Benayoun did towards the back end of last season, as another potential match winner.
Benitez welcomes back another former Hammer, Javier Mascherano who has recovered from a pelvic injury. This will mean Steven Gerrard will be restored to his familiar role behind Torres, whereby either Benayoun or Riera will drop to the bench. However, Benitez may retain Gerrard's services in the middle of the park in favour of Lucas Leiva in order to create something from deeper positions, something that has been lacking since the departure of Xabi Alonso.
With Liverpool hitting form and West Ham still looking for consistency, the visitor's appear favourites to collect the three points, though West Ham should not be underestimated. They have players in their side who are more than capable of punishing opponents and with the Reds looking vulnerable at set-pieces the Hammers could use their height advantage to bang another nail in Liverpool's coffin.
